Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #17 review: Rebellion of Zog

Zog and Zom launch their rebellion! Yet is it something their love can endure in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #17

Writer: Chris Mowry

Artist: Giannis Milogiannis

Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski

Back-Up Strip: Erika Anderson & Michael Dialynas

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Over in the  main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, the Triceratons have invaded Earth. Formerly the minions of Krang and the Utroms, they are a people without a homeland. Yet how did they get to that point? This two-part story seeks to fill in the gaps left behind from not only the ongoing series, but the Utrom Empire mini-series from 2014. While we know that Zog ultimately led the rebellion and his lover and second-in-command Zom took over, details were scarce.

Image by IDW Publishing

Chris Mowry and Giannis Milogiannis seek to fill in the gaps of that backstory. Furthermore, they seek to establish Zom’s place within it, as she is a newer character than Zog. It is a rare bit of continuity repair from a tight edited by Bobby Curnow, yet the series gets away with it. Zom is herself a strong character, and entrenching her role within the past of the Triceratons is a notable goal. In fact, the only problem is that some segments of this rebellion appear to be a tad simple.

Image by IDW Publishing

It’s a Tale of War-Torn Dino Love!

Part of this is the timing in which this story is published. It can’t chronicle the beginning of the Triceratons, as the Turtles In Time mini-series already established that. Nor can it chronicle the meatier chapters of the rebellion, as that was seen in Utrom Empire and later TMNT series. It has to straddle the line in the middle, with certain resolutions already a foregone conclusion going in. For the most part, Mowry tries to make up for this by focusing on the relationship between Zog and Zom.

Image by IDW Publishing

Zog is the leader of the Triceratons, and the sole survivor of the legendary “first herd.” Having been genetically modified for eons by the Utroms, Zog was among the last to be born naturally, rather than in a test tube. While the Triceratons are the expendable warriors of the Utroms, in reality they fight due to loyalty to Zog. A divide had grown between Zom and Zog. While Zom foresaw a greater destiny for their people, Zog believed that only submitting to the Utroms would ensure survival.

Image by IDW Publishing

Yet the symbiotic relationship between the Utroms and Triceratons came to an end thanks to Zom’s actions. Having dug up the truth about Zog’s origins via her archival duties, she’s already begun the rebellion in her own way. Having slain one of her Utrom masters, Zom was prepared to begin the battle herself. Yet Zog tracks her down and urges her to stop. While Zom initially believes that her lover is once again torn between duties, Zog assures her that this time it is part of a plan.

Image by IDW Publishing

Utroms Go Squish!

Being the highest ranking Triceraton within the Utrom Empire gave Zog intimate knowledge of their weaknesses. Chiefly, the fact that Emperor Quanin and General Krang have spread their forces thin in their conquest. Zog rallies his soldiers with an inspirational speech before ordering a division of their rank. While Zom will lead half the Triceratons on a sneak attack on an Utrom outpost, Zog will rally the other half as cavalry. Zom worries about their own forces spread too thin.

Image by IDW Publishing

While Zom leads her soldiers into the first battle of the rebellion, Zog meets with Krang for one of the last times. He relies on his rank to cover for Zom’s previous assassination in the archival room, as well as to keep Krang distracted just a little bit longer. It all works out in the end, as Zom is able to lead the Triceratons to their first victory against the Utroms. Although her forces suffered some casualties, and her horn was broken, Zom capitalized on surprise to prevail over the Utroms.

Image by IDW Publishing

Yet there is an element of tragedy to this, although not quite what someone may expect. Fans of the series are reminded of the fact that Zog’s rebellion was what ultimately destroyed Utrominion. Such an act forced Krang to relocate himself and the few Utrom survivors onto Earth, which he hoped to transform into a new homeworld. However, Zog never got to see the ultimate victory that Zom forged in his memory. He was teleported randomly to the “Battle Nexus” realm, and is MIA.

Image by IDW Publishing

More of the Triceratots!

In the back up strip, Erika Anderson and Michael Dialynas tell another story of the “Triceratots.” After all, while the Triceratons are mostly born in labs, they still start out as kids. Two of them, Zaph and Zola, can’t wait to grow up and help the herd. To this end, they wind up stowing away on a battleship just before Zog launches into space! In between their playing and bickering, the pair have to figure out a way out of the ship before it’s too late. It’s cute and brief, much like the last one.

Image by IDW Publishing

The main story by Mowry is good, yet there seems to be something missing. He has a good voice for Zom, and he works within the edges of previous stories well. That’s a rare skill among many franchise writers these days. Yet that may be another part of the problem — it feels very much like a story in the margins. For those seeking more details about the Triceraton rebellion or how Zog went from that to his appearance in TMNT Annual 2014, then it succeeds wholeheartedly.

Image by IDW Publishing

The only other thing it establishes is the relationship between Zog and Zom. Considering their designs and status as dinosaur warriors, they make for two nontraditional romantic leads. Beyond that, however, it is a story of balancing duty with emotion. It’s one which has been told before, albeit not usually with dinosaur people. Krang’s brief appearances are interesting, especially for those who miss him from the main title, where he met his final fate.

Image by IDW Publishing

Good, but Could Improve!

The art by Giannis Milogiannis is mostly good. His style has an element of sketchiness to it, yet this issue had more of it than the last. It suggests a rush to meet deadline, which is an unpleasant reality in the comic book business. It also doesn’t help that many of the Triceratons and Utroms look the same. While it may be the reality of the premise, it can make the herd everyone is so eager to defend look a bit too uniform. Then again, “one for all and all for one,” is a theme.

Image by IDW Publishing

The Triceratops strips are fun, even if they seem random. It is impressive seeing Dialynas manage to make triceratops-kids look utterly adorable. However, the strips are often simple in terms of plot, and end abruptly. Much like the previous one, there is a less of a sense of the end to a story, and more of a sense of the script running out of pages. Every issue of TMNT Universe has a 4-page strip in part to justify the price, yet here I wonder if it could have been used wiser.

Image by IDW Publishing

Next: See Zog and Zom hit things off in #16!

In conclusion, while two issues focusing on Zog and Zom is timely, TMNT Universe is a victim of its own success. 2017 has been a wild year for it, with a wide range of stories being crafted for it by a variety of creators. Yet I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Sophie Campbell all but stole the series this year. Between co-writing the Toad Baron arc to her recent arc with Karai, Campbell set a very high water mark for the series. Despite a valiant effort, the Triceratons just quite couldn’t match it.