Raphael Takes the Fight to Null in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles No. 94
By Alex Widen
An Embarrassment of Riches!
By this stage, the writing team of Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman and Bobby Curnow are masters of their craft. While Waltz does the lion’s share of the work — he scripts every issue — the trio have unleashed a narrative collective genius with this incredible run of TMNT. Every action has a reaction in this universe, and every moment, character, or scene has a follow up. Readers may need a spreadsheet to keep track of all the cast or subplots, but other comics such as Saga and The Walking Dead inspires similar reactions. The only difference is TMNT gets less of the acclaim.
Image by IDW Publishing
One of the themes is ever shifting alliances. Waltz and company seem to enjoy the idea that who is good or evil in a particular story can sometimes be effected by circumstance, motive, and objectives. Old Hob, in particular, has seen his role expand to the Turtles’ first major enemy to being one of their least predictable allies. The idea of Splinter running the Foot was a great concept, which has made Karai’s attempt to reclaim it all the more dramatic. It drives home the fact that none of the heroes are perfect, or beyond succumbing to their flaws at times, which makes the mutants more human (for lack of a better term).
Image by IDW Publishing
This issue showcases how desperation and unresolved emotions risk turning Raphael into something he may not be able to walk back from. Old Hob’s scale of revenge has gotten progressively bigger and bigger. He’s justified in wanting to avenge the suffering of animals and humans from torment; it’s his methods and execution which cause some to pause. But much like Magneto, Hob may be a bad man at the right time if mutants are to survive in a world they had no choice to live in. And Raphael’s decision to aid him in a potentially genocidal quest is chilling.
Image by IDW Publishing