Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 (2024) (IDW Publishing)

September 13, 2024

2 minutes

Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
Colorist: Ronda Pattison
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Release Date: 11th September 2024

Hot on the heels of an incredibly strong opening issue which saw Raphael bringing his own distinctive brand of brooding violence to the prison where he found himself incarcerated, Jason Aaron’s all-new TMNT run continues this week as guest artist Rafael Albuquerque joins us as we check in on “party dude” Michelangelo.

When we pick things up here, Mikey has become something of a local celebrity in Tokyo by virtue of his starring role in Japan’s hottest new TV series. Everyone wants a piece of him, and while the always fun-loving Ninja Turtle appears to be enjoying himself on the surface, he’s clearly struggling with the fakeness of this new world he finds himself inhabiting. Much like the previous issue, Aaron juxtaposes the present day with ‘fonder memories’ of the four brothers together, and while it’s obvious Mikey is still harbouring a lot of deep-rooted resentment for the way things ended, it’s hard for him to stop himself pining for simpler times.

As with the previous issue, Mikey’s new status quo is unceremoniously shattered by the arrival of the resurgent Foot Clan, seemingly hell-bent on putting him down for good. This whole sequence is pure gold, and watching him gradually shift from playing a ‘fake ninja’ on TV to remembering what it’s like to be a real one is likely to have any self-respecting TMNT fan grinning from ear to ear.

As you might expect, Albuquerque absolutely nails the visual side of the storytelling, and whether it’s a depressed and exhausted Michelangelo eating convenience store pizza after returning home from the fanciest restaurant in town, or the aforementioned ninja action throwdown, this latest issue is a real feast for the eyes. It also features one particularly glorious moment where Mikey, in typically understated fashion, makes a valiant stand wielding a pair of diamond-encrusted nunchucks. Tip of the hat to TMNT colourist extraordinaire Ronda Pattision for really making this sequence sing.

In the wrong hands Mikey can be a bit of a wasted opportunity, bringing nothing but dumb jokes and a bottomless appetite to the table, but I’m happy to report that Aaron does a great job of digging a little deeper into his psyche, showing the constant struggle between being the happy-go-lucky brother and a loyal, passionate young man desperately craving acceptance. Another stellar issue, and with the dots being slowly but surely connected for this new story, I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next.

Rating: 4.5/5

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]