Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Chris Burnham
Release Date: 26th November 2024
For the latest instalment of IDW’s TMNT soft reboot, series author Jason Aaron is joined by artist Chris Burnham as the spotlight is turned on the last remaining brother, Donatello. In my reviews of the first three issues of this series, I’ve championed the stark shift in tone that Aaron has delivered, but this latest issue takes that darker, grittier vibe to disturbing new levels as Donny finds himself trapped in a mutant “zoo” and forced to fight rich men for money.
Even from the first few pages, it’s clear that Donatello – much like the rest of his family, albeit to varying degrees – is well and truly broken. And finding himself drugged, caged, starved and forced to fight for sick people’s entertainment is only adding to that. The opening monologue as he runs down his gradually declining mindset is nothing short of heartbreaking, and Aaron seemingly takes great pleasure in twisting the knife again and again throughout the course of this issue.
I love Burnham’s work, and his visceral, slightly caricatured style works wonders in underscoring the tone of this issue – particularly during the latter stages where the emaciated, wild-eyed turtle is fighting for his very life. It’s difficult not to feel sorry for Donny as his sanity gradually seeps away, lost in his own burning desire to protect the other prisoners of the “zoo”, and Burnham’s scratchy, evocative linework does a huge amount of the heavy lifting here. From the pencil-thin legs of our half-starved protagonist to the dark rings around his eyes to the shuriken-inflicted gut punch in the final pages, this is another textbook example of picking exactly the right artist for the story being told.
Another unexpected but utterly enthralling take from Aaron, and with the background storyline finally starting to coalesce onto something tangible, it’s going to be interesting to see how – or even if – our four brothers are able to come together to combat the new adversary on the horizon. A series that continues to explore the well-established world of the TMNT in fresh, exciting and shocking ways, this is an absolutely essential purchase for Turtle fans.
Rating: 4.5/5.
[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]
The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
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