Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #18

The Good 

 After quite a long wait -- which was really okay because we were treated to two fantastic issues of TMNT: The Secret History of the Foot Clan -- we finally have the next chapter from the primary ongoing! The Turtles, Futigoid and Neutrinos are teleported to Dimension X and they're smack dab in the middle of a war. The Turtles naturally have no idea what's going on, so watching them try to survive in this surreal scenario is a blast. Leo seemed a bit weak when it came to his abilities as a leader, but I suppose it's understandable given how confusing the situation is for them. 
 
A large portion of this issue is a battle and while the standard "shooting" scenes (you know, armies behind cover and firing at one another) aren't particularly exciting, the pace picks up when we see Michelangelo rush to save a princess (for real). If you're even remotely a Turtles fan, this action sequence will make you grin from ear to ear. Oh, and the Turtles blocking laser blasts with their weapons? So cool.  

What's great about a cliffhanger such as this one is that I legitimately have no idea what'll happen next. This is a scenario where the worst is indeed a possibility and it has me questioning what will unfold in the opening pages of so of #19. Put a Turtle in that position and I'll roll my eyes because they'll clearly elude the scenario. But this? No idea!

Artist Ben Bates and colorist Ronda Pattison are a solid fit for this story. They bring a more vibrant, energetic and cartoonish vibe to the comic. It's absolutely fitting for this futuristic world filled with laser blasts and crazy, colorful hair.

The Bad 

Splinter blaming himself so quickly seemed a bit out of character, though it did generate one of the most adorable pictures of Splinter I have ever seen.  Aside from that, my only other complaints are some of the dialogue was a bit stiff and, while it did reveal some new information, the exposition about Krang felt a bit too long -- especially since a majority of that was covered in the Micro Series.  I understand not everyone reads those (sham on them!), but it could have been trimmed just a bit. 
 
One more thing... is it just me or was Mikey totally cool with possibly killing an enemy with a throwing star? He had no idea the soldier was that durable and threw the item right at the back of his head!

The Verdict 

I hope writer Tom Waltz is having fun writing this because I'm having a helluva good time reading it! All of the pieces are finally coming together now (except for Slash and Old Hob, that is) and it's awesome to see they're all connecting to one elaborate story. Meanwhile, TMNT: The Secret History of the Foot Clan is implying a stronger connection between The Foot and the Utroms, so I wonder if we'll see more of that in the pages of this book. We know Karai is likely trying to look out for herself (there's no way she's okay with the thought of Leo taking her place), but what will happen when Shredder possibly finds out about Krang? And will we ever see the Technodrome in action or will the Fugitioid shut it down before it's operational? There's plenty going on in this book and it all has my interest piqued!