The Good
My favorite part of this issue is easily Karai's story. Not only did it deliver the slickest moments (artist Ben Bates rocked those scenes), but its connection to TMNT: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE FOOT CLAN gives the series a grander scope. It's making us loop back and wonder how all of these elements are connected. It also has me excited to see how these pieces will soon play out. I love how everything is slowly coming together in such an organic manner.There's some nice brotherly love going on in this issue, but their own unique personalities are also given more of a chance to shine. Unlike the rest who opted for stealth, Raphael relishes the chance to be a part of a more direct and action heavy assault -- this is something that has me looking forward to the next issue. Mikey of course has a few childish and funny lines ("I've done this a zillion times") and seeing Leo facepalm in response to his orange masked brother was priceless. Donny's excitement over being in a high tech lab was also a pretty adorable and heartwarming moment.
The final battle is one helluva mess. It might be too crowded for some people's taste, but I loved scanning those panels and trying to soak in all of the chaos. Bright lasers flying every which way, tanks rolling around, planes swooping in... it's just a fun illustration to gaze at and imagine it playing out in motion.
The Bad
I can't help but feel like General Krang is way too cliche here. He looks great, but I could totally see this version shaking his fist and yelling, "Curse you, Turtles! You haven't seen the last of General Krang!" if he's defeated in the next issue. I get it's tough to make this character unique, but I really wasn't feeling the characterization in this issue.There was so much time leading up to the battle and I think the issue would have benefited from trimming some of the conversations on Neutrino. The basics of their plan was spelled out a handful of times when it didn't need to be -- it's not a complex plan, after all. Also, we spent so much time waiting for the final assault on Krang's base and when it finally happened I couldn't help but feel kind of underwhelmed as it carried on. Luckily, this cliffhanger makes it obvious that Tom Waltz is saving the most thrilling parts for the next issue. The Turtles vs. Krang? Oh, yes!