The Good
This is it, friends! City Fall's final chapter is upon us and thankfully it's a total blast. Tom Waltz, Bobby Curnow and Kevin Eastman pack the script with pretty much everything we'd want to see in these final moments. Raph vs. Leo? Check. Shredder vs. Splinter? Check. Bebop and Rocksteady being stupid yet lovable? Big ol' check for that one. Oh, and the final moments are PURE fan service. Seriously, try not to smile when you reach the end -- I dare you.
It's an action-packed issue but development is by no means cast aside. Sure, this is a book that's loaded with mutants, ninjas and all kinds of chaos, but ultimately, it's really about a family and there's a great amount of heart to be found in the final chapter. The clash between Leo and Raph is immensely satisfying, and in the event you want to complaint about how the fight goes down, Waltz even makes the reasoning behind the fight's outcome crystal clear. It's a great scene and they really did an excellent job hitting us with the bond between these characters.
Mateus Santolouco ends this story on a strong note. Not only is there so much intensity and creativity behind the action scenes, but there's also so much detail and unique work put in the issue to help make each character standout and feel totally animated. Ronda Pattison and Ian Herring's coloring adds so much life to Santolouco's art. It's impressively colored and I couldn't help but stare at a certain panel of Shredder as he's standing on a rooftop. Calling it "vivid" would be an understatement. Overall, there's just a great sense of energy here and the visuals are every bit as cinematic as they should be. It's epic artwork for an epic story.
The Bad
If you've been checking out all of the micro-issues, then you may be a tad letdown with Bebop and Rocksteady's battle. It looks great and is plenty of fun, but compared to their ninja-fest in their micro-series? Come on, there's just no topping that. There's also a moment in the fight where it was unclear what Raph was doing (he leaps forward then he's further back and standing around) -- it's only two panels, but seeing as I'm really focused on brawls and stats, it caught my eye. Lastly, Splinter's performance is pretty disappointing.
It's no secret I think the visuals are astonishing, but the inclusion of stars was somewhat distracting. In some areas there's a surreal amount visible and then there's random gaps. Having a sky full of stars would be gorgeous, but instead this was somewhat jarring when placed next to the detailed characters and wonderful environments.
The Verdict
City Fall comes to a very satisfying conclusion. It's explosive and flooding with ridiculously fun action. Despite it being mostly punches and kicks, Waltz and company still manage to fill the last issue of the storyline with a fantastic amount of heart and development for key characters. As expected, Santolouco's art and the coloring remain stellar and absolutely serves as the modern look for the franchise. Issue #28 doesn't only feel like the end of something big -- it feels like the beginning of something great, too. I really hope they decide to follow-up with certain characters because they've paved quite a few new roads with this one.
IDW's TMNT has been consistently solid but this story really is something extra awesome. If you have any interest at all in the franchise, it's your duty to read this story. I know I'll definitely buy the hardcover once it drops.