Sibling Rivalry
I am really glad I started reading TMNT, it blows me away every month. Issue 25 continues the City Fall arc, and now the Foot is going to war against the Savate clan. I'm not sure if Shredder is just writing off the turtles at this point as a non-threat, or if he's looking to wage a three-way war. Either way, the main focus of this issue is on the coming war between the Foot and Savate, and on the personal conflict between Karai and Dark Leo. Karai is quite jealous that Leo has replaced her as Shredder's second in command, and feels he doesn't yet deserve that honor. She feels she's earned it in blood, while Leo has yet to "spill an enemies with his blade". This coupled with some dialogue later, make you wonder about Leo's mental state. We have not known what he has been thinking or feeling since he was brainwashed several issues ago, so it's nice they are touching upon it here.
On the turtles end of things, Raph has once again gone missing. It seems some things will not, can not, ever change. He has gone out to beat information out of whoever he can for Leo's location and what Shredder did to him. This, of course, means Don and Mikey are going looking for him. There is a lot of brotherly talk between the three, once again demonstrating how strong the turtles family bond is.
What's the curveball is Splinter has gone missing as well. He has gone to find Old Hob and Slash, like Raph to get information and aid in retrieving Leonardo. Old Hob won't go along so easily, though, he needs proof of loyalty. Where that goes, we'll have to wait and see.
The artwork is fantastic as always. I've touched upon in the past how I love that each turtle, while similar, still has a unique look beyond the color they wear. The issue though, I really noticed Karai. She is very well drawn and detailed. You really get a sense of how young she is for such a skilled warrior. She looks innocent, up until she's cutting you to ribbons. Oh, and Dark Leo looks awesome. Again, I've said it before, but he really does.
There aren't any real downsides or shortcomings in this issue. After all the TMNT family has been through, they needed to regroup, rethink, and get a breather. That's what this issue feels like. The calm after a battle, with the anticipation of another coming and the war continuing.
If you were ever looking for a title outside the mainstream world of Marvel and DC, IDW's TMNT is it. Not since the old Spawn saga have I been this engrossed in an independent title. City Fall is great, and the book and characters are handled as if in the hands of a person who grew up loving their adventures as a kid and genuinely cares about them. Which, who knows, writer Kevin Eastman might have been. Oh and I won't spoil the surprise, but the ending of this issue made me totally pumped for next month's. I won't give it away, but if you're a turtle fan you should have been looking forward to this.
