Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1: Review

I don’t think I need to sell you on this. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles written by Jason Aaron (who needs no introduction), art by Joëlle Jones (her career best), colored by Ronda Pattison, and lettered by Shawn Lee. This is outstanding. It’s even better than the sum of these creative parts. Aaron is locked in with Raphael and Jones is unbelievable here.

The presentation of this issue is outstanding, from the wide range of covers to the first pages of the comic which, like all good things, is excellent and gripping from the jump. The thing you’ll notice first is this is Raphael. There’s no question. Jason Aaron’s take on the character is visceral and intense but in classic Turtles fashion, there are glimpses of the truth of the character’s heart. It may be a little jarring seeing a Turtle in this very human context, as we’ve mostly seen them operating in the shadows, but you’ll be at home instantly because of not only Aaron’s expert writing but Joëlle Jones’s captivating artwork. The layouts are smooth and guide your eye and feel very in line with the old Mirage days. Smooth and stylish, all the way down. 

The strength of this issue is felt on the first page, which perfectly settles you into the story whether you’re an established fan or a newcomer. Or maybe you’re a Last Ronin fan checking out the jumping-on point! There’s nothing here that gets in the way of creating a deep connection between the reader and Raphael. You’re lockstep with him which is perfect for any fan of this franchise.

The one complaint I have is the last few pages feel rushed and that’s disorienting after spending so long tight with Raph. But that’s a nitpick because one of the last images of Raph in this comic is worth the price of admission. Jones’s work is incredible; you can almost feel the breeze off of those punches. IDW has shown off black and whites for this issue and the next one, and I really want them to do a black and white printing. No disrespect to Pattison but Jones doesn’t need to be colored here. And from those preview pages, it sure feels like she’s drawing like she isn’t being colored.

To keep this spoiler-free, I won’t dive into specifics. I do want to say that I have no idea where this is going but I’m very excited to see where we go from here. Eager to discover how Aaron handles the rest of the Turtles, because if his Raph is this good, what’s he got for the rest of the bunch? I’m loving the all-star treatment the Turtles are getting here, and to see the star-studded line-up of artists coming up is incredible.