Adventure Time #10 Review

 

Writers: Nick Winn & Elizabeth Brei

Artists: Corinth Boone & Cleonique Hilsaca

Colorist: Heather Breckel

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Nick Winn, Corinth Boone, Ren Lindroos & Ben Sears

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 18, 2026

 

When Finn and Jake were disembodied spirits, Finn found what he had been searching for. But realizing that he had almost lost his best friend and brought chaos to the land of Ooo prompted Finn to toss the Enchiridion away. After finding their own way to banish the Lich and Golb, Finn and Jake have spent months helping repair the damage they caused.

 

Computer Princess respects Finn’s decision to discard the Enchiridion. But even if Finn no longer believes he needs someone else’s path to success, Computer Princess insists that future heroes might need assistance in finding the best part of themselves. Can Finn and Jake compose a new Hero Handbook while helping Ooo recover? And why did Marceline abandon Bonnie? Let’s leap into Adventure Time #10 and see!

 

Handbook Heroes Part Two: Story

While traveling the land and writing down their thoughts and observations, Finn and Jake meet a hero battling a monster. Despite their efforts to help the land’s inhabitants recover, Canyon surprises Finn by accusing him of stealing her baby's blanket. After assuring her that Robot Finn must have stolen it and promising to secure it for her, Canyon brings Finn and Jake to her home. Then, Finn faints when he meets her husband.

 

Finn’s father inspired him to seek out the Enchiridion by praising Billy’s actions. And in Adventure Time #10, Billy acknowledges that he enjoyed being Ooo’s supreme hero. While introducing his would-be successor to his new life with Canyon and their daughter, Ravine, Billy discusses why he resigned from being a hero. But when they learn where Robot Finn is, Finn and Jake set out to stop him.

 

While Finn tends to think of life in absolute terms, Nick Winn's story discusses how our priorities change as we grow. Finn and Jake’s story dovetails with Marceline's attempt to reconnect with her past. So after reassuring Bonnie of her affection, Marceline recognizes her burden of care.

 

Handbook Heroes Part Two: Art

By the time Finn awakens, Jake and Ravine have become great friends. While Jake proudly heralds Ravine’s artistry, Corinth Boone superimposes the trio over Ravine's contributions to the notebook that Computer Princess gave Finn. Corinth also emphasizes Billy's greater stature than Finn, as the former hero requests his aid and shares crucial moments from his history. Green and blue dominate the crystal cave where the heroes talk, while a waterfall feeds the stream running through Billy, Canyon, and Ravine’s home.

 

While Billy’s red hair and beard link him with a gift to his daughter, Marceline’s giftbox also links to the gems in Ice King’s crown, and an object he doesn’t wish to see. Like Billy’s crystal cave, the interior of the Ice King’s home is also blue. But then, his blue robe links him with Finn’s clothing as the Wiggly Workin’ wanderer seeks to apprehend his pale imitation amid brightly colored surroundings. The colors evoke Simon's previous good acts, before he became the Ice King in Adventure Time #10.

 

Lemonhope Alone Part Two: Story & Art

They say misery loves company, but that’s not necessarily true. In Elizabeth Brei’s tale, a singer seeks catharsis in solitude. Her story is a poignant reminder that when we’re hurting, we may have more to gain from others than by pulling away. Cleonique Hilsaca’s singer is a cherubic performer who demonstrates the power of singing the Blues.

 

Lettering

Shawn Lee places uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons as Finn meets his idol, and Jake makes a new friend. Marcy speaks white letters into black balloons while Computer Princess employs dark letters in lavender balloons. Framed colored narrative boxes contain off-camera dialogue, while enlarged colorful dialogue highlights elation and desperation. Sound effects fill the air when Ravine tries out her father’s gift, and Robot Finn carries out his mission. Yet nothing seems as heartbreaking as a quiet blip in Adventure Time #10. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Finn and Jake’s poor decisions awakened evil forces in their land. Yet while the Lich and Golb appear banished, Robot Finn wanders the land seeking adventure. Despite the ire his actions provoke, Adventure Time #10 suggests a method behind Robot Finn’s seemingly random acts of unkindness.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover options see my cover preview of Adventure Time #10. 

Adventure Time #9 Review

      

Writers: Nick Winn & Elizabeth Brei

Artists: Austin Baechle & Cleonique Hilsaca

Colorist: Heather Breckel

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Nick Winn, Austin Baechle, JustaSuta & Nicole Goux

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 21, 2026

 

The Enchiridion may be lost forever. But Finn doesn’t care. His encounter with the Lich has taught him that friendship is more powerful than a hero handbook. After his battle with Golb, Jake agrees. Uniting with your friends is the best way to combat any dangers. Where will Finn and Jake's adventures take them next? And what dangers will threaten the land of Ooo? Let’s leap into Adventure Time #9 and see!

 

Handbook Heroes Part One: Story

Months have passed since Finn and Jake battled Golb and the Lich. Along with Computer Princess, they have spent that time helping the people of Ooo recover from the storm. Computer Princess realizes that people won't let her make innovative replicas of them anymore. But she's determined to keep Finn's new arm up to date.

 

While looking out for Finn, Computer Princess knows that he and Jake are Old School. So she gives Finn a spiral notebook and asks him to record his adventures in Adventure Time #9. This daunting task makes Finn second-guess his decision to discard the Enchiridion. He cannot recreate the lost knowledge written in the ancient tome. But Computer Princess convinces Finn that his efforts are valuable. Recording his adventures and the insights he gains along the way may help future heroes achieve their potential.

 

After launching Finn and Jake on a new journey, Nick Winn gives the two handbook homies plenty to think about. Without the Enchiridion to guide them, Finn and Jake must decide how to structure a book and what to put in it. Ironically, as they contemplate the qualities that make someone a hero and the skills they should develop, they meet a hero. But Finn and Jake also learn that more of Computer Princess’s inventions have come back to plague Ooo in Adventure Time #9.

 

Handbook Heroes Part One: Art

As Lady Rainicorn forms a recliner for Jake and gazes at her guy with adoring eyes, Finn sits on a tree stump while Computer Princess welds his arm. Like Inspector Gadget, devices spring from the artificial limb on long, thin appendages. Jake uses a camera to record what he sees, while a magnifying glass alerts him to a battle nearby.

 

After Finn and Jake leave Computer Princess’s futuristic city behind, Austin Baechle populates the hillside with creatures and animals drawn from real life and fantasy. Heather Breckel lavishes a bright palette of colors on Adventure Time #9 as Jake stretches through scenes, and Finn fills pages in his notebook with art and notes. Pale green statues commemorate how the worky wigglin’ heroes helped save Ooo from Computer Princess’s Almost-Apocalypse. Then they meet a character with blue skin battling a purple creature who meets their definition of a hero.

 

Shawn Lee places uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons as Finn and Jake launch their expedition. Marcy speaks white letters into black balloons as she embarks on her own journey. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects fill the air when gadgets sprout from Finn's updated arm and the friends undergo trials. Yet words become colorful giants when the booty bumpin’ friends make an unexpected discovery in Adventure Time #9.

 

Lemonhope Alone Part One: Story and Art

While people and animals play in a pool of mud or enjoy a picnic, a singer plays their harp and sings. As Elizabeth Brei addresses the need for people to be honest about their feelings, one of Cleonique Hilsaca’s whimsical creatures takes an interest in the musician. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When the Lich possessed Finn, he sought out Marcy and Bonnie. While Bonnie seems unaffected by the encounter, Marcy withdraws into herself. So, as Finn and Jake try to forge a new beginning, Marcy invests in her past in Adventure Time #9.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Adventure Time #9. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 Review

 

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Artist: Freddie E Williams II

Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Freddie E Williams II & Andrew Dalhouse; Ben Bishop; Jared Cullum; Clayton Crain; Daniel Warren Johnson; Dustin Nguyen; David Nakayama; Blind Bag

Designers: Nathan Widick & Ben Bates

Editors: Jake Thomas & Tommy Stella

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 10, 2025

 

The Turtles have experienced highs and lows. They’ve fought separately and together. Master Splinter may no longer be with them. Still, they’re together again, protecting Humans and Mutants alike. As they honor their master’s memory, the Turtles also enjoy newfound popularity after defeating Hieronymous Hale. But life is ever in flux, transitioning from one state to another. What new danger will arise to threaten New York? And can the Turtles hang together as they combat it? Let's grab our weapons, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13, and see!

 

Story

On a dark and stormy night, Mr Brinkman visits the White Lily Tea Room. When he meets with Madame Xiang Fei Tong, he paints a glorious picture of their partnership. Thanks to his employer's support, Madam Xiang's Ghost Boys enjoy an unprecedented era of success. He suggests that, perhaps, she might consider demonstrating her gratitude by extending unprecedented generosity to his employer.

 

While Madam Xiang agreed to this meeting as a show of respect, the triad leader takes umbrage at Mr Brinkman’s suggestion in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. As the negotiator courts disaster, another player appears. He calls himself Ujigami. And instead of repeating Losira’s catchphrase, “I am for you,” the mysterious stranger says, “I am your death.”

 

Ujigami’s attack has profound consequences in Gene Luen Yang’s story. The death of a triad leader spreads violence across New York, as factions within the Ghost Boys battle for supremacy. While taking steps to quell the violence, the Turtles realize they must discover who murdered Madam Xiang. As for “Mr Brinkman,” he may need the Turtles' protection.

 

April O’Neil has fought alongside the Turtles since Hieronymous Hale put Casey Jones out of action. Now, she assists them with their investigation. Even though they are together, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello prove reluctant to acknowledge that Leonardo is the head of their family in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. But no one questions that Donatello is the heart. He grieves Splinter’s death more openly than his brothers and takes comfort in anyone who acknowledges their responsibility to their family.

 

Art

The red paper lanterns suspended above Chinatown's streets sway in the wind and rain. Inside the tea shop, Mr Brinkman and Madam Xiang perch on barrels. As more paper lanterns illuminate their discussion, lighting flashes across the skylight above them. An open briefcase rests between them as Madam Xiang sips from a porcelain cup. When Mr Brinkman produces a gun, the triad leader reveals that she has more than a card up her sleeve. Then Ujigami enters, covered in sculpted, ornamental armor. He holds a knife in each hand, and his mask evokes a ferocious bull.

 

Andrew Dalhouse adorns Freddie E Williams II’s art with a vibrant palette in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. As in a Western movie, the Turtles form tiny silhouettes as they bound atop a suspension bridge before the ebbing sun. The brothers gaze down at the white-clad Ghost Boys battling around an orange school bus. As they descend to join the fight, the yellow-orange air fills with purple, bronze, and brown. Attacks summon white pinpoints of light and yellow splatter. As Leo enters his brother’s room, an image of white-and-red-clad Splinter comforting Donatello overlays a closeup of Donatello’s green-and-purple face. Donatello places his brother’s gift next to a photograph of the brothers and their father on a cobwebbed floating shelf.

 

Shawn Lee places small, faint black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons. The words grow bold for intonation, and change color for enthusiasm. White letters in blue boxes locate us in time and space, while Donatello’s thoughts appear in purple boxes. Sound effects accompany the fighting as Ujigami's attacks send his victims fleeing. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When loved ones depart this life, their spirits linger if we remember them. As the Turtles mourn their sensei’s passing, a more tangible spirit rises to protect them. Unlike them, Ujigami has a stricter method of punishing the guilty. His code of justice could shake the brothers' unity and overturn their newfound popularity in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover options see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #4 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artists: Mateus Santolouco

Colorist: Marco Lesko

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Mateus Santolouco; Tango & Paris Alleyne; Santtos

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 19, 2024

 

Yoshi Chen wants to unite his Dog Star Clan with Oroku Karai’s Foot Clan. But he played a cruel trick on them, and his soldiers sent Karai to the hospital. Yoshi’s actions indirectly cost Toshiro his life. Karai doesn’t believe that Yoshi will be content to share power. But what are Karai’s options? Can she ensure the Foot Clan's dominance over Yoshi's Dog Star Clan? Let's grab our katanas, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #4, and find out!

 

 

Story

Yoshi's story of the Foot Clan's origins differs from hers. Yoshi claims their ancestor Daigo assisted his brother Tadami before building his clan in China. Karai’s copy of the Foot Clan sacred text, Ashi No Himitsu, states that Tadami killed all his brothers and retained sole leadership of the Foot Clan throughout his life. Yoshi traces his genealogy back to Daigo and suggests that Tadami and Daigo could have built a stronger clan together. But when Karai refuses his offer, Yoshi's hologram disappears, and the transmitter explodes.

 

Perhaps Yoshi didn't try to kill her (again), only erase any technological link to his Dog Star Clan. But this second attack confirmed Karai’s assertion that she alone should steer the Foot Clan’s destiny. So she sought guidance from the Realm of the Dead, which led her to the secret cache of the Foot Clan's founder, Takeshi Tatsuo. Karai chose her companions carefully in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #4. That's wise, as magical caves are dangerous places.

 

Fighting and status are significant parts of the ninja life. While Karai enjoys a Tokyo penthouse suite, the mutants share an open-plan apartment. Zodi feels especially aggrieved. The mutant scorpion itches for action and yearns for status. Yet Zodi sits on the sidelines while Karai focuses on achieving her destiny. Her fellow mutants punished her for speaking out. Karai selected one mutant companion and two Humans as her companions for this mission. Why didn't Karai invite Zodi?

 

In Erik Burnham's story, the Foot Clan faces threats from without and within. Like the cave on Dagobah, the Secret Cache of Takeshi Tatsuo will test the intruders. Magical forces will force Clyde, Natsu, and Casey Jones to confront their insecurities, their feelings about others, and the ambitions that drive them. But their leader, Karai, will face the biggest test. Is she worthy of guiding the Foot Clan toward their prophesied destiny in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #4?

 

 

Art

From feisty Zodi sporting her new stinger to technology wizard Kris staring at her monitors, sleep-befuddled Bebop, and wide-eyed Clyde, Mateus Santolouco fills the pages of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #4 with engaging characters. Santolouco's magic transports us from the cave in the woods to a sun-drenched tropical beach and a snow-covered hillside. The expressive characters argue before exploding into action as Raphael kicks Casey, Natsu punches a zombie, and a dragon hurtles through the air.

 

Marco Lesko bespells Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #4 with a loaded palette of appealing colors. Whether on a New York City rooftop or in an empty armory, characters shine in the dark, aided by ambient light and glowing fire. Lesko enhances the realism of violent moments, such as when Zodi flings a monitor from the Python's workstation or a Turtle punches off Casey's mask.

 

Shawn Lee conjures black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons and color narrative boxes. The words rarely shrink and grow bold or swell for inflection. Panels explode with the sounds of gunfire, the clang of swords, and spontaneously erupting people. Thanks to IDW for providing a copy of this issue for review.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Like John Wagner and Vince Locke's classic graphic novel, the Foot Clan's past is A History Of Violence. Karai seeks to rule over others with an iron fist in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #4. But is crushing anyone who opposes you the best way to achieve your destiny?

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #3 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artists: Mateus Santolouco & Santtos

Colorist: Marco Lesko

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Mateus Santolouco; Kevin Anthony Catalan; Santtos;

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 15, 2024

 

Yoshi Chen hired Oroku Karai to steal the Utrom device from the Chincha Technology underground facility. Then, he sent his Dog Star soldiers to attack them. The cyborg ninja sent Karai to the hospital and cost Toshiro his life. Now, Yoshi wants to talk. But can he say anything Karai wants to hear? Let's grab our katanas, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #3, and find out!

 

Story

Yoshi tells Karai a story about the Foot Clan’s origins. Some of it she knows. But his story differs from hers. His retelling also threatens her purpose. Karai had thought she was the sole inheritor of the Foot Clan’s destiny. But Yoshi also traces the Dog Star Clan’s lineage back to the Foot Clan. He suggests they unite and pursue their destiny together.

 

Karai has good reason to distrust Yoshi in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #3. Yoshi hired them to assess their strengths. His Dog Star Clan soldier committed suicide rather than answer Casey and Natsu’s questions. Now, he wants to join forces? What has prompted Yoshi’s change of mind?

 

Erik Burnham doesn’t visit the Foot Clan’s Mutant Compound, so we don’t see how Zodi is faring after Rocksteady’s brutal attack. Nor do we learn what Danno told Karai about the Dog Star Clan in the Singing Rabbit karaoke club. Instead, Burnham backs Karai into a corner. Yoshi's story makes her sacred history a lie and threatens her future.

 

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #3, Yoshi Chen offers Oroku Karai an olive branch. The two have much to offer each other. Yoshi has invested in his clan’s future by enhancing his soldiers with technology. Karai has worked to master magic. But these are two ambitious people. Karai and Yoshi’s copies of the Ashi no Himitsu differ. Yet both agree on one point. Oruku Saki and Kitsune’s sons fought for the leadership of the Foot Clan. If Karai agrees, would her partnership with Yoshi last longer than Chamberlain’s Munich Agreement? Or would it only buy peace for a limited time?

 

 

 

Art

Clad in her uniform and armor, and with her katana strapped to her back, Karai stares bullets at Yoshi in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #3. The Dog Star Clan’s Jonin smiles at her hostility. Then, his expression grows serious as he instructs her on the Foot Clan's true history.

 

The wind makes Takeshi’s cloak flutter like the flags that jut from a mound of bodies. Blood sprays at Oroku Maji attacks Takeshi in Yoshi’s story. Tall grass and trees greet our ground-angle view of four brothers battling. An explosion hurls Karai to the floor. When she rises, she hurries to her study and opens the safe between two bookcases behind her desk.

 

A white haze lightens Yoshi’s hologram. The warm tones of the open wooden staircase, orange carpet, and blue couch in Karai’s apartment fade away. Marco Lesko casts this secret history in limited shades of brown and orange, blue and green. Stronger versions of the same colors enrich Karai’s visit to her office, punctuated by the vibrant green and purple adorning Natsu's head. An orange glow surrounds her, and yellow overtakes her eyes in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #3.

 

Oroku Karai’s black uppercase words inhabit white dialogue balloons. Yoshi uses white dialogue balloons outlined in pink. Yoshi’s alternative history of the Foot Clan appears as white letters in blue narrative boxes. Immense Japanese writing appears during historic clashes, while the English language Ktangs and Thwocks hover beside them. A pink beeping precedes an immense white Kzzzhark. But Shawn Lee saves the best for last, as electrifying sound effects accompany burning characters that hurl white letters into crimson balloons.

 

Thanks to IDW for providing a copy of this issue for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

The leader of the Dog Star Clan shakes the ground beneath Oroku Karai’s feet while suing for peace, prompting her to demonstrate how ruthless she can be in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #3.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #2 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Mateus Santolouco

Colorist: Marco Lesko

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Mateus Santolouco; Edison Neo; Santtos;

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 17, 2024

 

Oroku Karai ordered her Foot Clan soldiers to learn about the Dog Star Clan. After scouring the streets for weeks, Natsu and Casey Jones show Karai a finger. Are her ninjas insulting her? Or have Casey and Natsu learned vital intel that will give the Foot Clan an edge over their rivals? Let's grab our katanas, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #2, and find out!

 

Story

Karai hungers for revenge. The Dog Star Clan beat her to the Utrom device secreted in the Chincha Technology underground facility. They also beat her into the hospital. Toshiro brought her back from the brink of death but at the cost of his life. While Karai regained her strength, the Foot Clan squeezed local street gangs. When a Dog Star Clan soldier investigated the missing payouts, Casey Jones, Natsu, and Clyde were waiting for him. Casey and company thought they had ways of making the cyborg ninja talk. Their captive proved otherwise.

 

Karai’s mastery of magic doesn't include learning vital intelligence from a cyborg's finger. Worse, the Dog Star Clan knows what her people are up to. Karai decides to take matters into her own hands. Her target likes to end the day with a song. So in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #2, Karai slips inside the Singing Rabbit karaoke club and seeks an audience with Tanaka Danno. Unlike Casey and Natsu, Karai knows how to make people talk.

 

While Karai hunts for information, Zodi seethes over their humiliating defeat. The Mutant Scorpion wonders if Karai is best suited to lead them to victory over the cybernetically enhanced Dog Star Clan. Science transformed them and gave them superhuman abilities. Karai can’t even keep Casey and Natsu from arguing. Is a nonmutated Human, even one with magical abilities, the best person to lead the Foot Clan?

 

 

 

Art

A Dog Star Clan ninja delivers a flying kick to a Frog ninja’s head. The cybernetic fist shatters Casey’s mask. When a sword slices into the cyber-enhanced soldier's armor, blood spills, and electricity arcs. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of her penthouse, Karai studies the crackled metal finger. Then she tosses it to Casey before striding across her balcony and leaping off the railing.

 

 

Marco Lesko brings brilliant color to Mateus Santolouco’s art in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #2. Purple letters replace yellow ones on the giant TV monitor in a blue, pink, and purple room. Subdued green, blue, and orange dominate the Foot Clan’s Mutant Compound, as Rocksteady and Bebop work out, Clyde eats pizza while playing a video game, and Zodi asks the mutant snake Krisa searching questions.

 

Shawn Lee fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black, uppercase words in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #2. Words grow bold for inflection and rarely shrink. Lee helps us hear the Dog Star Clan soldier's armor reverberate, crack, sizzle, and hum. Skulls bang together amid throbbing music. As white words outlined in red waft through the karaoke club, we wonder if Karai enjoys her new life in Japan.

 

Thanks to IDW for providing a copy of this issue for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Casey Jones gives Karai a finger, Rocksteady gets Zodi's sting, people party with Edgar Allen Poe, and the Dog Star Clan reassesses their rival’s threat level in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #2.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Mateus Santolouco

Colorist: Marco Lesko

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Mateus Santolouco; Nikola Čižmešija; J. Gonzo; Santtos; Danny Earls & Luis Antonio Delgado

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

Oroku Karai is infiltrating Chincha Technology on Awashima Island. Why is she breaking into the underground facility, and can her people get her in and out without getting captured or killed? Let's grab our katanas, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1, and find out!

 

Story

Oroku wants to establish the Foot Clan’s status in Japan. She believes the Chincha Technology job will be easy. Stealing the handheld device her employer wants will be a quick in and out.

 

Instead, guards swarm her team when they enter the grounds. Her people tackle the Human guards while Bebop and Rocksteady engage a mutant. Worried the Chincha Technology guards will slow their progress, Oroku orders Casey and Natsu to abandon the melee. But the mutant her employer warned her about refuses to go down, forcing Bebop and Rocksteady to think outside their regular playbook.

 

 

 

When they finally get inside the underground complex, a rivalry between Natsu and Casey Jones distracts their focus. Oroku defuses the tension and keeps the two moving. But when they find the device, Oruku discovers the Dog Star Clan guarding it. Their ninja rivals won't give it up without a fight.

 

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1, Oroku Karai suffers a setback. Bad intel leads to failure and disgrace. Erik Burnham doesn’t tell us about the device she's trying to steal, although he reveals why her employer commissioned her. His story delivers an intriguing rivalry between Natsu and Casey, deadly enemies in the Dog Star Clan, and a smashing dose of Hulk-inspired Rocksteady and Bebop fun. While Oroku begins this journey with swagger, she finishes in disgrace. Still, she’s more determined than ever to succeed.

 

 

 

Art

Within their highrise headquarters, the Foot Clan kneels before a coffee table. A hologram shows their desired prize. Oroku regards them from her throne-like recliner. Her people regard her with determination, while Oroku smiles down at them.

 

Spotlights rise above the chain link fencing, illuminating the fraught battle between Oroku’s team and the armored guards. Amid the fighting, a rhino hurtles overhead in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1. Rocksteady clenches his hands, climbs from the small impact crater, and trots back to engage a whale mutant slamming a warthog with a pink mohawk into the concrete. Puny Bebop!

 

 

 

Marco Lesko brings eyecatching colors to Mateus Santolouco’s art. The Foot Clan and the nearest guards stand out amid the gray yard, buildings, and sky. Battle closeups receive yellow, orange, and pink backgrounds. Oroku, Casey, and Natsu travel through aqua-green tunnels until they reach the blue-gray chamber. Suffused by a circle of pink light, the imposing gray and turquoise Dog Star soldiers regard them through orange visors.

 

Shawn Lee fills white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black, uppercase words in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1. Words grow bold for inflection and rarely shrink. Emotions and volume enlarge and color words, influence balloon shape, or burst free of their confines. Energetic, multicolored sound effects enhance the battles, threaten to detonate panels and pound home the Dog Star Clan’s ferocity.

 

Thanks to my compadres at IDW for providing a copy of this cowabunga issue for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bad intel from Oroku Karai’s mysterious employers leads to tragedy and sacrifice in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1 Review

 

Writers: Leah Williams & Chynna Clugston Flores

Artists: Juan Samu & Francine Delgado

Colorists: Juan Samu & Danny Sanchez Chaves

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Chynna Clugston Flores; Juan Samu

Publisher: IDW

Price: $5.99

Release Date: December 13, 2023

 

Can Wednesday Addams defeat an outbreak of infectious kindness? Can two exterminators survive a visit to the Addams historic home? Let’s leap into The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1 and find out!

 

Story

In Charlatan’s Web, two women seek a new base of operations. The recently opened yoga studio seems ideal. But will the owner prove amenable?

 

It's the first day of the school year, and Wednesday Addams is troubled. While she enjoys hanging with her friends, a troubling trend occurs. Someone is overwriting people's personalities. Even oafish football players wear pink polo shirts and respect their teachers. Can anyone save Wednesday's gloomy town from an overwhelming wave of wellness?

 

This first story in The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1 brings us into Wednesday’s daily life. We meet her friends and see the world through her eyes. It's refreshing to see Wednesday fit in amongst other social misfits rather than comparing her to "normal" people. I find her belief that Gomez would suggest a means of combatting the happiness crowd intriguing, as he's always struck me as the most buoyant, unflappable person imaginable. Still, I like how Fester describes the situation and can relate to Wednesday’s fears as an Invasion Of The Body Snatchers-type situation overtakes the town.

 

In Notre Maison, Su Casa, Chynna Clugston Flores introduces us to two exterminators. Instead of spraying poison and laying bait, they enter the Addam’s mansion through a window. The boss believes these Old Money Types perpetuate a haunted house myth to defend their homes against thieves. Strangely, his partner's biggest fear is finding insects and even tarantulas.

 

Notre Maison, Su Casa utilizes the familiar pretext of “normal” people encountering those weird Addams folks. Chynna Clugston Flores harnesses this form and rides it for all it’s worth. The only missing element is Uncle Fester, which seems odd, as the 1991 movie put him in the “normal” person mode. But that doesn’t dampen the fun, as the exterminator-thieves meet the rest of the family and plumb its mysteries. Flores even throws a bit of Doctor Who and Monty Python into the title story in The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1.

 

 

 

 

Art

Juan Samu imparts a wild and wacky energy to Charlatan's Web. He imbues his characters with personality. He pays homage to the Addams Family's classic look while contrasting Wednesday's friends with those in conventional society. The page where the yoga instructor undergoes conversion would fit comfortably in a My Little Pony, Barbie, or Wizard Of Oz comic. He fills panels with convincing backgrounds, and his page layouts are superb. His nuanced and attractive coloring enhances the energy in The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1.

 

Francine Delgado’s art imparts an animated feel to Notre Maison, Su Casa. Some scenes are highly detailed, while others reveal no more than what’s necessary. Danny Sanchez Chaves’ coloring is as vibrant as Samu’s, giving a cohesive feeling to The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1. Shawn Lee's superb lettering makes reading dialogue balloons a joy. While the stylish time and location markers may tax, the sound effects enhance the atmosphere, energy, and appeal of both stories in this debut issue.

 

Thanks to IDW for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

The Addams Family: Charlatan’s Web #1 celebrates children's individuality, suggests the riches families can provide, and reminds us that "normality" is not necessarily ideal.

 

Rating 9.8/10 

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.