Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #3 is written by Tom Waltz & Kevin Eastman and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Esau & Isaac Escorza (p. 1-3,10-21, 24-40), Ben Bishop (p. 12-17) and Eastman (p. 22-23), colours are by Luis Antonio Delgado and letters by Shawn Lee. Cover art (left) is by Escorza.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #3 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixilogy UK right here.
Synopsis
Having lain in wait for over a decade, underworld forces are making their moves to reclaim New York City. As the fighting gets more desperate, Casey Marie Jones and the new generation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles struggle to save rebel bases under attack, but they’re outnumbered and lacking both intel and allies. With the tide of the battle rapidly turning against them, Casey Marie must make hard calls about who she can trust and how to keep her family and city safe. The legacy continues as legendary TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman reassembles the acclaimed creative team for the epic next chapter of The Last Ronin!
Review
IDW’s brilliant TMT: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution is back in comic book stores today with its third issue. The series continues to explore what it means to a teenager, a mutant and a turtle in a bleak future landscape in need of a team of heroes.
Tom Waltz and Kevin Eastman are balancing a lot of elements with the plot of The Last Ronin II. But this month the trouble of the streets of New York are – mostly – taking a back seat in order to tell a more personal story. This issue revolves around Yi, telling the story of how she first discovered and began learning to use her powers. This opens up the opportunity for Waltz and Eastman to explore some of the science behind the next level mutations.
So much of the original Last Ronin book hung on its lead character (no spoilers!) and their journey. Where this new book has opened itself up to a dramatically increased cast. It would be easy to lose some of that identity and that journey through this larger scale story. But focussing in on a character like Yi, even just for one issue, ties Re-Evolution back to those much humbler beginnings and gives continuity which elevates the book beyond riding on the coattails of that initial success. It’s also important to the continuing success of the book because we’ve moved on so far from characters we know and love outside of April and Casey.
That complex layering of the story and its shifting position in the timeline also offer up the opportunity for a little fun with visual design. Just to tantalise long-time fans, Eastman jumps out from behind the keyboard and draws a short sequence set within the timeline of the original TMNT story. I got a massive kick out of turning the page to see his instantly recognisable style taking centre stage, even if only for a short while. Esau & Isaac Escorza continue to handle the “present” storyline bringing an incredible level of detail to visuals. Re-Evolution is a book to get lost in. There’s so much to look for in every panel and that’s something to be thankful for.
But that’s not all, Ben Bishop gets to take control over a dream sequence turned nightmare which offers up some of this issue’s more nightmarish visuals. It’s a cool sequence which taps in to Yi’s darkest fears whilst visually exploring what it means to be a powered teenage mutant ninja turtle in the middle of this chaotic landscape.
Verdict
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution continues to pick up the pace, driving forward several plot lines in the space of an issue which puts a welcome spotlight on to one of the franchise’s newer characters.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
