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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #104
Publisher: IDW
Story Consulting: Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz
Script: Sophie Campbell,
Artist: Sophie Campbell
Colors: Rhonda Pattison
Letters: Shawn Lee
Cover: Sophie Campbell

Whenever the Turtles go through a period of rebuilding after a traumatic event we get to take a few steps back from the action and see what else makes this series tick. And if I’ve said it once then I’ve said it a thousand times, it’s heart! Something that Sophie Campbell excels at here as the brothers begin to find their way back to one another.

Coming off the mayhem of killer ferrets, Campbell slows down the action and ramps things up on an emotional level as the healing process begins. From the ladies putting Hob on notice for trafficking mutant kids to that kick in the feels when we meet tiny Lita before she gets a name. Campbell didn’t have to do us like that but she did and this writer let out an audible “Awww” after reading that panel. However, it’s when our favorite ninja family begins to come together that we see just how well Campbell lays all of this out to make it the strongest comeback in the series. Everyone plays a part in the reunion but it’s when they go beyond the hugs and apologies that the issue really shines. Campbell has them touch on a major aspect of the martial arts and that’s teaching and helping others become the best that they can. It’s a wonderful moment as we witness the next evolution of the brothers and their new clan.

When Sophie Campbell draws a TMNT story it’s going to look damn good. That’s just the long and short of it right there. She uses everything from the scenery and fashion to deliver cool visuals but she also consistently pulls the emotion needed to nail those heartfelt moments in the story. The sequence with Alopex and Raph is one of those moments that just shines through and is more than just talking heads. There’s also the talk around the campfire which took me back to the moment the Turtles spoke with an astral projection of Splinter in the original 90s film. Not sure if this was intentional or not but in a way they conjured Splinter when speaking of continuing his legacy. It was also Pattison’s colors that gave this particular sequence so much weight and heart. And at some point there needs to be a short story with Pepperoni and Lita because that was too much cute for one issue.

Once again, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles delivers on multiple levels of storytelling thanks to this creative team. Now this may not be the ideal issue to jump into if you’re new to the series and haven’t caught up with the recent events but it’s still a great one to pick up. – 4/5

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