Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #2
Publisher: IDW
Writer: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz
Art: Kevin Eastman & Esau Escorza
Inks: Esau & Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, & Kevin Eastman
Colors: Luis Antonio Delgado & Samuel Plata
Letters: Shawn Lee
Cover: Esau & Isaac Escorza, Luis Antonio Delgado
I’m just going to admit that I couldn’t have handled this story if it came out during the original TMNT run. It definitely would have ranked right up there with Artex in the Swamp of Sadness which should still only be mentioned in hushed tones. So if you thought the first issue of Last Ronin was a kick in the chest, understand that the creative team was just setting you up for the follow-up punch in the gut here. Just know that before we get into the review, there will be MINOR SPOILERS ahead so you’ve been warned!
The creative team begins to answer some questions regarding what happened to the Turtles and you might regret getting some of that information. Let’s be honest, the title is “First to Fall” so there wasn’t much to get hopeful about as Eastman, Laird, and Waltz continue to do some excellent world building here. Via April, we get a glimpse of how things began to unravel for the family as Raph comes crashing through her door covered in blood as his brothers carry their battered father inside. It’s a tense moment that switches gears over to present day Michelangelo right at a pivotal reveal. Mikey’s “talk” with his fallen brothers is a somber and emotional moment where the dialogue is just as visceral as any fight scene in this issue. The “voices” he’s hearing are just as real as if they were still alive and the creative team conveys this so well that it’s one of my favorite moments in this issue… mainly because of how well the art and narrative sync with each other.
Things aren’t all tears and breakdowns as we see which Turtle is the first casualty of the Foot’s treachery. Let’s be honest, if you know the temperament of these guys, then you already know who went charging off to kill every Foot in NYC after they attacked his family. It’s a huge action sequence that has some great ebbs and flows and builds to a bloody climax. The writing team doesn’t let the issue slack after as we get more time with the villain of the story and see how he plans to retaliate after Mikey’s attack last issue.
The art throughout captures everything while hitting just as hard as the narrative does. From the opening sequence you can feel the weight of the world on April’s shoulders; it’s a poignant moment and viewpoint that just gets even more intense when Escorza shifts us to Mikey’s family talk. Another pleasant surprise was Eastman’s flashback sequence where we find out what Michelangelo was doing before returning to the city. Longtime TMNT fans will appreciate seeing these visuals again as they hit all the right nostalgia buttons from one of the original creators. His art also sets an entirely different tone as his style is far different from Escorza’s.
The Last Ronin #2 builds on the first issue in a way that delivers unexpected twists while keeping the familiar moments just as entertaining. You’ll want to stick with this one because the creative team really made this issue worth the wait!
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