Nightwatcher #1: The Hero of Mutant Town

Nightwatcher #1 picks up with the aftermath of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150, seeing a new adventure for the Turtles kick off in last month’s jumping on point, the brand-new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. This is a new world for the Turtles and all of the other mutants in Mutant Town, who are still growing acclimated with a world who fears them. To help them all along is Nightwatcher, Mutant Town’s own citizen vigilante, who has brought it upon themselves to stop crime, no matter how high the stakes.

Nightwatcher #1 is a great jumping on point for fans of this new TMNT era, with the events of the book taking place after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100-150. Characters are quick mention the events that saw Old Hob set off the mutagen bomb during Baxter Stockman’s campaign rally. This was a huge event in the world of TMNT, and one that definitely sets the stage for this series.

As a book itself, Nightwatcher #1 is a very solid comic that shows how great Juni Ba is as a writer. The book visually follows the Nightwatcher taking down a set of criminals, as a monologue persists in the background with someone talking about their circumstance and what they learned from the new vigilante. For those familiar with the character that Nightwatcher is revealed to be, it will become immediately apparent who this is. Ba knows the audience, and knows that fans may be expecting this character to be a specific individual, but through subtext and action, the reveal at the end both feels surprising and earned. It is more of an “aha” moment than a shock, and one that long time Turtles fans will appreciate.

The art here is amazing. Fero Pe is one of those artists that does not get talked about enough, but should be on the highest profile books out there. Pe’s work really captures the brutality of the Nightwatcher, showing how ruthless this vigilante is. Readers may be familiar with Pe’s other very famous, recent venture into TMNT, the TMNT x Stranger Things crossover. Nightwatcher #1 simultaneously captures the drama and anger of the titular character, while capturing the heart and tone of the TMNT universe like Pe did with that crossover. The art here is just fantastic and worth the price of admission alone.