Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100: And What Began with a Ferocious Roar…Ends in Uncertain Silence

The whole City at War arc has you going back not only re-reading this issue but going back and re-reading past issues for reference and remembrance. Just like an old shirt that you can wear for days or that song that just gets better every time you listen to it, this storyline is that shirt and that song. You keep going back because it’s that good, and that is the biggest and best measurement for long-lasting success.

We see the raw emotion of Raph come to a head from his dealings with Old Hob, and Bishop. The beautiful exchange between Leo and Raph, Mikey and Donny saving the orphans and getting them to safety on Planet Neutrino, Casey and his father all were beautifully captured. Change is constant, but family is forever, and that is what this issue is. This issue is about taking that next step, not alone, but with family.

When Raph stepped in between Casey and his dad, when Alopex finds her true way, when Jennika’s life was saved and she became a turtle, and when Master Splinter put family before self. We’ve been there for the ups and the downs, the twists, and the turns. Even though Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, and Bobby Curnow have steadily written 100 great issues, we’ve seen many artists contribute to the family, Dan Duncan, Sophie Campbell, and Brahm Revel just to name a few.

TMNT 100 is more than just an end to a story arc, it’s the end of a creative team that has been together since issue one way back in August of 2011. Eastman, Waltz, and Curnow have been a constant reminder of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it”, but even that faithful 1982 Corolla needs to be sent to a better place. Not because it doesn’t run anymore, but because a fresh new start is sometimes necessary, and that’s what exactly what we are getting with Sophie Campbell when she takes over next year. I would be remiss to say this issue didn’t make me reflect not only on the past 100 issues but on just how long, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been in my life.