Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13: Same City, New Status Quo

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 kicks off a brand-new era for the heroes in a half-shell under the tutelage of writer extraordinaire Gene Luen Yang, artist Freddie E. Williams II, colorist Andrew Dalhouse, and letterer Shawn Lee. Following the events of the previous creative team’s run, the turtles’ status quo has been flipped upside down. They no longer have to hide in the shadows or run from the police. Instead, they are now widely recognized as the heroes of New York, an honor that comes with all the benefits and drawbacks of fame. Meanwhile, a gang war is brewing in the city after a mysterious new player enters the scene.

One of the most exciting aspects of this new direction is that the fresh status quo also makes for a great jumping-on point. Yes, this story follows the previous twelve-issue run as well as the 150-issue run before that (and various miniseries); however, Yang gives readers just enough exposition to catch them up while still pushing full steam ahead into the next chapter. As long as you’re familiar with the turtles on a foundational level, you’re good to go with this issue.

The newly introduced villain in this arc is Ujigami, a mysterious figure who poses a significant threat to the highly trained turtles. If you’re familiar with Yang’s work on Monkey Prince, you know he excels at exploring the culture and history behind the mythos of his characters. After looking into the Japanese history behind the term “Ujigami,” the excitement for this series jumps from high to very high. Yang is the perfect writer to take on these characters and this world, and his use of cultural history fits seamlessly into IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe.

Williams and Dalhouse do a fantastic job with the art, giving New York a gritty yet lively atmosphere. This is a New York reminiscent of the real city but also one that now serves as home to many mutants who have integrated into society. The way these two bring the city to life proves that they are the perfect artist/colorist duo for this beloved franchise. It also goes without saying that Williams’ depiction of the turtles is spot-on for the tone he and Yang are aiming for, while still infusing them with the qualities fans know and love.