Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #1: Roadhouse, Baby!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #1 is the next iteration into this new phase of TMNT that recently saw the relaunched main ongoing series and Nightwatcher titles take on the topics of the main titular turtles and the happenings in Mutant Town. Mutant Nation is like the companion book to those, telling other stories within the universe that do not necessarily need to be read to understand what is going on in the main book. but are still full of fun content. This introductory issue tells two stories, one from longtime TMNT scribe Tom Waltz and artist Vincenzo Federici that reveals what Raphael was up to after the events of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150; and one from writer Erik Burnham and artist Mateus Santolouco that catches readers up on the exploits of Casey Jones and The Foot Clan following the events of The Untold Destiny of The Foot Clan. These are two very in-universe stories, but are also displayed as very friendly to readers new to the publishing line.

The first story in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #1, “Ambush at Area 51,” picks up with the events of of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150, which ended with Raphael returning from his road trip to spend Christmas with his friends and family, which also saw Donatello return from his crazy time travel adventure. It turns out this return was very short lived, as Raph immediately went back on the road, spending some time as a bouncer at a roadside bar. Seeing Raph in his element really makes this story feel like the early parts of Tom Waltz original TMNT runs, with true emphasis on the established characterization of what makes these characters tick. Raph was shown on a whole new adventure in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, and seeing how he got there is such an excellent place for this series to kick off.

The art from Federici brings a lot of emphasis to the lonesome nature of Raph. Much of the landscapes involved in his story are barren, showing how comfortable Raph is with isolation, something that ties back to his origins as the only turtle who was separated from his brothers for the first year after they were mutated. Federici’s work here really gets to the root of the character, maintaining the consistency with the other books.

The secondary story in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #1 is called “Casey Jones: Agent of the Foot Clan” and picks up with Casey feeling a bit uneasy with Kurai’s mindset and actions after her recent adventures. Seeing Casey as a full fledged member of the Foot Clan is a great next step for this character, especially considering all he has been through with his father and the Purple Dragons. It is also great to see Casey still in touch with April after the two had a small falling out after their breakup. Much like the first story, this is an excellent way to show fans where Casey is now, while also catching people up to speed who may be behind on the current happenings of the TMNT universe.

Stanlouco’s art in this section is distinctly different from the first story; however, it is perfect for the story being told here. This is a different kind of story, focusing on the Foot Clan and ninja elements of this universe. Stanlouco does an excellent job of capturing Casey’s crazy adventures in Japan while also making this distinctly feel like part of the universe at large.

The best part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #1 is how it picks up on lost threads from the prior TMNT run, showing that, regardless of the direction this publishing line is going in, the stuff that came before still matters. This is still the same large, cohesive universe that started in 2011, and more than anything else, this is a book for the fans that have been a part of this ride for the long haul. There is even something here for newer fans, as this large universe has something that can appeal to anyone.