A Battle in the Streets with Cyborgs, Mutants, Ninjas, and Dinosaurs!
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE #77
Writer: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, and Bobby Curnow
Artists: Damien Couceiro
Cover Artist: Damien Couceiro Variant Cover: Kevin Eastman
Colorist: Rhonda Pattinson
Publisher: IDW Comics
What You Need to Know:
If it has been a while since you checked in with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a few things have happened. First, they have recently returned from a Trial in Space of the Dimension X General Krang.
The Foot Clan is now controlled by Master Splinter, and there is an Organization that Agent Bishop runs (Think Marvel’s Agents of Shield) dedicated to stopping Alien, Mutant and or any Non-Human thing from taking over the status Quo.
The Triceraton Empire has sent a scouting party to earth and they have been searching for something or someone.
What You’ll Find Out:
The proud and powerful Triceraton Warriors are fighting out in the streets of New York. They are battling the Cybernetic Agent Bishop and his forces when the Leader of the Herd Commander Zom. The Triceraton uncharacteristically make a hasty retreat into the Underground, but not before they are attacked by the Foot Clan with Splinter and Slash as well.
What Just Happened?
The Turtles observe from a nearby Rooftop and speculate on the Triceraton’s Motives. Splinter and the Foot Abduct Agent Bishop and Vanish into smoke.
Leo Says “It’s like they threw a big battle, and then all the Main Combatants Vanished into thin Air.”
Raph replies ” Main Combatants? Now you are sounding like the Nerd Thesaurus here Leo.” as he pokes fun at Donatello.
The turtles think that the Triceraton’s may be looking for them since they are one of the only connections that they have with their adventures in Dimension X. They also think that is why they retreated into the sewers. With the span of tunnels before them, they will need some help to find them.
They meet with their cohort Dr. Baxter Stockman to get a Tech upgrade and search for the Triceratons. He sends his “Fly-borgs” automated surveillance drones. They release them into the city.
Meanwhile, Splinter wakes the battle-torn Bishop. He has him in a safe house disguised as a Fast Food Joint. Splinter explains that they may, in fact, have similar goals, and he surprises Bishop with his suggestion of an alliance. Since the Government Supported Bishop and his Organization can move with Immunity, Splinter proposes to swell their ranks and aid in the battle against the Triceraton.
They find them in the City Sewers. They did not retreat so much as regroup and send for reinforcements. Commander Zom tells the Turtles that they are destined to return to their Homeworld from Millennia ago. In a recent battle, the Triceraton was granted permission to Re-colonize the Planet Earth!
Zom calls his Armies down and the Invasion of New York has begun before the Turtles can utter a word! “For the Heard!”
Rating: 8/10
Final Thought: This is a good jump on point or a starting point to get back acquainted with the TCU (Turtle Comic Universe). We have Kevin Eastman working on the plotting and Tom Waltz who has a great sense of the Character voices. Splinter heading up the Foot Clan is a bit jarring, but definitely a cool twist. He has a cold ruthlessness that we are not accustomed to seeing. The story does lose a bit in the prior continuity, where it makes the assumptions that the reader has been keeping up, but the pacing to the action and the Classic Turtle banter are well worth the price on the cover. Enjoyable and the start of a promising Story Arc.