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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #129
- Writer:
- Kevin Eastman, Sophie Campbell
- Artist:
- Pablo Tunica
- Letterer:
- Shawn Lee
- Cover Artist:
- Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II
- Publisher:
- IDW
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-05-25
- Colorist:
- Ronda Pattison
While a majority of Turtles fans and critics have focused on the heartbreaking conclusion of TMNT: The Last Ronin, the main series hasn't garnered the headlines it should. IDW's ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series might be one of the most underrated runs in comic book history. With the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #129 by author Sophie Campbell, artist Tony Gregori, colorist Ronda Pattison and letterer Shawn Lee -- with TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz joining the team as story consultants -- the series takes an unexpected turn towards the horrific and the supernatural. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #129 delivers the goods with a compelling page-turner that wanders down a peculiar path.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #129 follows Donatello and Alopex who are still being held hostage by Dr. Barlow, who could easily be a character straight out of a David Cronenberg superhero film, as he plays with body parts like they were LEGO. Trapped and with nowhere to go, Donnie makes use of his psychic connection with Venus, asking her to help him reach out for help. She helps him travel through the astral plane, and things get interesting when the two are assisted by the last character anyone would expect to help. This issue also provides a brief recap of the Punk Frogs' origin story in this version of the TMNT Universe.
Readers might be surprised to find body horror and astral projection at the center of a TMNT comic, but in the context of a world defined by four green anthropomorphic turtles who love martial arts and pizza, it works really well. Campbell has crafted an appropriately weird and wonderful new addition to the world of the Turtles. The frightening Dr. Barlow might be the most interesting "medical professional" to be featured in the franchise since Baxter Stockman.
Of course, none of this would matter if the art failed to complement the story. Fortunately, the tag team of artist Gregori and colorist Pattison nail the classic TMNT aesthetic that Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird perfected in the '80s while adding a modern twist to complement Campbell's pitstop at the horror genre. Their depictions of Dr. Barlow's hideous workshop are delightfully unnerving. Lee the letterer deserves credit as the unsung hero in the lettering department. Lee's work is legible, crisp and clear, demonstrating that simplicity is still the key when it comes to this art form.
Many legacy comic book characters struggle to evolve consistently over time. All too often, fans are forced to watch classic characters reverting to redundant, tried-and-tested formulas. Luckily in the case of the Ninja Turtles, the opposite holds true as the IDW series proves that the status quo is meant to be broken. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #129 is yet another wild ride on this radical trip that redefines the spirit of cowabunga.