Endings and New Beginnings in TMNT #104

 

Sally Pride stepped up to Old Hob in the previous issue of TMNT. Dropping the increasing volatile leader of the Mutanimals to the ground. In TMNT #104 Sally has had enough of Old Hob. Selling mutants to the Foot Clan was the last straw. Now Sally stands up to Old Hob and it may be the end of the Mutanimals. Elsewhere the Clan Hamato continue to struggle with the loss of their father and mentor Master Splinter. The family has not been together in some time, but will some brotherly love help mend these wounds?

Writing

I have been a little hot and cold with this story arc. When it is dealing with the loss of Splinter and the family’s reaction to his death the book is excellent. Campbell deals with the frustration and emotions with each character incredibly well. When the story focuses more on Jennika and Mutant Town it loses a bit of my interest. Not that it is bad it is just the other stuff is so good I want more of it.

TMNT #104 is what we have all been waiting for since the start of this arc. It starts to bring the brothers back together. I won’t go into spoilery detail but there are some great touching moments throughout the issue. Campbell continues to deal with the emotions of the characters perfectly. The story arc for the main brothers has been an emotional roller coaster and TMNT #104 is the peak of it.

Campbell also brings up some interesting points going forward from here. We have not dealt with a lot of things from the fall out of TMNT #100. We don’t know exactly what is happening with the Foot Clan just that Kora still works for them and they are still around. We also do not know what became of Oroku Saki “The Shredder”? Campbell does a nice job of sprinkling different tidbits about this through the arc to get us excited about what lays beyond Mutant Town.

Art

It is no shocker if you have read my other reviews the art is spectacular and TMNT #104 continues that trend. Campbell is delivering some of her best work to date. There are delightful images throughout this issue. Campbell once again masterfully catches a full range of emotions from the characters. Her character acting and cartooning are top-notch. The art makes the story so much more impactful with her rich, detailed style.

Campbell’s character design also continues to be masterfully done. She adds in a variety of different outfits for the characters in TMNT #104 and they all look great. From winter clothing to some punk rock gear Campbell just nails it. The clothing also looks natural and fitting as well. It does not feel odd or off on the characters.

Ronda Pattison also just continues some wonderful coloring work. As mentioned previously Campbell details a lot of different clothing and “looks” for the characters and Pattison works her coloring magic perfectly on them. I also love how Pattison catches the wintry setting of the issue. She brings the cool, chilly air to life.

There is also a fantastic scene of the group sitting in front of the fire that is captured spectacularly well by the art team. The wonderful shaded coloring as the fire dances across the characters. The way the shadows move on the panels. It is all captured perfectly to set the mood for what is happening.

Conclusion

Though I have had my ups and downs about different parts of different storylines, TMNT #104 continues to deliver a wonderfully emotional story. This issue finally brings the family back together and where it goes from here is anybody’s guess? The art continues to be excellent, you really couldn’t ask for better art in this series. 

---

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook

Check out other comic book news, previews and reviews here!

We are looking for new writers! If you are interested in joining the Word of the Nerd team, click here to fill out an application

Bringing out the inner nerd in everyone!