The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles celebrated their 40th anniversary on May 5th of this year. Based on IDW’s plans for our mutants, it does not look like there are plans to slow down. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha is a preview of (and prequel to) some of the things to come in the new series starting in July.

The first short story, written by main series scribe Jason Aaron, has Donatello imprisoned in Florida. He is held by a group of people who are letting humans fight mutants for a fee. After taunting a meek customer looking for bragging rights around the office, Donatello is chosen to fight. The brutality of Aaron’s writing is on full display. Paired with art by Chris Burnham that feels very reminiscent of the original run, the Ninja Turtles are in great hands.

The second story sets up arcs for a comic to be released in September called TMNT: Mutant Nation. Since the Rat King’s defeat previously in The Armageddon Game, Mutant Town is recognized as a borough in New York City. Old Hob and his mutanimals have taken over North Brother Island and renamed it Mutant Island. Hob doesn’t trust the humans, as they keep spying on him with drones sent by Darkwater Agent Alex Winter in search of Col. Knight. When Agent Winter goes to Mutant Island to find Col. Knight, he has no idea of the horrors that await him.

Between the large amount of exposition in the Mutanimals section of this comic lies a pretty fun monster story. Tom Waltz’s enormous cast of side characters from his previous work on TMNT are front and center in a new era for the city and comic. New York City is adapting to life without the Ninja Turtles protecting them from the criminal elements. Gavin Smith’s art does a great job adapting to the many genres this book throws at the reader which may pose the biggest challenge.

Creative Team: Jason Aaron and Tom Waltz (writers), Gavin Smith (artist), Chris Burnham (artist / cover artist)
Publisher: IDW Publishing
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