Of all the Autobots that fled Cybertron and winded up on Earth, Blaster is one of the more unique characters. Not only does he carry around with him four to five companions. His love of music and broadcasting makes it hard for anyone to guess his mood and his moves on and off the battlefield. Enjoy!
"From Leader to Lost: Navigating the Abyss of Abandonment"
So the long awaited Leonardo focused issue is out for the TMNT (2024 -) run and once again, the writers really know how to make you feel for the older brother. I have never been a fan of Leonardo in any of the different versions that he has been in, except for Rise but it is hard to not like any of the brothers in that series lol.
I never could relate to him and even though I could empathize about the heavy burden he bears being a leader, he was just always boring to me. However, despite him being my least favorite I was just as moved in this issue as I was in the other two, almost more so which just goes to show how amazing the writing has been. If a writer can get me to care deeply about a character I am not a fan of, well they deserve high praise.
**Spoilers Ahead**
First, let's do a brief recap of our boys in green and where they stand as of now.
TMNT (2024 - Issue #5)
In issue #1 we focused on Raphael and how he has been in prison for the past few months, working undercover in exchange to have whatever crimes he committed written off. (Crimes which we still have no idea what they were.) Eventually it ends with the new and improved Foot Clan framing Raphael for murder and despite Raphael wanting to forget his brothers, he escaped arrest to start his journey on finding his brothers to warn them of the threat.
TMNT (2024 - Issue #5)
In issue #2 we are introduced to Michealangelo and discover that he moved to Tokyo, Japan and became a famous TV star staring in his own TV show. Despite his outgoing personality out in the public's eye, we noticed that once he is in the privacy of his own penthouse, he is actually depressed and feels like he has become "old and boring". We still don't know what event happened to cause such a huge rift between the four brothers, but it took a huge toll on Michealangelo. He is angry at his brothers as we see towards the end of the issue in the final panel when he attacks Raphael unprovoked after Raphael found him to warn him of the Foot Clan.
TMNT (2024 - Issue #5)
Now we have Leonardo who once was a confident leader but has become a turtle ready to die after losing his purpose and sense of self after the family fallout.
~~Trigger Warning, brief mention of suicidal ideation~~
The issue starts off with Leonardo walking through a village nestled along the Ganges River after hearing rumors of a species of turtles that eat corpses to where they leave nothing but bones behind. His plan is to find this turtle colony so that he could "feed them something that has died". That inner thought right there took me by surprise. We went from a strong and stoic leader of a ninja clan to a broken individual who feels like he has lost everything that the only way he can move on is to committ suicide in the most unconventional way possible: having fellow turtles eat him alive.
However the turtles ignore him and in his mind taught him his first lesson: "The turtles may eat the dead, but they don't kill them". This revelation causes him to bury his swords in the sand and then mediate non-stop for months waiting for the next revelation that would give him a sense of purpose again.
After months of meditating, kneeling and waiting to be accepted by this turtle colony one turtle finally acknowledges him, however it wasn't in the way he was expecting. It is here we find out that the reason he is having an identity crisis is because his own brothers abandoned him, no longer wanting him around.
Leonardo had spent his entire life doing everything he could to be the perfect older brother and strong leader to train and protect his family. It was his sole purpose in life and with it being ripped away from him, he no longer knows what his role is anymore. A theme that has played out in every variation in the expansive TMNT metaverse, only this time he doesn't come out of it refreshed and renewed.
After his fight with the poachers, the mud turtles finally accept him and for a short while Leonardo believe he has found his purpose again. To live as a turtle amongst the turtle colony as their protector and leader. He believes this was the enlightenment he was searching for and so the mud turtles become surrogate brothers to him. Brothers who need him and want him around.
Of course, nothing is ever that easy for the Hamato clan and just like with Mikey and Raphael, the Foot Clan find him and try to take his life. However, even after a long period of giving up the way of the ninja, his past meets up with the present and in under five minutes after retrieving his katanas, the enemy had been defeated and his colony saved.
It was after this battle that he had to come to terms with the harsh truth about his path to seek enlightenment and ones self-worth. "The only way forward is to go back the way you came. To unsuture an old wound and let it bleed all over again."
Similar to Rapahel, Leonardo realizes that he has to take up the mantle again as clan leader and find his brothers to warn them of the threat. Knowing full well that it will not be easy and have to finally come to terms with their new family dynamic. He will have to convince those who once respected but now despise him to come together as a unit one last time to save their family.
After stealing a helicopter and leaving a Foot Soilder to drown in the river, he finds out that the next destination was Tokyo, Japan and just as he forsaw, when he arrived he saw Mikey and Raphael in a full on brawl while fighting foot ninjas at the same time.
(Side note: I actually laughed at this scene above because of the confused look on the foot ninjas faces as they watched the two brothers engage in a serious fight and argue over something stupid, which also made me chuckle.)
It didn't even take two seconds for Leonardo to fall right back into his role as leader once he arrived to get his brothers to stop fighting so they would listen to him. However, the reunion was far from happy despite the fact the two brothers did finally stop fighting each other when Leonardo appeared before them.
In the past there would be tight hugs and excitement of finally seeing each other again after so long, however any type of affection they used to have has been replaced by resentment, abandonment and betrayal. This is made very clear due to the amazing job from the artist who was able to show just how fed up they are with each other. I also love how the artist has aged this turtles as well, with numerous scars and a more rough around the edges look compared to the flawless skin and smooth lines from Volume 1.
The fans will finally get to see the turtles as full fleged adults and tread new waters that has yet to be done in the Turtleverse. A broken family forced to come together to save the city of New York once more and how they try to overcome their past to become a family once more and I am here for it.
At the end of this month we get Issue #4 which is centered on Donatello and a continuation from where we left off with him at the end of Alpha #1. I will be reviewing both of those in my Issue #4 review at the same time. I have to say I am also really excited for this issue because even though I try to stay away from spoilers, we finally get to find out where Volume 2 falls regarding continuity from Volume 1. November 27th can't get here fast enough!
Be sure to check out my previous reviews and as always, I welcome any and all feedback and comments to help me become a better review writer.
**Spoilers Ahead**
In Volume 1, Issue #141 of TMNT (2012 - 2024) Raphael was arrested and falsely accused of murdering someone in Mutant To
**Spoilers Ahead**
Just finished reading the second issue of Volume 2 of the IDW comic and I am going to say, it was really good. The first
Usually you pitch the idea of a few different cover designs when you do covers for books. There were a few ideas that never got to be made so I decided to redraw, finish and color them. I also finished some fan art of the Renegade Six. This might be the last of these for a while.
