Written by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz
Art by Kevin Eastman, Esau Escorza, Issac Escorza
Published by IDW Publishing
Two issues in and The Last Ronin is already the most personal TMNT story ever told.
Death and destruction notwithstanding, the intimate manner in which the story is told serves as an emotional gut punch.
People…Characters many grew up with are experiencing the worst moment of their lives. The pain and despair endured on the page are so tangible, it feels like the reader is eavesdropping on a moment they shouldn’t be privy to.
Yet, no one can turn away.
There is no sleight of hand with the book’s title, First to Fall.
Primarily told from April O’Neil’s perspective, the story jumps back and forth between the past and present.
April crying in bed while reminiscing about what started as better days gone by tragically turns into the beginning of the end. The Turtles are victims of an unprovoked attack that leaves them worse for the wear. Raphael is livid (what else is new) and goes off half-cocked after the culprits. Leonardo orders him to stand down, but of course, Raphael doesn’t listen.
Back in the present, it’s clear that April’s seen better days. While she’s getting out of bed, each panel reveals a new detail about her physical condition as the struggle to move conveys a lot of agony. April is still a fighter despite her limitations, tending to her wounded hero in a half shell.
Speaking of shells, Michelangelo is the Last Turtle standing, and the adversity of loss has shattered his happy-go-lucky spirit.
While this miniseries is technically based on the Mirage Comics continuity, it’s still a change of pace for the character. If you’re more familiar with Mikey’s pizza-eating, Cowabunga shenanigans, well, that guy ceased to exist the moment his family died.
Waltz and Eastman designed Michelangelo’s psychosis in a fashion that works on three levels. It’s hard to watch him converse with his dead brothers at first. Then, the brotherly love of it all makes it oddly comfortable. Finally, a small wave of sadness hits when the brothers disappear without a trace, reminding us that Michelangelo is the sole survivor.
The book’s only weak point comes from the few moments spent with the main antagonist, Oroku Hiroto, the Master of the Foot Clan, and Shredder’s grandson.
In the last issue, we learned Oroku’s heritage, brutality, and motivations. Here, only more brutality is shown and done in a cliché manner. He beats up his minions, who barely put up a fight, makes one of them the new squad commander, and reminds them of what failure meant for their predecessor. While Oroku needed some page time, his inclusion is short and adds nothing new while interrupting the much more interesting April and Michelangelo reunion.
Esau and Issac Escorza’s artwork is a visual masterstroke that engages with each flip of the page. The composition in key moments augments the strength of the narrative, sending several powerful messages. Raphael’s purist of his assailants in the past exudes an uncanny ferocity as his shell is riddled with arrows and throwing stars.
When Raph comes face to face with the big bad, a blood moon casts a beautiful shadow over the encounter, poetically prophesizing its grim finale. There is a dramatic shift in visual tone as black and white illustrations depict Michelangelo’s solitude in the wake of his family tragedy. Inking detail and shading has an Usagi Yojimbo vibe, providing a perfect narrative symmetry between adjacent franchises as the isolation is where Michelangelo adopts his Ronin philosophy.
The identity of a new character is confirmed in the form of April and Casey Jones’ daughter.
Casey Marie Jones is the perfect combination of her parents. She’s a skilled fighter, smart and strong-willed. The script doesn’t allow Casey Marie to rest on her biological laurels. Showing respect for the past while very much being an independent spirit makes her easy to like. The world of future NYC gets more significant as the geographical caste system paints a clear picture while simultaneously showing how far the mighty have fallen.
Secrets aplenty are sprinkled throughout the book, adding to the TMNT mythos, including an element regarding Michelangelo’s mutation.
It seems each issue will reveal how the Turtles met their demise. Raphael took center stage this time around, and a teaser image on the final page shows the next contestant while revelations and old allies begin to emerge. Delayed releases in the comic book game are unfortunately commonplace, especially with stories of this scope.
However, we’re given so much to unpack; waiting longer than expected for the next chapter adds to the excitement of it all as Waltz and Eastman brilliantly use salvation and vengeance to produce an epic gift that keeps on giving.
Rating: A
