Written by: Gene Luen Yang
Art by: Freddie E. Williams II
Coloring by: Luis Antonio Delgato
Lettering by: Shawn Lee
Cover by: Freddie E. Williams II
Published by: IDW Publishing
Summary:
This issue’s titled “The Veil”, and it focuses on a group of cyborgs unleashed by Baxter Stockman. The turtles dive straight into action while the cyborgs claim that they hold something that they’re looking for: the Ujigami Door Knocker, which opens thin veiled portals between the living and the dead.
One of the first things I picked up within the first few pages of issue #20 was how distinct the turtles sound, as it’s a strength of Yang’s writing; Raphael focuses on eliminating threats, while Leonardo and Donatello are protecting the box from surviving hits and dents. Michelangelo is Mikey; he is having fun while punching the cyborgs. We fast-forward back to Shen’s hideout from the previous issue. Lady Inazami and General Eight Thunders come back as a cold reminder from the land of the dead, as Casey Jones appears and is in disbelief as he sees Shen alive from the land of the dead. The last few issues have focused on characters such as Shen, and how they are misplaced in another reality. It seems as if the Turtles are focused on protecting the elements of the dead that surround Shen.
The rest of the issue focuses on the boys jumping from one scene to another, as they try to run after an avian creature that steals the doorknocker that keeps the veil hidden between the living and the dead.
For the 300th issue, as this year marks the year of the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ 300th issue, we have a short story that takes place after the main story called “The Time Cleanse”. The timeline cleanse is a fun way to show the different comics that have taken place in the TMNT universe, such as TMNT adventures, the classic black-and-white original comic, and many other “throwbacks” that show how far the turtles have come historically through the comic medium. The Timeline Cleanse was written by Kevin Eastman (the co-creator of TMNT) and Tom Waltz, featuring Chris Allen, Ben Bates, Dan Duncan, Frank Frosco, Jim Lawson, Eric Talbot, Luis Antonio Delgado and Ronda Pattison.
I love how each turtle’s personality comes out in shades; Mikey unsuccessfully uses a grappling hook to latch onto the bird’s claws, Raphael is a relentless headhunter, and Leonardo and Donatello level out the rest of the team as they focus on the main chase. Bebop, Rocksteady and Casey make cameos in this issue as they want the same artifact.
Freddie Williams delivers in this issue, as the panel placement is fun and the eye follows from each panel to each panel easily. The colors are pretty consistent, and it still looks lighter in tone; the dialogue is easy to follow. I would recommend this issue to readers who are already reading this series or familiar with TMNT lore.
Overall: 7/10
India Williams is a comic writer and reviewer based in Florida. She is a lifelong comics fan, with favorites including Thor, Conan, G.I. Joe, and Speed Racer. When she’s not writing comics or reviewing them, she enjoys toy photography.
