The Good

I know artist Andy Kuhn's work is off-putting to quite a few, but you're absolutely missing out if you've bailed because of this. While I do miss Dan Duncan's work, Kuhn's does have its pros and is indeed growing on me. For one, he's killing it with Slash and hopefully he'll have the opportunity to illustrate more rough panels with the character. Another strong point of his is the action because he places a nice emphasis on both motion and impact. This is key considering good chunk of the issue is a giant brawl.

This latest chapter was a shining example of why I'm a Turtles fan. The action rocks as the team struggles to take on Slash, each character showcases their unique personalities, and the conversations are particularly heartwarming. Issue 16 wasn't big on laughs, but this is easily countered with Splinter's final speech. It was phenomenal and a perfect way to finish the issue (epilogue aside).

Speaking of the epilogue, that's just one more plot point that has me anxious to see how writer Tom Waltz and Kevin Eastman will continue to juggle all of the pieces they've created. There's a lot to look forward to here.

The Bad

Artist Andy Kuhn's work is a mixed bag. While I clearly think he's a good fit for some elements, there's a good deal of facial expressions from the Turtles that are a major turn off. Sometimes they look constipated and other times they look like they're on the verge of a massive crying session.

Also, there's a huge amount of unnecessary exposition (the recap page is there for a reason, after all) once we check back to Krang's lab. Those two points aside, no big complaints from me.

The Verdict

This is a great time to be a Ninja Turtles fan. We have not one, but two solid adventures from the classic franchise. The Nickelodeon show is shockingly good and thankfully the separate story unfolding here in the comics is every bit as enjoyable. IDW's reboot is a must read for anyone and everyone even remotely interested in the Heroes in a Half Shell. Do yourself a favor and get on-board now, then play catch-up with the TPBs.