The mental scars are the most difficult to treat.
The Turtles, Casey Jones, and April O' Neil survive their latest battle against the Shredder but they definitely wear the wounds of war. The city has gotten too dangerous for them and they're forced to leave. This leads to them retreating to the country to recuperate. -summary
The last three volumes of this series focused a lot more on future plot build up with a huge dose of brutal action, in addition working its way through a major story arc. This eighth volume collecting issues 29-32 is another cool down arc that focuses more on the characters physical and mental recovery of their conflict, therefore the action takes a huge backseat.
The Shredder has proven to be a very formidable enemy whom will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and the Turtles realize more and more that this is an enemy they will have to put down. The group deals with their stress in their own ways, and through this the reader will get to see more of how they think and even grow as individuals in a way. Leonardo and Michelangelo are the highlights to me here. Leo has always been the one with a strong will and it's something seeing him so vulnerable and looking for direction. Mikey is the seriously care free type, but it's clear how much he cherishes friendship as much as family. I enjoyed the interaction between Raphael and Alopex, but Raphael's personality grows annoying after awhile. He will show some type of progress then later prove he's not moving further at all. His character needs to grow already in some way.
The many claims that this volume is far more character driven is no exaggeration, but this really isn't a bad thing since things are worked out well enough. However, there is some action provided that features new mutant Koya in battle. Although it may feel brief, this encounter doesn't seem the least bit rushed; she does have potential to be a threat.
There is some middle ground when looking at Ross Campbell's artwork, but this mainly caters to one's personal taste. The visuals are very clean with fine character designs; they are very neatly done and everthing looks beautiful to include night time backgrounds, and I get this is suppose to symbolize some form of hope and good things may be on the way for this group. Unfortunately there's too much of a manga presence and the character designs are too cute and chibi. It's a big change from the grittiness those following the series got use to. I don't find it too saccharine, yet at the same time I can do without it just a little.
For the most part this volume is a character driven drama, and one's enjoyment will be determined upon how the reader already feels about the characters, in which I believe many will love these characters long before this point. I would have preferred the artwork maintaining its edgy streak though. In any case, this volume is necessary for those heavily into this story; however it simply doesn't measure up to everything that came before it. Now for those whom really don't care to own this for collection's sake and just want more over the top action, then this volume can be skipped.
Pros: Heavily focuses on the characters as individuals
Cons: Not as action heavy as previous volumes, artwork may be too cute for some