The Good

As someone born in 1985, the Ninja Turtles were a huge part of my childhood. I'd anxiously run to my TV to watch the new episodes, dress as them for Halloween (if you're reading this, thanks for making that outfit, mom!), play with the toys until they were broken and I even recall seeing the movies in theaters for the first time. It was an amazing experience that no words can truly describe. Now, thanks to IDW and the surprisingly impressive animated show, that feeling has returned to me. This new series brings that level of excitement to a whole new level, though. Simply put: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan is ridiculously good and makes me proud to be a Turtles fan.

Tying into Tom Waltz's primary TMNT title, this 4 issue limited series expands on the fresh take to the origin story we know so well. As you can plainly tell by the title, there's a lot to discover when it comes to the Foot's history and so far the tale is engrossing. We've seen the Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki's early rivalry played out a thousand times before, but this still manages to feel energetic and fascinating. Their growing divide is barely even scratching the surface of what this new series is diving into. The past segments have already revealed so much and continue to reel me in. I need to see more of what happened with last issue's cliffhanger. I need to see what'll happen with this one! This, my friends, is TMNT at its finest.

The artwork is impressive throughout the entire read. Action scenes are frenetic and the motion is illustrated exceptionally well. Everything from a bo staff to the neck to Mikey slugging a Foot Ninja in the groin packs a fitting impact and helps the combat play out in a fluid manner. Even smaller things, such as the expression on a young Oroku Saki's face, gives this book so much life. You can see the curiosity as he tries to figure out what was his from a past life, the excitement as he finds out, and then the disappointment and hurt when it's promptly taken from him. Also worth praising is the set of panels focusing on reflections in the water. It was a risky move and they absolutely pulled it off.

The Bad

Nothing. I want to read the next issue right now!

The Verdict

Turtle fans, I really can't recommend this new series enough. The tragic news is it'll only be 4 issues. However, right now its visuals are great, the story is phenomenal, and with just 2 issues the creative team has loaded it with tons of intrigue and adventure. It's diving into material that has been tackled a gazillion times before, yet it feels refreshing and is definitely something worth buying.