*This issue was available digitally but has since been taken down because it's not available in stores yet. It will be officially released on 7/31*
The Good
What's good in this issue? Well, EVERYTHING. First and foremost, Tom Waltz, Bobby Curnow and Kevin Eastman do a tremendous job balancing everything this story is bringing to the table and proper focus is given to every major development. We finally get a massive update with Casey Jones, Shredder unveils more of his master plan and we get to witness more of the Turtles and Splinter hesitantly working with Old Hob and Slash.
The pacing is excellent and there are some seriously exciting scenes thrown into the mix. This issue has some really big moments and a beyond epic fight scene. One particular moment is predictable, but that doesn't stop it from being super exciting and filled me with anticipation. I have no shame in saying one moment made me cheer out loud with crazy enthusiasm and there's even a hilarious scene which is apparently inspired by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (no, it's not a Vanilla Ice cameo, silly).
Man, artist Mateus Santolouco can do no wrong. The guy once again provides excellent work for our eyes, making each character look unique -- the dude does an especially excellent job with Slash. As for the action, it's nothing short of glorious. His illustrations create some truly animiated battles, granting each strike a lot of speed and their impacts are fierce. Throw in Ronda Pattison's colors and the end result is an extraordinarily good looking comic which is totally worthy of this great story.
The Bad
The bad? But there was nothing bad in this issue!
The Verdict
It's no secret I've been digging this series, but this issue really is something special. Call me crazy, but it doesn't feel like reading a comic -- it feels like watching a really fun movie. The combination of cinematic art, solid pacing, strong reveals and a tight script turns TMNT #24 into one of the most engaging and best issues from the series. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go read it again and when you're able to, I strongly recommend you read it as well. And by "strongly recommend" I mean you really, really, really should if you're even kind of a fan of the Turtles.