TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 // Review
A popular trend in comics today is the “Old Man” or “Old Woman” genre of comic. This was first popularized by Old Man Logan, where the story focused on a crapsack future world where the only remaining superheroes had become evil, corrupted, or were probably dead. The titular Old Man Logan had retired out of shame and was drawn back in due to horrible circumstances in his story. While the stereotypical butt-kicking old person isn’t a new concept, this is arguably the first time it’s ever been applied to… the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is brought to us by a bunch of wonderful creators. Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and Tom Waltz are all credited with the story. Waltz and Eastman worked on the script while Eastman provided the layouts (storyboards for comics). Pencils and inks fell to Esau and Isaac Escorza, with assistance from Ben Bishop. Samuel Plata and Luis Antonio Delgado worked on the colors. Shawn Lee lettered the book.
For those who don’t know their Turtles history, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird are the two who came up with the concept of the Turtles themselves, and this is the first comic they’ve worked on together in over twenty years. Further, this is based off of a plotline they almost did back in 1987 when the comic was still new.
To say there has been some hype is an understatement.
Taking place “today” (or, rather, the far future), the City of New York has mutated and evolved into a stronghold like something out of Escape from New York or Judge Dredd’s Mega City One. Massive walls surround the island of Manhattan, and the people live in some combination of poverty and high technology. And it is here where the title character sneaks in, desiring revenge against those in charge. The Foot Clan thrives, and the last living Ninja Turtle has returned to avenge his fallen brothers.
This book is honestly amazing in most respects. The art coming from the Escorzas is fantastically moody, preserving the noir and dark feel of the original TMNT comics with modern stylistic choices and brief but brutal action. Eastman still has some great knack for action sequences as well, with some delightful chase sequences that feel like they could be on the big screen. The colors chosen also splash across the page as a combination of futuristic neon and grime, depending on the setting, and it does just as much to set the feeling for the future as the rest of the art does. Really, there is nothing short of a fantastic effort put forth with this comic.
As for the story itself, a lot of the mystery in this first issue revolves around who this turtle is. His three brothers haunt his mind, providing equal commentary as the Last Ronin himself does. The dialogue is simple and to the point, but the overall narration brings up memories of the good days of Frank Miller, the one whose Daredevil run wound up inspiring the TMNT themselves. A lot of the mystery focuses on who the Last Ronin is, and the reveal at the end of the issue actually does leave the reader demanding more.
Despite the fact that this is solidly set in the future of the current run of IDW comics, you don’t need to have read a single issue to understand The Last Ronin. Frankly, any fan of the recent “Old Person ___” comics need to check out this comic, as does any Turtle fan. The fact that Eastman and Laird have come back to work on this together alone is a great reason to read this book, honestly. The fact that it has delivered so far is icing on the cake.
