I will be honest from the get-go and confirm that I was pretty harsh when I last reviewed Turtles in Time. Before even opening the comic, I wanted to come in with an open mind of where the Turtles were taking us this time. With Paul Allor coming back as the writer, my hope is that this comic can bounce back and again add something to already bazillion TMNT comics that are making their stories work. So where are we going this time... to the future and beyond! The Turtles enter into the future and like any sensible people decide the first thing they need to do is try the pizza. Good choice. Anyway, they soon learn that Manhattan isn’t home sweet home, but instead goes by the name of Shredder Island. The Island is full of mutants... of all animals. It seems like every place the Turtles go, some war is raging and they end up smack dab in the middle of it all. The only place they can go is back to the sewers.
Dan Duncan’s art is perfect for this issue. The new world looks a bit the same but with more technology driven aspects. You still recognize iconic figures though, so it doesn’t make the future too far-fetched. I also just love how the Turtles are drawn. They aren’t too cartoony and they aren’t too rough-looking. It is a balance of both and that is when they are the most appealing to me. (OK maybe I love cutesy Turtles the most, but for a comic Duncan does it right.)
Renet finally has her staff fixed, so she can talk with the Turtles about the whole time travel thing. Although, I still don’t understand why they are time traveling because it seems like something is busted, the Turtles now know that each place brings a lesson for them to take home. And when seeing the future, this may be their biggest lesson yet. Not only do they discover that Krang and Shredder fought for world domination, but the Turtles lost. Now it is time for the Turtles to once again fight for what is right and they may be joined by some new friends.
This plot and characters have been my favorite so far, besides for Pepperoni, no one will forget. But anyway, the setting works so well and finally brings this comic into full view. Although I would have rather the Turtles just have been in the future from the beginning. Turtles in Time offers the readers a better look into what the TMNT comic could dive into as well. It seems that we are headed for a war. And not just any war, but a war that could change the TMNT universe forever. So it is only fitting to see what would happen if the Turtles lost or decided to give up. It gives these four brothers more to fight for through all the crap they must face. Allor brings this comic what it needed, so I hope Turtles in Time can offer more relationship to the other comics, as well as, provide a fun story with some kick ass moves.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Paul Allor Artist: Dan Duncan Colorist: Ronda Pattison Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/17/14 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital