COMICS: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (TMNT) Issue #100 Review & Covers

TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) have reached a new milestone today, as the comic book by IDW Publishing has released the 100th issue! IDW was kind enough to provide us with a review copy and the embargo finally lifts today so we're able to share our spoiler-free thoughts on the monumental issue!

We're also including several of the alternate covers available for issue #100. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird reunited for cover "A", which we shared previously, although the cover that was provided is a bit different (see IDW Has Revealed The TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #100 Comic Book Cover)... The earlier version included a montage/collage of all 100 issues of the comic as a backdrop to the turtles and their friends, which is absent from the cover that's now availalbe for retail, as well as from the list of variants.

There are over 60 different covers available! If you're interested in taking a look at all of them, make sure and head over to TMNT-NinjaTurtles.com.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 - City at War - The End: Karai has defeated Splinter and taken control of the Foot Clan. Old Hob has detonated a mutagen bomb in NYC, making mutants public and creating undreds of them in the process. In a last-ditch effort to save Master Splinter and the orphans formerly under his care, Leonardo has led Bishop and his forces into the heart of the Foot Clan HQ. Meanwhile, above, Kitsune at long last prepares to raise her father, the apocalyptic Dragon!

I'm going to keep my review short and sweet, primarily so that I don't reveal any spoilers. As far as the artwork and colors go, the 100th issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is right about what you would expect if you've been following the arc. The panels that take place during different time periods/story lines are colored slightly different, or partially faded, which is a nice touch as there is a LOT going on in this issue and it could very easily be overwhelming. There's plenty of action as well as dialogue to go around, so I appreciate the time and effort spent creating the distinctions between the various story lines.

There's one brief sequence that takes place inside the store that is a bit jarring, at least as far as artwork and colors go... It's almost as if it was penciled, inked and colored by a different team of artists than the rest of the issue. That's the only sequence that really stood out to me as out of place. It's a fairly "normal" and boring scene in an issue that otherwise screams violence and darkness, which is probably why it jumped out at me.

The writing is also very good, especially for an issue that has so much action! It doesn't ever feel heavy-handed. There was just enough to get me from one panel to another, without losing me in unnecessary dialogue. Some of the conversations between Bebop and Rocksteady are corny, but I think that's to be expected from those two.

Issue #100 really has it all going for it. There's plenty of action. Good dialogue and writing. Great artwork. There are literally some panels I want to get high resolution versions of to frame somewhere!

There is also a LOT of heart and emotion in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles centennial issue. The strength and bond of family is found throughout. If you're a TMNT fan, you're going to want to pick up this issue. Not because it's the 100th issue, but because it's a great comic on it's own and it wraps up the story arc nicely. I would be lying if I said that I didn't shed tear or two while reading this issue.

Where will they go with issue #101? I have no idea! Luckily there are a few hints at the end of the issue for some upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle adventures which will probably leave you guessing and dreaming more than anything.

If you're interested in taking a look at some of the alternate covers that are available, I've included them below!

TMNT #100 - Cover A