Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #95

TMNT #95 is another great entry into this series. I was a little bit worried about them drawing out this “City at War” buildup to issue #100 too much, but they have been doing a fantastic job so far, slow-burning the storyline while still adding some very interesting mystery and character dynamics along the way. I also continue to love the little history of TMNT at IDW with the creators in the back-up replacing the letters page. They go through year three, the year 2013-2014, which involves the Northhampton storyline and some of my favorite mini-series. It is great to read the creators' thoughts on those and what they tried to bring out story- and art-wise. Read Full Review

A strong issue in a consistently solid series, with a final page that will have fans talking for sure. Read Full Review

I Review Comics

Jul 14, 2019

TMNT #95 is arguably the most talked about issue of this series since Donatello was practically murdered in issue #44. That was when I jumped onto the series and I'm pretty sure we'll see a lot of new fans after this one.  Getting the big reveal and spoiler out of the way up front, we have a fifth turtle, and it's a girl. In a last-ditch effort to save Jannika from death, Leonardo and Donatello save her by facilitating a blood transfusion using Leo's blood. I don't feel bad spoiling the issue because Tom Waltz spoiled it the day the issue dropped, ha.  ​​ The beauty of all of this is that A. Jannika is not a new character. B. Tom Waltz didn't just pull this one out of his ass.  The actual logistics of how we arrived at a fifth Ninja Turtle is sound.  With the spoilers out of the way let's talk about the rest of the comic. The book initially subverted my expectations because the first few pages started with everyone standing around talking. This is usually the sign of a filler or bottleneck comic.  ​​  A few pages letter and Boom! Metal Head crashes the scene with Agent Bishop and the Earth Protection Force Backing him up.  The book isn't quite as intense as the prior issue but the pace still brisk and there aren't any real lulls in the issue. Issue #96 will probably be a breather issue as Jannika's transformation is further explored.  ​​ If the creative team decides to slow down a bit I don't blame them. City at war has so many moving parts it's hard to keep track of everything. Ironically the series that TMNT most feels like lately is the recently ended Walking Dead.  There's a reason these are some of the longest-running series out there with the exception of DC's legacy titles, they are just that damn good.  more

Hislight

Mar 17, 2021

Great stuff! This is the series at its best.

myconius

Jul 03, 2019

i'm not really sure how to feel about this one. -i really liked the characterizations. -i liked the balance of different plot threads. -i like the intense sense of urgency throughout the issue. HOWEVER... -the overall plot is still taking too long to move. -too much melodrama. -not enough action. -i DID NOT like the ending. the ending felt like nostalgia pandering, and it took me right out of the story.