Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #32 Review

I figured TMNT had nowhere to go but down after the excellent "City Fall" storyline. But that hasn't necessarily been the case. "Northampton" is certainly a much different sort of story. It's a more quiet and somber reflection on recent events in the Turtles' lives. Or it was quiet, until new villain Koya and his limber Foot assassins burst onto the scene last month. So it is that Tom Waltz and Ross Campbell wrap up their arc with a healthy dose of action and character drama, all the while keeping the series' recent hot streak burning.

Campbell has excelled in giving life and expression to his mutant characters throughout this arc. As it turns out, he's no less talented at bringing their ninja exploits to life. There's a grace to the combat in this issue that isn't so different from Mateus Santolouco's work, even if Campbell's figures are softer and more elegant. His depiction of the hawk-like Koya stands out as probably the best original character design in this reboot universe, and I look forward to seeing more of the new villain going forward.

On the writing front, Waltz properly caps off this arc after four issues, bringing the characters full circle and sending them on the next stage of their journey. Both Leonardo and Alopex have pivotal moments in this issue, for better or for worse. This arc has definitely gone a long way toward endearing me to Alopex, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor, misunderstood warrior and her struggle to find a family. This issue actually hits a bit of a false note in terms of where it leaves her relationship with the Turtles, but hopefully Waltz can rectify that in a future issue. There's plenty of reason to be excited about where this series is heading.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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