Occasionally, popular long-running comic series with a traditionally younger following get stuck in mediocrity, and it takes a brilliant creative team and a mature concept to elevate it to exceptional. Afterlife with Archie is a hallmark example. City Fall is another. Including issue #21, the prologue, City Fall is an eight-issue story arc in IDW‘s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continuity that revolves around Shredder’s diabolical plan to take over the city’s warring criminal factions and crush the turtles. What begins with an attack on Casey Jones and Raphael by the Foot Clan, ends with Leonardo’s abduction…all of which is according to plan. Once in captivity, the recently resurrected Kitsune uses her dark magic to invade Leo’s mind and turn him against his loved ones. Can Splinter get back his sage leader or will his family be ripped apart his sworn enemies (which includes a mutant warthog and rhinoceros)?

Writer Tom Waltz‘s script stays on point the entire length of the arc. With the story assist from Bobby Curnow and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, Waltz is able to keep scenes tense, pacing fluid, and action fierce. Unfortunately, they are partial to a comic pet peeve of mine. While not as detestable as another peeve of mine, the entire plot in one sentence trick, I am oddly averse to the in-story captions that reference other story lines (i.e. “See Michelangelo Microseries”). These books are littered with them.

Artist Mateus Santolouco captures the modern essence of the turtles. He could have settled on childish, gimmicky heroes, but instead went for muscular, adult characters up against equally matured villains. My only complaint is not what Santolouco did, but what he failed to do. The bottom panel on the final page of Part Three shows a grief-stricken Splinter holding Leo’s blue bandana in front of a glowing cityscape. Why was that not made into a full page?! As one of the most iconic images in the entire story arc, it should have been capitalized on.

While City Fall‘s predecessor issues are by no means mediocre, this story arc brought the TMNT series out of the status quo and into the well-earned limelight. I’m ashamed to admit I had forgotten that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles preceded my childhood–now lifelong–love affair with Batman. This story arc, and series as a whole, brought it all back. Eastman, Waltz, and Santolouco take the iconic reptilian protagonists to a whole ‘nother level and have set the standard for issues to come.

Story: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz Art: Mateus Santolouco
Story: 9 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review