The team behind the smash-hit crossover series is back to reunite the Dark Knight and the Heroes in a Half-Shell. When Donatello goes looking for a new mentor to help him improve his fighting skills, he opens a doorway to another reality, hoping to summon the Turtles’ one-time ally, Batman. But instead, he gets sent to Gotham City and someone else comes through the open portal-Bane! Suddenly, there’s a new gang boss in New York and he’s out to unite all the other bad guys under him. Can Donnie get back in time and bring Batman with him to help his brothers before Bane causes irreparable destruction?

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1 picks up where the first volume left off but does so in a way that you don’t need to read the first. Writer James Tynion IV does an excellent job of building off of that first volume without being beholden to it.

The issue has the Foot Clan not too happy with the fact that Shredder and Ras failed in their mission in the first volume and things are a bit chaotic. Over on Batman’s world, the League of Assassins are up to their own thing as well. There’s some solid parallels pointed out through all of this but what the Turtles have that Batman doesn’t is a team of heroes. In this case that comes into play as Donatello is forced to face his role within the Turtles and what he lacks that the others have. This causes him to seek out the advice of Batman and things don’t go as planned. Tynion does a great job of making Donatello’s feelings and issues easy to relate to. It’s a place we’ve all been and in that way he makes the Turtle human.

The art by Freddie Williams II looks solid. I wasn’t completely sold on it when I read the first volume but at this point I’m not sure who else could pull this off. The style works for both worlds and sets of characters and this first issue, the art pops. There’s some great sequences and panels. The art adds to the fun of it all.

The issue is all setup, but does it in a way that’s intriguing and really does well to play off the strengths of each set of characters. The first issue is a slow build but the emotional punch along with some of the twists and reveals make the issue one that’s a solid entertaining read.

Story: James Tynion IV Art: Freddie Williams II
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review