What I loved about Daredevil, is that he saw evil and fought to correct it. As a Lawyer, Matt Murdock, was exposed to the criminal world in ways most of us could only fathom. He would find ways to correct what the justice system could not whether that was in the courtroom or in the streets. When the justice system failed, he became the fierce defender of Hell’s Kitchen.
As in the real world, when horrifying atrocities occur, we all wish heroes like Daredevil were real. While we hope for the justice system to work, in reality, it often fails which has us fantasizing about a hero to take matters into their own hands to mete out justice. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher, we get a hero who fights those who would do harm to those affected by the Mutagen Bomb.
We’re taken to New York City, where the Nightwatcher is in the middle of a hot pursuit, where he is stopping one car thief from getting away with the car. This leads to scuffle between the two, which is more a battle of wits versus a battle of brawn, as Nightwatcher outmaneuvers the car thief at every step. We eventually find out that he was kidnapping mutants; a travesty Nightwatcher puts an end to this time.
Writer Juni Ba intersperses the action with what every day people think of what has happened with the Mutagen Bomb and how it’s impacted them. They also reflect on the new vigilante that has taken to the streets. Ba does a great job of delivering a visceral, realistic feel, to not just Nightwatcher delivering justice but how people react to the new world around them, warts and all.
Ba is joined by Fero Pe on art with color by Luis Antonio Delgado and lettering by Nathan Widick. The art does an interesting mix of jumping between Ba’s brutal action and the interviews. The transition isn’t always great but each segment is solid.
Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher is a fun debut issue that’s packed with emotion and feels like a classic TMNT episode. The story by Ba is action packed. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, a story TMNT fans will more than enjoy.
Story: Juni Ba Art: Fero Pe
Color: Luis Antonio Delgado Letterer: Nathan Widick
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
