The youngest of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Michelangelo has always been the most laid-back of the four brothers. Circumstances have changed, however, in the new TMNT series from IDW Publishing. While Mikey seems to be as easy-going as ever, the orange-clad Ninja Turtle is ill at ease in a new role.
As the first issue of TMNT focused on Raphael, so does the second issue focus on Michelangelo. Mikey is revealed to be living in Tokyo, where he found fame as a television actor. He plays a cartoonish version of himself on a Sentai Soldier show, and has become a popular celebrity.
However, while he continues to offer his fans “the full Mikey” in public, Mikey is truly miserable. He misses his brothers and being a real hero. While he routinely walks the red carpet and mingles with the rich and powerful, his only joy comes from eating frozen pizza while watching old movies.
TMNT #2 paints Michelangelo in new light
Earlier TMNT stories (perhaps most notably The Last Ronin) explored the hidden depths of Michelangelo’s character. For all his reputation for being lazy or unintelligent, Mikey is more aware of the world and himself than he lets on. However, Jason Aaron explores this idea in detail, adding depth to Mikey’s “party dude” persona.
The best example of this is a sequence in which Michelangelo ponders his weapon of choice, the nunchaku. “When you pick up a set of nunchucks for the first time, the toughest fight you’re gonna face is with yourself,” Mikey notes. It is all too easy for a novice to hurt themselves when first using the nunchaku. The secret is you have to beat yourself up before you can learn how to use the weapon to hurt others. So too does Mikey beat himself up internally, while playing the clown around his brooding brothers.
TMNT #2 is ably illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque. His dark Noir style is perfectly suited toward the scenes where a morose Michelangelo thinks of better days. Yet Albuquerque also excels at depicting the over-the-top action that Aaron’s story requires. The color art by Marcelo Maiolo is also excellent.
All in all, TMNT #2 is everything a Turtles fan in general and a Michelangelo fan in particular might hope for in a comic. Those who missed out on the first issue of the new TMNT would do well to grab this second issue. It is easily accessible to those who missed Part 1, while still continuing the story so far.
Grade: 5/5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 arrives in comic shops everywhere on September 11, 2024.
