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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #13 Review

What the issue lacks in action is made up for with great dialogue and gorgeous panels.

August 8, 2017

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Karai’s foray into the Tokoyo organized crime scene puts her on a journey to retrieve a sword that might have magic powers.

Oh, who are we kidding…we KNOW it’s going to have magic powers!

First Read Reactions

Whenever an old mob boss says “Can I tell you a story?” you know it’s going to be good.
Kind of weird seeing Karai laugh about a magic sword after everything she’s seen.
Koya is NOT a fan of skydiving, it would seem–although to be fair, it’s not really the same without wings…and being trapped inside a steel box.

Karai would make a good middle school teacher–at least as far as classroom discipline is concerned.
Bludgeon = Daredevil.
Bludgeon = Not Daredevil Enough.

The Verdict

I’m really not a big fan of plots moving forward via a few (beautifully drawn) moments of intense meditation.

What I am a fan of, however, are kick ass characters and an intriguing story, which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #13 has in spades. Having Karai sent on a quest for a magic sword by a Japanese crime boss is cool enough on its own, but the side plot of Koya and Bludgeon coming to grips with their injuries (in very different ways) is just as good.

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Having so many characters would be a problem for many writers, but Erik Burnham handles all of them exceptionally well. It also allows us to get to see Sophie Campbell draw all of them, which is always a treat. Where she really sings, however, is an ancient flashback sequence along with the aforementioned meditation/dream sequence. I may not have liked the part it played in the story, but it still looked damn good.

What the issue lacks in action is made up for with great dialogue, gorgeous panels, and the continuing back up story (written and drawn by Campbell), which is surprisingly intense.

I haven’t been a huge fan of Universe since it launched, but this story arc is starting to show just how great the series could be.