Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 will be continuing the battle for Splinter’s soul. Things have made even more complicated by how Splinter was brought back. It’s forced the Turtles to delve deeper into the mystical side of their franchise. We got the chance to check out an early copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 from IDW Publishing. Find out how it turns out with our advance review.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artists: Freddie E. Williams II and Fero Pe
Colorists: Andrew Dalhouse and Luis Antonio Delgado
Letterer: Shawn Lee
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #17 SOLICITATION
“High atop New York City, a battle rages for Splinter’s soul! As Shinigami exploits Splinter’s fear to open a portal to the great beyond, the Turtles take on a mystical battle that tests their very limits.
Mikey discovers the key to saving their father from a shocking source, but can he make it back to his family before it’s too late?!” – IDW Publishing
REVIEW
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 thrives in utilizing the chaotic battle for Splinter’s soul to create so much unpredictability. That unpredictability creates a feeling you don’t know what you’re going to get next. This makes Karai and Shinigami are positioned as villains to be even stronger than before. In having such unpredictable and strong villains it makes your investment in what happens next with each page turn greater.
Battle for Splinter’s Soul Makes Things Personal
The battle for Splinter’s soul is the driving force for the narrative in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17. These stakes make this confrontation feel much more personal for the Turtles. Unlike previous battles that were the typical superhero thing of protecting the city or their allies, this time they are fighting for the very soul of their father. This emotional connection to the plot elevates the story, emphasizing just how much Splinter means to his sons.
Gene Luen Yang makes sure this is all built atop the foundation established by Jason Aaron at the start of this volume. The importance of Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo’s bond with Splinter is highlighted throughout the issue. Specifically, with how they fight with greater determination than normal.
Even though the Turtles must divide their efforts across multiple battles, their teamwork remains strong. Each Turtle tackles their own challenges, but they consistently support one another.
Diving Deeper Into Mystic Arts
Having everything that goes on being tied to the mystical side of the franchise continues to help make this story different from other TMNT stories. This element that is employed by Shinigami and Karai makes them a different type of threat. They aren’t villains that the Turtles can simply defeat through their fighting skills.
This creates a scenario where the Turtles have to constantly be aware of their surroundings. Because if they aren’t the battlefield could easily shift because of the mystical things that is going on with Shinigami and Karai’s plot. It helps create an even more chaotic feel to this latest battle between the Turtles and the Foot Clan.
Michelangelo Journey Steals the Show
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 lives up to it’s promise of having Michelangelo get a big spotlight. This was a very much needed spotlight for Michelangelo. He has always been the Turtle that takes a backseat to his brothers. We’ve gotten hints at greater character development for him with where Michelangelo started this volume of TMNT.
Here we see strong emotional development for Michelangelo with the key role he plays in how things turn out by the end of this issue. Its an emotional tie that hopefully means we will see him get more development in the future.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 delivers a high-stakes, chaotic battle between the Turtles and Karai’s Foot Clan. All of the mystical elements add to the unpredictability of what developments we see here. Those developments add even greater intrigue for where Gene Luen Yang, Freddie E. Williams II, and Fero Pe plan to take this series next.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
For more opinions on anime, comic book, movies, and sports you can follow Kevin on TikTok, Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X.