Are we prisoners of fate, or do we have the power to change the future? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 shows that even when trying to avoid our destiny, it may put us right in its path. Writer Gene Luen Yang, Freddie E. Williams II, and Fero Pe use Master Splinter’s desire to save his sons to drive this point home, but his efforts have only brought them closer to destruction.
- Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17
- Creative Team: Gene Luen Yang (Writer), Freddie E. Williams II and Fero Pe (Artists), Andrew Dalhouse and Luis Antonio Delgado (Color Artists), Shawn Lee (Letterer), Jake Thomas (Editor)
- Characters: Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Master Splinter
- Villain: Karai, Shinigami, Gashadokuro
- Format: Ongoing Series
- Our Rating: 8.5/10 Stars
Are The Turtles Too Late To Save Their Father?
This issue kicks off in the middle of the action, with the turtles charging into battle to rescue Splinter. The Shinigami and Karai are still holding him captive, exploiting his fear to create an opening to Yomi-No-Kuni, the realm of the dead. Artists Freddie E. Williams II and Fero Pe thrive in these battle sequences. Leonardo and Karai charge at one another, motion lines emphasizing their swiftness, as Raphael fights the Shinigami, his clenched teeth and furrowed brow revealing his fury.
It’s not long before the ritual is complete and a deadly new foe arrives on a stunning page twelve. A giant spirit called the Gashadokuro bursts through the portal, its skeletal form dominating the landscape. Colorists Andrew Dalhouse and Luis Antonio Delgado render it demonic by using sinister reds to fill its eye sockets, while ethereal greens reinforce its supernatural origins. The Turtles aren’t rookie heroes, but even their expressions turn to panic as the battle shifts in favor of the villains. It’s pure nightmare fuel.
The being eventually devours Splinter, changing its skeletal form from human into a rat, complete with jagged teeth, a pronounced snout, and a bony tail. Williams II and Pe nail the design, making this iteration of the Gashadokuro somehow more horrifying. Splinter has finally become everything he’s been trying to prevent. He’s the villain now, and the Turtles may not have what it takes to stop him.
How Does Splinter’s Actions Affect His Family
This arc works so well because Yang takes the time to deconstruct Splinter. Most stories find him taking on the role of the wise old sage, serving as the moral compass for his more emotional sons. But that’s flipped on its head here. This time Splinter’s the one leading with his heart instead of logic, and it threatens to tear the whole family down.
Emotions fuel this issue, and letterer Shawn Lee expertly portrays that in the character’s exclamations. Words spill out of speech bubbles when Splinter cries out in protest, or when Michelangelo embraces his mother. It’s a clever device that allows our heroes’ emotions to transcend the page.
Michelangelo’s Reunion With His Mother
The dynamic between Michelangelo and his mother, Tang Shen, in the afterlife is a standout element of this book. The normally happy-go-lucky turtle is crestfallen as Shen explains how Splinter’s actions caused a tear in the veil between the land of the living and the dead. Those realms are supposed to stay separate, no matter how badly we want it to be otherwise. It’s a fraught reunion that’s bound to end in tragedy.
Verdict: Should you buy TMNT #17?
Master Splinter has become his own worst enemy, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 proves it. In attempting to alter the future, he has only hastened its arrival. He’s transformed into a sickening monster, attacking everything he once held dear. Now only one question remains. Has fate conspired to make him the one ultimately responsible for his sons’ downfall?
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ #17 Shows that Master Splinter is his own Worst Enemy
Master Splinter has become his own worst enemy, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17 proves it. In attempting to alter the future, he has only hastened its arrival. He’s transformed into a sickening monster, attacking everything he once held dear. Now only one question remains. Has fate conspired to make him the one ultimately responsible for his sons’ downfall?
