TMNT Annual 2020 Review – City at War was Just the Beginning

TMNT Annual 2020 Review – My personal favorite ongoing series shows no signs of slowing down

TMNT Annual 2020 Event Exclusive Cover illustrated by Adam Gorham

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) have been through a lot. For those who aren’t caught up, and okay with spoilers, the next paragraph is to basically bring you up to speed. To keep it brief, the Turtles lost Master Splinter, a Mutagen bomb was set off by Old Hobbs turning a large part of the city into mutants, and newly elected Mayor, Baxter Stockman, has quarantined the mutants into their own section of the city. None of this accounts for the personal emotional journey of each turtle, including the newly found sister turtle, Jennika, Oroku Saki’s Return, Karai trying to rebuild The Foot, and whatever Old Hobb’s plans now that there is a mutant population. Everything is fractured and there is a shadowy figure putting these pieces together how he sees fit.

There’s no real way for me to talk about the content of this issue without spoilers. I will hold back, but you have been warned.

TMNT Annual 2020 serves as a connecting thread of the events after City at War. Issues 101-106 see the Turtles deal with the aftermath and go through their emotional journies at the loss of their father, Master Splinter. It also shows the city change and all the other characters change along with it. All of the characters and events appear to individual stories and journies until this issue ties them all together. The Rat King is lurking in the shadows, watching each event unfold, and nudging each groups actions to further his family’s ethereal game. The line is blurred, to whether the characters are actually trying to accomplish their own goals or are being manipulated into believing that is it their goal. The main takeaway from the Annual issue is that it is all just beginning.

IDW’s TMNT series is my favorite ongoing series. In their first 100 issues, they have fully covered everything I’ve ever known and loved about the franchise. They took something from every iteration of TMNT in existence and made one incredible ongoing series. Now this Annual promises us much more. It is truly awesome, how excited I am after reading this issue. I’ve watched every iteration of the TMNT on TV and in film, and I’m pretty well versed in many of the comic iterations, and there’s a point in every iteration that you know there’s not much left. A lot of times, it’s at the loss of Splinter or it goes far too supernatural, and then there’s the story currently being retold in Urban Legends. But TMNT Annual 2020 feels like the series just found a springboard and is getting ready to reach new heights.

TMNT Annual 2020 has done what no other version of the Turtles has ever done and landed the jumping of the shark. They have included every one of those moments that signaled the end for every other TMNT series and elevated the franchise further. They went big with City Fall and backed themselves into a corner, that they are more than ready to bust out of. I’ve never been more excited as a TMNT  fan, than I am right now. My TMNT Annual 2020 review is a 5/5

Lastly, I just want to talk about the brilliant Convention Exclusive Cover. The masks are such a natural look for THE NINJA TURTLES, that normally you wouldn’t think this was a message or anything. It’s simple but very impactful. I’m also very upset I missed my pre-order for it. I missed out on a lot of Turtle Swag from Comic-Con at home. But regardless, it’s still an incredible cover. I understand some people might be triggered by the mask, but whatever. Amazing cover, someone buy it for me.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) Annual 2020 hit shelves today. Click on the cover or here to order yours.