By Dustin Weaver and Ben Bates

The Bebop and Rocksteady that we all know and love have finally been introduced in the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic storyline!

This issue is the typical origin story. Bebop and Rocksteady are treated as lowlifes and having lost everything, would do anything to gain power and respect. The two are the single-minded buffoons we are familiar with, but writer Dustin Weaver shows how dangerous that can be. When they are attempting to become the mutants, the duo defeats the rest of the competition mercilessly. Later in the book, they take out and entire gang with little effort. For once, Bebop and Rocksteady were presented as being a serious threat in the Ninja Turtle-verse and not just comic relief.

Artist Ben Bates’ designs of Bebop and Rocksteady are eerily good. He gives each an intimidating look matching the new approach to the powerful mutants. Rocksteady is given piercing red eyes to personify a vicious beast. Bates is also able to depict with shocking skill the devastation these two can do, whether it is in their human or mutant form. The panel called to mind is when the twosome are standing in imposing stances, covered in blood, amidst all their fallen rivals to become the Foot’s new test subjects. Ben’s use of color was fantastic as well. During a fight sequence, he would have certain panels all in red to convey how when these two fight, there is no off switch for them until the enemy is down. Great representations of their brutality.

Weaver and Bates have presented TMNT readers with a fantastic new approach to old favorites. This issue provides some foreshadowing to how formidable Bebop and Rocksteady will be against the Turtles. I definitely recommend picking this up!