Reading Time: 3 minutes

I’ve been a massive fan of the TMNT franchise ever since the 2003 TV series, a show that I never missed a single episode of when it was on during its original run. I’d read some of the TMNT comics over the years, which only increased my love for the series. Having picked up this issue, I hoped that it would only increment my appreciation for the series even more.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles :Shredder in Hell #1, published by IDW Comics, is written and drawn by Mateus Santolouco, with colors by Shawn Lee and the lettering by Marcelo Costa (with Santolouco). The story follows what happens after Hamato Yoshi, also known as Splinter, kills his former clan brother Oroku Saki, known as Shredder.

Shredder has already been resurrected by his lover Kitsune but was later killed. Kitsune is now planning to use Saki’s soul to resurrect her father, the almighty dragon god. Saki must now contemplate on whether he wants to continue on his path for power and risk the dragon consume his soul or follow a different path.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in terms of story. Given that this is the first issue, I wasn’t really able to get background information or read any other issues to get an feel for what the story would be like Sadly, that prevented me from enjoying the comic. Perhaps there’s some backstory for this, but I’m not aware of it.

That being said, the art was incredible. It really helped depict the inner struggle that Oroku Saki has about choosing whether he wants total control of everything or if he could start a new path. If this was done as a novel, it wouldn’t have the same effect. Being able to see a physical representation of him helps me understand his dilemma. The environments changed as he progressed on his journey. It was incredible to see the different ways his emotions and inner conflict reflected where he was.

The ending showed potential for the comic. Shredder clearly still wants control over everything but isn’t willing to give his soul up. He’s fighting his way to reach his new dream. Some unexpected characters show up in hell with him, which make things much more interesting.

I feel like the story took a bit too long trying to explain everything. I’m all for character development, and it seems like this comic story will be full of it, but I wouldn’t want it to lose people along the way.

Despite the issues I have with this comic, I’m optimistic about what’s to come. It seems like the story will dive deeper into Shredder’s character as he continues to deal with his inner struggle. Part of what attracted me to the series was the intensely fantastic fight scenes. Hopefully, there’ll be some of those in further installments.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Shredder in Hell is available now, wherever comic books are sold.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell #1 3.5 TL;DR Despite the issues I have with this comic, I’m optimistic about what’s to come. It seems like the story will dive deeper into Shredder’s character as he continues to deal with his inner struggle. Part of what attracted me to the series was the intensely fantastic fight scenes. Hopefully, there’ll be some of those in further installments.