TMNT Battle Nexus 2 review – IDW Publishing
Battle Nexus 2 raises the stakes of the turtles’ multiverse encompassing fight for survival.
Last issue, Leonardo was transported to the battle arena to face off against a Shredder he’d never encountered before. This face off was all the machinations of Savanti Romero, who’d gone mad after the Time Lords separated Romero from his powers with no way of escaping the limbo prison they banished him.
Battle Nexus 2 continues the trend of the first issue where one writer, in this case, Paul Allor, handles the script from a story conceived by writers Tom Waltz, Sophie Campbell, Caleb Goellner, Erik Burnham and Allor. Waltz wrote the script for Battle Nexus 1 and with Allor tackling Battle Nexus 2, it seems likely that Campbell will write Battle Nexus 3.
Another apparent trend revealed with Battle Nexus 2 is the series will have a rotating cast of artists as well. Artists Esau and Isaac Escorza (The Last Ronin) pass the art baton over to Ben Bishop (The Last Ronin, Lost Years) for this installment. Bishop’s art is equally clean with some smooth fight choreography. One noticeable visual difference with Bishop and the Escorza brothers is Bishop’s style skews a bit closer to an animated style similar to the classic cartoons.
That doesn’t mean Bishop can’t deliver the intensity of these death matches. It’s been a while since a Leonardo and Shredder battle and Bishop brings the high-stakes feel to this battle where only one winner will walk away. The loser? They’ll be removed from the battlefield in a wave of blue energy.
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As the battle plays out, Raphael, Donatello and Michaelangelo get the low down on this realm courtesy of a cloaked turtle who might know a thing or two about fighting on his own.
Luis Antonio Delgado stays on as the Battle Nexus 2 colorist with a fun blend of colors — with some vibrant mixes and others much darker. The coloring is another needed visual cue as different competitors represent characters from different realms. Each of them receives distinct color patterns to make it clear they’re not from the same world. Letterer Tom Napolitano utilizes a clever, understated sound effects and prominent emotional dialogue bubbles.
Battle Nexus 2 continues to subvert expectations with unpredictable matchups and surprising outcomes. This still feels like an ideal way for a DC/IDW crossover with the latest installment of DC’s DC KO saga arriving in comic stores on Jan. 14.
The fun of this event is there’s enough characters in TMNT lore that it doesn’t have to have a slew of cameos from other companies. The turtles and their allies/enemies can make this a very satisfying read and event all on their own.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Photo Credit: IDW
After checking out Battle Nexus 2, revisit The Last Ronin hardcover box set now on Amazon.
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