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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, Volume 2: The New Strangeness
Today's best creative teams get a chance to add their mark to the saga of the TMNT in exciting stand-alone stories that provide context and sub-plots to the ongoing series. The TMNT Universe expands as new enemies and allies meet for the first time and, what was once safe, turns deadly! Behold the debut of the TMNT's weirdest foe yet: Wyrm! Then, Donatello reboots a new and improved Metalhead only to find that the robot no longer functions entirely as designed... for better and worse! And, Alopex and Nobody are looking for a little rest and relaxation but get more than they ask for when they become the unwilling guests of a never-ending party thrown by the hedonistic Toad Baron!
Collects: issues #6–10.
Collects: issues #6–10.
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 27, 2022
(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: An assorted anthology, accentuating alternate aesthetics, altogether average adventures alongside awesome artwork.
Notes: An assorted anthology, accentuating alternate aesthetics, altogether average adventures alongside awesome artwork.
January 30, 2022
This is kind of a Legends of TMNT, an anthology series for creators to come in and do shorter Turtles related stories. The occasional story does tie in to the ongoing TMNT book, in this case it's the story with Angel and Alopex being forced to attend the Toad Baron's party. It's probably the best story of the bunch as well.
November 29, 2022
On the fence with this one! Another anthology of shorts that kind of vaguely tie back to the original series? Unfortunately I took a long hiatus from the series due to Michigan's Library catalogue overhaul and having to wait for it to come back online to get this volume. So I'm so disconnected from the main title series...but each short had a different art type and none of them were super stellar. The Donnie v. Metal Donnie story was the most heartfelt...then the Aloplex was felt out of left field. Like did we know she was hooked up with Angel?
Anyway, anxious to get back to the regular volumes.
Anyway, anxious to get back to the regular volumes.
March 19, 2018
Some new characters are introduced here but none of them seem to be as compelling as the already-established cast. They might become more interesting as time goes on but for this collection things feel a little flat. Good but not great.
May 6, 2022
Old stories, but very well-told
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June 15, 2019Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Volume 2: The New Strangeness collects together issues #6 – #10 of the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe comic published by IDW, featuring four exciting stories.
The book’s first story, ‘The Rot In The Shell’, written by Nick Pitarra and John Lees, focuses on Michelangelo as he discovers a new foe, Wyrm. Though he has never appeared in the IDW comics before, Wyrm appears to be a recreation of the original character based upon the 1991 action figure.
A mass of mutant worms that come together to form a horrific monster, filled with junk tossed into the sewers, Wyrm is a visually striking character, one that can shift its limbs into deadly weapons, and can incorporate objects into body parts, such as his saw teeth, and rubber duck eye.
The Wyrm story is a strange affair, and whilst it does put Michelangelo to the test as a lone hero it feels like he’s the best of the turtles to go up against the monster. Wyrm is insane and wacky in a way that Michelangelo could never be, and it forces him to be the straight man of the pairing, something that’s nice to see the character do for once.
The second story, ‘What Is Ninja’, written by Brahm Revel, looks at both the turtles and the Foot Clan whilst exploring the history and nature of the ninja way. Whilst interesting, this single issue feels like it’s lacking in a way that the others don’t, chiefly because the narrative doesn’t follow any one character, and doesn’t focus on any one particular set of events. Because of this, this chapter feels somewhat weak when weighed up against the others, all of which have some emotional stake within their stories.
The third story, ‘Metalhead 2.0’ by Ryan Ferrier, is easily the best in the book, and takes up two issues. Following on from previous events within the IDW series where Donatello was injured and inhabited the robotic turtle Metalhead, when fixing the machine Donatello discovers that a copy of his conscious still resides inside the memory banks.
What follows is an engaging and emotional story that looks at the emotional distress that Donatello went through when he almost died, and looks to address what it means to be a real living person (turtle).
As this is a comic, and because nothing ever goes well for the turtles, things soon go out of hand, leading to a somewhat devastating conclusion that leaves the story open to continue in future issues, something that I hope the series will do.
The book’s final story, ‘Toad Barron’s Ball’ by Sophie Campbell, is probably one of the weirdest comics that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot of Grant Morrison!). Leaving the turtles and New York behind, we join Angel Bridge and Alopex; a character that has to be a favourite of furry fans.
When the two of them are swallowed by a giant toad they find themselves in the court of the mystical Toad Barron, who wants them to join his never ending party. What follows in one of the trippiest stories that I’ve seen.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Volume 2: The New Strangeness feels less coherent than the first volume, which had a story that encompassed the majority of the book, allowing time for more character development and intrigue. Thankfully, the ‘Metalhead 2.0’ story captures a lot of this feel; otherwise this volume would simply be a collection of unconnected one-shots.
Despite feeling more like a standalone book there are a number of story elements introduced in this book that remain unresolved by the end of their individual issues, leaving the possibility of future exploration in the future.
The book’s first story, ‘The Rot In The Shell’, written by Nick Pitarra and John Lees, focuses on Michelangelo as he discovers a new foe, Wyrm. Though he has never appeared in the IDW comics before, Wyrm appears to be a recreation of the original character based upon the 1991 action figure.
A mass of mutant worms that come together to form a horrific monster, filled with junk tossed into the sewers, Wyrm is a visually striking character, one that can shift its limbs into deadly weapons, and can incorporate objects into body parts, such as his saw teeth, and rubber duck eye.
The Wyrm story is a strange affair, and whilst it does put Michelangelo to the test as a lone hero it feels like he’s the best of the turtles to go up against the monster. Wyrm is insane and wacky in a way that Michelangelo could never be, and it forces him to be the straight man of the pairing, something that’s nice to see the character do for once.
The second story, ‘What Is Ninja’, written by Brahm Revel, looks at both the turtles and the Foot Clan whilst exploring the history and nature of the ninja way. Whilst interesting, this single issue feels like it’s lacking in a way that the others don’t, chiefly because the narrative doesn’t follow any one character, and doesn’t focus on any one particular set of events. Because of this, this chapter feels somewhat weak when weighed up against the others, all of which have some emotional stake within their stories.
The third story, ‘Metalhead 2.0’ by Ryan Ferrier, is easily the best in the book, and takes up two issues. Following on from previous events within the IDW series where Donatello was injured and inhabited the robotic turtle Metalhead, when fixing the machine Donatello discovers that a copy of his conscious still resides inside the memory banks.
What follows is an engaging and emotional story that looks at the emotional distress that Donatello went through when he almost died, and looks to address what it means to be a real living person (turtle).
As this is a comic, and because nothing ever goes well for the turtles, things soon go out of hand, leading to a somewhat devastating conclusion that leaves the story open to continue in future issues, something that I hope the series will do.
The book’s final story, ‘Toad Barron’s Ball’ by Sophie Campbell, is probably one of the weirdest comics that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot of Grant Morrison!). Leaving the turtles and New York behind, we join Angel Bridge and Alopex; a character that has to be a favourite of furry fans.
When the two of them are swallowed by a giant toad they find themselves in the court of the mystical Toad Barron, who wants them to join his never ending party. What follows in one of the trippiest stories that I’ve seen.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Volume 2: The New Strangeness feels less coherent than the first volume, which had a story that encompassed the majority of the book, allowing time for more character development and intrigue. Thankfully, the ‘Metalhead 2.0’ story captures a lot of this feel; otherwise this volume would simply be a collection of unconnected one-shots.
Despite feeling more like a standalone book there are a number of story elements introduced in this book that remain unresolved by the end of their individual issues, leaving the possibility of future exploration in the future.
May 9, 2020
TMNTU really hits its stride with this volume, which showcases what the series is meant to be - vignettes that focus in on separate characters, and enhance the main series in different ways. Think of them as an ongoing series of micro-series one-shots.
The first issue of this volume delves deep into the sewers as Mikey runs afoul of another new mutant, a composite creature made of hundreds of sewer leeches called Wyrm. I got some serious Resident Evil 0 flashbacks here, and Nick Pitarra's art has just the right off-putting quality to it to really sell the atmosphere of the claustrophobic sewers and Wyrm's warped mind. Pitarra and co-writer John Lees bring the heart too, so that when Wyrm eventually meets his defeat, you might actually feel a little sad about it.
Issue 2 is told in four shorter parts (which makes me think it's actually a collection of back-ups, but details), each written and drawn by Brahm Revel. They tell the origin story of Jennika, as she follows the other Turtles around to learn more about them. This is a great idea in theory, but the stories are told almost simultaneously with loads of panels intermingled, which makes it difficult to follow at times. Revel's a good artist, it's just hard to follow the flow at times - he draws some of the main book later on as well so we'll see some more of him later.
Ryan Ferrier writes the next story, which involves Donatello rebooting Metalhead, only to find that a copy of his personality lives on within the armour. The trauma of being Metalhead was something that the main book didn't address too much once Donnie was back in his own body, so this story helps unpack that as well as how the other Turtles are feeling about it too. The art here is by Adam Gorham, which is neat and clean, something the TMNT series struggled with a lot in the early days.
Sophie Campbell teams with Pablo Tunica for the Toad Baron's debut in the final issue of the volume, which traps Angel and Alopex with the titular Baron, another member of the Pantheon. This feels like a very Ghibli inspired story, from the visuals to the plot line. There's even a No-Face looking dude floating around in one panel. I love the Alopex/Angel friendship, and that gets some great spotlight here, as well as the final few pages becoming very relevant in the main TMNT series fairly quickly afterwards.
There's a four page Teenage Mutant Ninja Pepperoni story by Sophie Campbell at the back of the volume which is just adorable as well.
The first issue of this volume delves deep into the sewers as Mikey runs afoul of another new mutant, a composite creature made of hundreds of sewer leeches called Wyrm. I got some serious Resident Evil 0 flashbacks here, and Nick Pitarra's art has just the right off-putting quality to it to really sell the atmosphere of the claustrophobic sewers and Wyrm's warped mind. Pitarra and co-writer John Lees bring the heart too, so that when Wyrm eventually meets his defeat, you might actually feel a little sad about it.
Issue 2 is told in four shorter parts (which makes me think it's actually a collection of back-ups, but details), each written and drawn by Brahm Revel. They tell the origin story of Jennika, as she follows the other Turtles around to learn more about them. This is a great idea in theory, but the stories are told almost simultaneously with loads of panels intermingled, which makes it difficult to follow at times. Revel's a good artist, it's just hard to follow the flow at times - he draws some of the main book later on as well so we'll see some more of him later.
Ryan Ferrier writes the next story, which involves Donatello rebooting Metalhead, only to find that a copy of his personality lives on within the armour. The trauma of being Metalhead was something that the main book didn't address too much once Donnie was back in his own body, so this story helps unpack that as well as how the other Turtles are feeling about it too. The art here is by Adam Gorham, which is neat and clean, something the TMNT series struggled with a lot in the early days.
Sophie Campbell teams with Pablo Tunica for the Toad Baron's debut in the final issue of the volume, which traps Angel and Alopex with the titular Baron, another member of the Pantheon. This feels like a very Ghibli inspired story, from the visuals to the plot line. There's even a No-Face looking dude floating around in one panel. I love the Alopex/Angel friendship, and that gets some great spotlight here, as well as the final few pages becoming very relevant in the main TMNT series fairly quickly afterwards.
There's a four page Teenage Mutant Ninja Pepperoni story by Sophie Campbell at the back of the volume which is just adorable as well.
March 6, 2018
This collection of seemingly unrelated stories is overall not great, but the Donatello/Metalhead tale is so good, it balances out.
Story 1: A police officer comes into the sewers to look for a missing person, but runs across Mikey. Together, they combat a parasitic monster known as Wyrm, discovering the remains of the missing person in the process.
Story 2: "What is Ninja?" - a confusing narrative that goes over top various scenes of action. Ends up being Splinter teaching someone I feel I should know, but the art is so substandard, I can't tell.
Story 3: Now back in his own body, Donatello is trying to repair Metalhead to use as a fifth member. When the bot fires back up, it is left with the imprint of Donatello's consciousness and begins to work through being "a clone" of sorts. Metalhead decides that he would rather be 'the real Donnie' and the two of them battle it out. A really interesting and meta story that is very well written.
Story 4: Angel and Alopex get eaten by a lake monster and descend into the internal world where the Toad Baron rules supreme. Attempted hospitality becomes hostility, which turns into..... this story was really weird. LOL
I really enjoy the main TMNT title, but wouldn't mind seeing these side stories continue. Recommend, for TMNT fans.
Story 1: A police officer comes into the sewers to look for a missing person, but runs across Mikey. Together, they combat a parasitic monster known as Wyrm, discovering the remains of the missing person in the process.
Story 2: "What is Ninja?" - a confusing narrative that goes over top various scenes of action. Ends up being Splinter teaching someone I feel I should know, but the art is so substandard, I can't tell.
Story 3: Now back in his own body, Donatello is trying to repair Metalhead to use as a fifth member. When the bot fires back up, it is left with the imprint of Donatello's consciousness and begins to work through being "a clone" of sorts. Metalhead decides that he would rather be 'the real Donnie' and the two of them battle it out. A really interesting and meta story that is very well written.
Story 4: Angel and Alopex get eaten by a lake monster and descend into the internal world where the Toad Baron rules supreme. Attempted hospitality becomes hostility, which turns into..... this story was really weird. LOL
I really enjoy the main TMNT title, but wouldn't mind seeing these side stories continue. Recommend, for TMNT fans.
September 24, 2020
While I'm still not too clear on the overall direction for this series, I do appreciate the quality of the stories in this volume.
We have a decent solo adventure for Michangelo, a highly introspective journey for the memory imprint left on the robot Metalhead (eventually Metal-Don), and a strange encounter for Alopex and Nobody with the Toad Baron, something that plays a bigger role in the main TMNT comics.
The Metal-Don story was definitely the most striking and potentially disturbing since it implies that the memory copy left in Metalhead is still essentially Donatello's consciousness forever saved to the machine but unable to return to his body since...Donatello already did that. It's kinda trippy and the conclusion to this arc is...still troubling. But on the whole, it's good stuff.
I wasn't too impressed by the Toad Baron story - it was certainly aiming for something very Studio Ghibli/Spirited Away, but on the whole it felt messy. It's like the art across most of this volume - a little too uncanny valley for some reason. I didn't like the level of detail it went into since it just made things look more disturbing than vibrant.
We have a decent solo adventure for Michangelo, a highly introspective journey for the memory imprint left on the robot Metalhead (eventually Metal-Don), and a strange encounter for Alopex and Nobody with the Toad Baron, something that plays a bigger role in the main TMNT comics.
The Metal-Don story was definitely the most striking and potentially disturbing since it implies that the memory copy left in Metalhead is still essentially Donatello's consciousness forever saved to the machine but unable to return to his body since...Donatello already did that. It's kinda trippy and the conclusion to this arc is...still troubling. But on the whole, it's good stuff.
I wasn't too impressed by the Toad Baron story - it was certainly aiming for something very Studio Ghibli/Spirited Away, but on the whole it felt messy. It's like the art across most of this volume - a little too uncanny valley for some reason. I didn't like the level of detail it went into since it just made things look more disturbing than vibrant.
May 28, 2017
Wasn't as big of a fan of the artwork for the last couple of issues, however, the plot and story and its connection to main ongoing TMNT title was well crafted.
November 24, 2020
TMNT Universe
Vol. 2 is pretty good. Miss a lot of the turtle books. Now I'm glad to be able to catch up on some of them.
Vol. 2 is pretty good. Miss a lot of the turtle books. Now I'm glad to be able to catch up on some of them.
June 6, 2022
Solid introduction to some fun stories. Incredible colouring in the final story. Good investment
September 28, 2023
The 4 stories in this volume were great. Had decent action but even better stories to go along.
May 17, 2025
Not sure of the art style of these, they are a bit fun though
January 23, 2025
Wyrm - 3. stars
Metaldon 2.0 - 3.49 stars
Toad dimension - 2 stars
Metaldon 2.0 - 3.49 stars
Toad dimension - 2 stars
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews