Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection, Volume 9

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection #9

by Kevin Eastman (Writer), Tom Waltz, Mateus Santolouco (Illustrator)

Presenting the complete TMNT stories in recommended reading order, including one-shots, crossovers, and event series. Everything a beginner could need, everything a diehard could want.

Agent Bishop's long-gestating hunt for mutants begins in earnest and no one is safe! The Mutanimals are the first targets, but the Turtles' turn will come soon enough, and they'll be hounded like never before. 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! Plus, Karai has always embodied the Foot Clan. With the Clan under the control of Splinter, what path will she take during her travels in Japan? Danger and intrigue await her, Koya, and Bludgeon!

Collects issues #67-72 of the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe issues #9-15, and the TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo crossover.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Superheroes

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2019

About the author

Kevin B. Eastman is an American comic book artist, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 17: Desperate Measures
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, Volume 2: The New Strangeness
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 18: Trial of Krang
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, Volume 3: Karai's Path

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The TMNT books continue to be fantastic. Even the TMNT Universe stories focusing on other characters are excellent.

My reviews for the smaller collections contained in this:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, Volume 2: The New Strangeness ★★★★
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 17: Desperate Measures ★★★★
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 18: Trial of Krang ★★★★
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo ★★★★
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, Volume 3: Karai's Path ★★★★
★★★★

[Will Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

After how good the various mini-series have been I was hoping I would get some more collected in this omnibus and it looks like I got what I wanted. When the stories are good, they're good, but the quality varies from writer to writer.

The EPF returns and the book does a great job at making you hate them and ramping up the tension. Poor Slash is abducted and turned into a brainless weapon by Agent Bishop, and Bishop gets a little more context to him with the introduction of Bishop's father. So far Bishop has been sinister, but predictable. That trend continues here, but the story does a great job contrasting his ethics and morals with those of the Hamato Clan. I'm really looking forward to when Splinter and Bishop eventually cross paths.

Likewise, Alopex's encounter with Toad Baron felt very by the numbers, but Pablo Tunica's art more than makes up for it by depicting the Baron's Palace as something out of Spirited Away. It's visually stunning and I spent a good bit of time just sifting through the panels admiring the different perspectives and creatures. Unfortunately most of that magic is lost when the Turtles themselves invade the palace and a different artist comes on board. The Pantheon plot has been a VERY slow burn, but we finally get a proper introduction to this mysterious family and a look at what Kitsune's goal is in their conflict. It's nice to get some new information, though I wish it wasn't at such a snail's pace.

There's also a crossover with Usagi Yojimbo and a story of the Mutanimals trying to recruit a new member. They're both very simple and not terribly interesting, but luckily they're short and don't go on longer than they need to *glares at Casey & April*.

The stand out story for me is Karai's return to Japan, which not only feels more like an authentic ninja story due to Karai's pragmatic approach, but the story also does a great job fleshing out Koya and Bludgeon. Prior to this story Koya and Bludgeon were just punching bags the writer would occasionally throw at the Turtles, but Burnham and Campbell do a solid job establishing personalities for them and giving them obstacles to overcome in Koya's temper and Bludgeon's disability (by the way, having a mutant shark use his innate ability to sense electrical signals as an alternative to blindsense is so brilliant). Out of all the spin-off stories we've had in this universe I think this is the one I'd be willing to read a monthly book about. The action is tight and brutal, Karai's pragmatism makes her feel more like an authentic ninja, and Koya and Bludgeon make great companions. Hopefully we see this team again sooner rather than later.

Overall I'd label this omnibus as pretty good. There's some duds in this book, but the good stuff makes me glad I read it and feeling optimistic about what comes next.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fucking good. No time to write an in depth review because I’m already cracking open the next one.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still very much loving this series. This volume focuses on a lot of different storylines. The Mutanimals and EPF storylines were good. I really enjoyed the Toad Baron’s storyline, which felt a ton like it was inspired directly from the Sandman comics with The Endless. There are a few actual Turtles stories in this one focusing on the main cast, but not a ton happened outside of meeting Usagi Yojimbo and Leo dealing with doubts about his leadership. Karai’s path and story continues to evolve well and she’s where I want to see her and her crew of mutants are cooler than ever!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent volume of IDW's TMNT comic. In fact it was close to a perfect book.

There were so many things to love in this one. The Bishop / Slash storyline reads even better than before when you don't have to wait for each new issue and furthering Alopex and Angel's friendship, albeit in the most bizarre setting imaginable, was lovely even if it was only touched on briefly.

There were two major standout storylines for me, one expected and the other a complete surprise as I wasn't a huge fan of it in the single issues.

The surprising storyline was that of Karai. I'm pretty sure this is leading to a larger story for her but even as a self contained story this really did a good job of showcasing how cunning and deadly she can be when she's not just doing Shredder's bidding. She's never been one of my favourite characters but this read-through I'm enjoying her a lot more.

The one I knew I'd love is the Pantheon. Seeing them all interact as a family and wondering what they all, individually and collectively, have in store for the world was a joy to read. It also made me need to go back and check out the end of the first Ghostbusters crossover as there's clearly something I didn't notice.

Not to the same level of enjoyment but as I've been critical of the secondary stories included with the Universe issues I have to say the ones in this volume were a lot more coherent and actually felt like they had a purpose to their existence given what had been transpiring with Koya throughout the volume.

The last thing I'll mention is the reason this only gets 4 stars. The Usagi yojimbo issues. I didn't care for the artwork or the story told before and I still didn't now. From what I remember they have no significance to the TMNT timeline going forward and I personally could have done without them. Others may disagree but that's just my opinion.

[Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid collection of Ninja Turtles comics.

These are always interesting to review, especially this far into the series, because the collect so many different stories together that you can get quite a bit of variation in quality. I especially notice this when rating the book. There were a few sections here that were so much fun I'd give them an instant five stars. There's a whole section with a new character called the Toad Barron that has a very Sandman feel to it which I just loved. I haven't been sure how I felt about the whole Rat King storyline as it branched out into other immortals, but I'm really digging the potential it has right now. In fact I'm loving that since the death of The Shredder the series has been more willing to have some truly silly adventures. I love when the Turtles are serious, but that works better when we let them be ridiculous fun from time to time.

There's also a Karai side story that I'd easily give 4 stars too, it's a bit by the numbers in places, but the art is fantastic and it fleshes out Koya and Bludgeon, two characters who have been fairly boring up until this point.

On the flip side the main story beats around Agent Bishop and his anti-mutant army never quite worked for me. There were moments of glory but in the end it felt a bit rushed and undercooked. The Agent Bishop stuff would only get 3 stars. It's fine, it moves the story along, but it's nothing special.

Finally there are two one off stories here. An Usagi Yojimbo crossover and a Mutanimals short called The Jersey Devil. I really enjoy the Usagi Yojimbo comics and I love how him and various incarnations of the Turtles constantly meet up. That said, this story really fell flat for me. There were some fun ideas, Stan Sakai's art is top notch as always, but it felt too by the numbers. Turtles appear mysteriously, they fight Usagi not knowing he's a friend, they become friends, they go for a walk, they kill some dudes and save the day. None of it was interesting so I have to give him 2 stars.

Same with The Jersey Devil. We get a stereotypical rastafarian type mutanimal, and we're introduced to some super soldiers that can turn on and off their mutations (and somehow their cybernetic enhancements also morp along with them). It was another tired trope. Try and get someone to join the team, they feel the team is just another form of cage and want to be free, so they run off. We'll probably see these characters again, but that didn't make it less boring. 2 stars.

So quite the mixture here. Thankfully the boring stuff is quite short, so in the end you get a reasonably solid collection I can highly recommend. If you like the series, just keep going.

[Jack Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is potential in the Pantheon as mystical villains, but overall this volume is a bit uneven than the previous collections.

[Dallas Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

How Can They Keep Being This Good??

This book sets up a whole new idea that this series had been building up to for quite awhile now! The Turtles will face a whole new league of antagonists that are fascinating! This volume largely sets that up, while also supplying some jaw-dropping quality stories about Karai, the Mutanimals, Yojimbo, and more! The violence goes really hard in this volume too!

Just another amazing showcase of very talented and lively writers and artists!

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had stopped collecting the TMNT individuals after they had expanded to numerous one-shots, annuals, and spin-off series. My fondness for the characters hadn't changed (and I did appreciate them continuing a letters column in the main title) but the last comic store in my area had gone the way of the dodo and after I moved I was out of the loop. Spending $4-6 bucks for a tiny little book still makes me cringe.

I finally picked up approximately where I left off with this volume of everything TMNT produces, and am glad I did. A veritable charcuterie board of the main book, its spinoff (both the main story, and the back-up collected in its entirety) and a team-up with Yosagi Yojimbo. The art bounces around in style, but is always excellent. The TMNT Universe issues generally pair up well with the main title, having a connection either big or small. In fact, the only disappointment was the team-up with Yosagi. It seemed a bit perfunctory, no real reason to exist except for its own sake. The writing, especially for a book about mutant reptiles, was sharp and smart. Definitely echoed the original Mirage title. If you've made it this far in the turtle's IDW adventures, you'll certainly want to add this beautiful hardcover to your collection.

[Rolando Marono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al principio le iba a dar tres estrellas porque la primera parte de este tomo, osea los números correspondientes a la serie principal, no me habían convencido mucho. Teníamos lo de siempre, alguien atacando a los mutanimals, algunos eran capturados otros tenían que decidir qué hacer, etc.
Lo que sí me gustó fue el desenlace y las decisiones que tiene que tomar Leonardo respecto a quién quiere ser, o quién tiene que ser ahora que se separaron de Splinter y del Foot Clan.
Pero luego llegaron los números TMNT Universe que corresponden al Karai Path, y para mí aquí se ganó sus cuatro estrellas. Buen arte y muy buen guión, frases memorables y las personalidades de Koya y Bludgeon bien tratadas y desarrolladas (que sigo sin entender de donde salieron esos y eso que con estos tomos técnicamente he leído todo y en orden) pero bueno, ha sido muy buena esa parte. Me gustó mucho y me gustó el status quo nuevo de Karai y de Koya y Bludgeon. Me entusiasma ver a dónde los llevan y me gustó que Karai fuera un personaje más interesante, me gustó el protagonismo, le sienta bien.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Turtles continue their adventures and while the characters are fun and the stories entertaining, it still lacks the weight of the first 3 or 4 volumes of this incarnation of TMNT. It feels like after dispatching a couple major villains and setting up a couple of relationships, the creative team is now afraid to make any permanent changes and everyone just stays in a kind of narrative stasis issue after issue. Even if no major changes happen in the story, I would like to see more of the Turtles getting lessons Mr. Miyagi style from Splinter or Splinter himself having things to learn.

[Zachary Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to be one of the best series published this decade. The pantheon and mutanimals remain a solid addition to the TMNT universe. The Usagi Yojimbo crossover was fun and hopefully will return in the future.

The IDW hardcover collections remain the best way to read this series if you are okay with the wait. They collect the main series and all the one shot and mini series in chronological order and look great on a bookshelf.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to be great, and these hardcover collections continue to be one of the best ways to read them. There is some interesting plot development with the mutanimals. The turtles deal with the elder beings, which I admit is not my favorite aspect of this series, but it was all right. There is a fun little diversion with a Usagi Yojimbo crossover. I think this highlight of this particular collection though is the side story with Karai.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main story in the ongoing issues ended up being the bigger drag for me this time around. I don't think enough was done to make Bishop an interesting enough villain, and having the Turtles take the back seat to the Mutanimals definitely killed some of my interest. But the "Universe" issues were much better this time around. The Alopex/Angel issues were fun, as was the Karai story towards the end. And having another Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo x TMNT crossover is always special.

[Langston Lardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

While still a solid read, I do believe this is the weakest of the series to a degree. I enjoy anything with the turtle lore and the world building and writing here is still solid stuff, only downside being the turtles themselves feel kinda sidelined here, the last few chapters don’t even have them in it at all, but it was still an interesting story nonetheless and I’m very much interested to see where this all leads.

[Callum Littlewood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like volume 8 these are more fun standalone adventures with a greater thread running through the background. Alone this deserves the rating I'll give it, but honestly I feel some sort of big plot point could of been happening between this and last volume, it's fast pacing stories with a slow paced feel honestly strange. (Karai in Japan was amazing)

[Daniel Freer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, and I love all the mutants lol

This one was great cause it showed other stories about other side characters/B characters of the series and it was very nice. Some of it I woulda rather read more about the turtles but for the most part all the art was great and the story continues to broaden and grow and develope those we know. Can't wait to read volume 10.

[London Heady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karai's Path is probably the standout here. The ongoing first few issues that this collection starts with are also excellent. Anything involving Slash in this run has been just wonderful. The pantheon stuff wasn't my favorite, but it was a fun enough little detour. But the bookends of this collection are just so good.

[Neil Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another strong installment. I wasn't completely sold on the Alice in wonderland tea party issues surrounding the god characters but I enjoyed the rest of it. It felt like it was quite focused on the mutanimals and the villainous mutants but I quite like a lot of these characters.
Some really nice artwork in places too.

[Cyril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately these books are becoming too watered down compared to the initial 7 where the "side" books were as good and on point as the main.
overall 2.75 stars

TMNT 17 - Desperate Measures - 3.75 stars
U9,10 - Toad dimension 2 stars
Tmnt Usagi - 1 st
U11 Jersey Devil 2.75
U12-15 Karai's Path - 3 stars
TMNT 71 and 72 - 3 stars

[Charlie Moe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was moreso a collection of standalone stories that is setting up bigger stuff for down the road. That said, it's still really good! Everything at the Toad's place was a lot of fun. And I loved see Karai growing. idk why it took me so long to read this, but it was great!

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Slash is essentially dead in this volume. he's literally not used again which is unfortunate as he's an actually interesting character. The TMNT universe series continues to be either a hit or miss, Metalhead was pretty good, but the Toad Baron issue is awful. Karai's path is done pretty well, the art isn't perfect though. Also some of the art in this series is pretty freaking bad.

[Christopher Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! I loved the Japanese side story.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume brings updates a lot of different storylines that are on track converge as the ongoing conflicts begin to pan out. I particularly enjoyed Alopex and Angel's side story.

[Stephanie Farnsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this volume is spectacular. Loses 1 star only as I would have preferred more turtles and the the structure felt somewhat disjointed without them being the main focus.

[Matthew Shlifka]

Turtles Turtles Turles

More amazing stores of TMNT, I can't stop reading. I also know I won't be stopping at this one either, time for the next collection.

[Christopher N Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Been reading them all so far. Like the story and a lot.of.the art is great. Worth the time reading it

[Christoph Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really fun to dive into the TMNT universe again. But what I'm NOT looking forward to is Sophie Campbell - she can't draw faces. At all. Yuck.

[Erik V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continues to be incredible work!! I love how they start to flesh out all these other characters and not just the turts