TMNT #96 is a firm reminder that this series has been one of the most consistent and high-quality titles for years. Fans of quality superhero stories owe it to themselves to read it. Read Full Review

If Jennika's transformation turned you into a new reader, welcome to one of the best under-the-radar comics being published. Read Full Review

I have faith that the writing team will have everything back in order. This series has always been consistently good, despite a few stumbles here and there. So, while this issue may have been a bit of a miss for me, I am still invested in these characters and storyline. Read Full Review

Ultimately then, while the core of the arc is pure gold, it does feel a bit like City at War is groaning under the weight of its various subplots and offshoots. The Splinter/Karai, Jennika/Casey and Bishop/Metalhead stuff is fantastic, but some of the other peripheral characters and situations feel like theyre suffocating things just a little. Its still an enjoyable read, and Im completely and utterly invested in finding out what happens next, but Im just not loving it quite as much as I hoped I would going in. Not yet, anyway. Read Full Review

I figured that this book would be more of a filler issue. It's not filler to the point that the comic is inconsequential, but the action has definitely been dialed back. Last month ended on the huge cliffhanger and reveal that Jennika, long time agent of the Foot Clan has been mutated into a mutant Turtle.

I wish I could make a big deal about the new Turtle, but I can't. In-universe there's no time, and the Turtles need to move. I'm pretty sure we're going to get a decompressed issue down the line that gives the character and event's the space it needs. I pretty sure this is coming with Sophie Campbell being announced as the new writer for the series. She's one of the best character writers that has been attached to this series since its inception. 

Even with the change, the Turtles have even larger hurdles in front of them. With Jennika being out of immediate danger the turtles still have to deal with Metal Head, The Earth Protection Force, Old Hob's bullshit, and Karai's machinations. 
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Splinter is shown to be increasingly ruthless in dealing with his enemies and his actions are a sharp contrast to his sons with one caveat. His behavior reminds me of an aged Raph more so than any other. This may lead to a pretty ugly conclusion for the character unless there's a timely intervention next issue.

One of the points driven home in this arc is that Splinter may be on the side of the Turtles but he is no hero. He may be just as Karai at the end of the day.

There are a lot of moments that will have huge implications for the series going forward. Some play out here others will develop as the series goes on. Jennika gets a heart-wrenching scene with Casey that effectively ends their potential romance and we also check in with most of the other principal characters of the arc. 
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The issue ends with a massive confrontation between Karai's forces and The Foot Clan, with Splinter being completely isolated from his top lieutenants. Things don't look good for Splinter going into the next issue, stay tuned.

That's not to say the art is bad but it's not as exciting as the previous three issues which operated at a breakneck pace. Mike seems to get the beginning of the action sequences and the clean-up issues. I'm not sure why. He drew one of my favorite TMNT stories last year with the Michaelangelo Macro-Series, which featured a full-on fight between Splinter and Mikey. It's not like he can't put a fight sequence together.
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City at War is currently one of the best arcs of the series. It appears that more casualties may be looming. We'll see how the story develops next month. 

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i'm sorry but the idea of a human mutating into a ninja turtle because of a blood transfusion is just STUPID beyond belief!!
it's forced, contrived, and just plain LAZY!!!

the worst part is it absolutley ruins everything you built over 200 + issue between ongoing series, side-series, mini-series, one-shots and and any other issues in-between.
FOR WHAT? just so you can pander to nostalgia for the people that actually liked TMNT Next Mutation?

this cheap SLEAZY publicity stunt has really soured my interest in this series!!

it's bad enough that the series has been plagued with TONS of unresolved plot threads for YEARS!

so what now? are we going to have Tons of people mutating now because of mutant blood transfusion?
they pretty much just broke ALL their sense of suspension of disbelief! TERRIBLE STORYTELLING!

there were many other distracting problems that took me right out of this story.
but whatever... i just don't care anymore!

as a loyal long time money spending customer, i cannot say that i am very happy right now.

thanks a lot for wasting my goddam time and money! more

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I Review Comics - Aug 3, 2019

Well the series has been pretty consistent here. She was already inoculated with mutagen and Mutant DNA has been shown to cause mutation. It's not beyond the realm of possibility and this was pretty much how Donatello survived his death. There is precedence for everything happening now. Im more concerned about Splinter possibly being murdered next issue.

myconius - Aug 7, 2019

in just the last issue they were very specific to reiterated the differences between "Ooze" and "Mutagen". "Ooze" has healing properties, like healing April's dad from his stroke. Mutagen is what Mutates humans and animals, and also contains some "Ooze". Jennika had some "Ooze" in her body last issue, but no Mutagen. if the Turtles or any otehr mutant in this series still had active Mutagen flowing theough their body, they they should constantly still be ever mutating.

myconius - Aug 7, 2019

Donatello was only able to survive death because Harold put his body in cryo-stasis to buy them time to find some Ooze to heal his wounded body. luckily Leather head just happened to conveniently show up with a bunch of it. ever since the beginning of this series they always had to elaborate that Mutagen and Ooze were two different compounds. i just wish they would have come up with a much better reason for Jennika to be mutated than what they gave us. it was just so forced.

myconius - Aug 7, 2019

so many people have been predicting Spinter's death in issue #100. if they actually kill him then this series will really have become so transparent and predictable. ...i knew back since issues #51 through #64 (and the back-up stories in TMNT Universe) that there was some reason that they kept forcing Jennika on us. i just don't think they did all that great a job at making the audience really care about her. i stopped caring about her long ago. and now that she's become a TMNT is just cringy.

I Review Comics - Aug 7, 2019

I agree with all of that I just don't think its that big of a deal if they have a legit story in mind for her. I don't even think splinter is going to make it to issue one 100 but we'll see. I think the series has been on a role lately. My only real issue is that I'm tired of the EPF and agent Bishop. Waltz has rode that angle into the ground.

myconius - Aug 7, 2019

i totally agree with you about the EPF. and i probably wouldn't be so exhausted from the series if Bishop's story had been concluded shortly after issue 70. i just feel like Waltz has dragged out the EPF as well as the Pantheon way too long. and Null was only given to us in dribbs and drabbs, and that isn't anywhere near concluded yet. 1-50 was the best of the series. 51-65 was also very good. once the series had to juggle continuity with TMNT Universe we started seeing a lot more 'filler'.

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