Jennika #1 delivers what I want in a Jennika mini-series and kind of (to me at least) confirms my complaints from the main series. This is where I want to see her dealing with all of her problems. The main TMNT series has enough characters. Jennika #1 really made me like the character once again. I was growing a bit weary of her in the main series. We get to delve into everything she has gone through a little (I am glad this is a mini-series so we can get more in-depth) in 8224e3. From her dealing with her mutation, her break up with Casey Jones, her past and the loss of her mentor Splinter. It also has a nice hook ending that has me very interested to see where this goes. Read Full Review

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Jennika was involved in the lives of the TMNT well before she was mutated in the main title. She has mostly been regulated to the background or some sort of side quest but has never really been at the forefront of any storyline or treated as a lead until recently. With this mini-series, everything changes.

Ronda Pattison deserves special attention in this issue. She does the coloring for the main book but has chosen a completely different look for this series. It's cool and shows off some of her range that we don't normally get to see in the main series. I didn't realize she was the colorist until I went back to do the review. I know the overall style may not be for everyone but when it worked for me as I dug into the issue.

Another thing that the art manages to do is subvert expectations. Jennika is a surprisingly dark and brutal character. The only turtle with a potentially darker backstory would be Raph but honestly, Jenny may have him beat. The dark undercurrent is contrasted with the bright colors found throughout the issue. I just reviewed Tim Lim and Mark Pellegrini's Black Hop's Vol: 1 and the color choices had a similar effect on me while reading.

Another thing that art manages to do is subvert expectations. Jennika is a surprisingly dark and brutal character. The only turtle with a potentially darker backstory would be Raph but honestly, Jenny may have him beat.

The character is also interesting in that she's had an entire life as a human prior to joining the foot clan, and meeting Clan Hamato. This additional layer makes her a lot more complicated than we typically see from characters in this series, including our heroes.

This comic follow's Jenny as she spends time trying to protect the mutants of Mutant Town. Things get complicated as she encounters a Mutant trying to escape the Mutant safe zone. She chases him down and ends up running into Casey Jones and his gang.

It's a tense scene and brings her feelings for him to the surface. Their relationship feels real barring the circumstances. I mean would you date a Ninja Turtles? These elements work and further cement Jenny as a real character and not just a slick marketing gimmick from IDW.

After the encounter with Casey, she meets someone else from her past that may be able to solve the problem in Mutant Town Permenantly.

This was a really good comic that worked better than I expected. Jenny has a lot of depth that easily rivals any of the characters that have come along in the series. It's no wonder she's a breakout character for the series, great start. more