The Armageddon Game has begun, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have their hands full. Jennika is feuding with the denizens of Mutant Town, who are now rioting in the wake of the attack on Mayor Stockman. Chaos reigns as rioters target any mutants not taking their side. Donnie’s ally, Seri of the Triceratons, is being hunted by the Utroms and their robots. And Donnie must keep everyone as safe as possible while the rest of his family, led by Oroku Saki, begins an interdimensional journey to save their world. But will they be too late?
Written by Sophie Campbell, with art by Fero Pe, colors by Ronda Pattison, and letters by Shawn Lee, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #134 pushes the Splinter Clan to the very brink. With the Rat King’s plan in motion, the Turtles’ reputations tarnished, and Mutant Town plunged into unrest, things look dire for Donnie, Jenny, and friends. But Turtles don’t give up easily, and a chance encounter with the Utroms may give Donnie a chance to create a new strategy.
The Armaggedon Game definitely delivers on its apocalyptic name in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #134. Mutant Town is overrun by riots, brutality, violence, and senseless rage, with unhinged citizens and robotic assassins nearly indistinguishable from one another. It plays into the heavy-handed, if pertinent, use of misinformation and terrorism on the Rat King’s part, exploiting the unease and resentment brewing amongst both the humans and the mutants by attacking Stockman and further sowing discord.
More so than any issue for this run, there is something deeply uncomfortable and unsettling about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #134. It’s hard to see Jenny and Donnie being overwhelmed like this. It’s awful to see the heroes and their allies caught in the crossfire, with danger on all sides — rioters out for Jenny and other civilians, the Utroms out for Seri, and Donnie worried about pretty much everyone’s safety. All of this tension raises the stakes. The results of the Rat King’s machinations are not pretty, but there are a few bright spots and fun cameos that will keep the audience having fun, even as things take a dark turn.
The visuals in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #134, led by artist Fero Pe and colorist Ronda Pattison, are especially rough, gritty, and full of black placements–perfectly matching the darkness and lawlessness of the narrative. The line art is deceptively smooth, enhanced by screentone textures and cross-hatching. These slick elements do little to lessen the abrasive effect of the art on the reader, especially in tandem with Pe’s use of negative space and Pattison’s drab, muted color palette, which exudes a sense of disarray and decay. It’s a stark contrast to the vibrant colors the Turtles and their allies sport, further pushing the tragic narrative and the desperation of the Turtles to remain hopeful amongst the chaos.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #134 is the culmination of the tension and darkness that has been building for months. While it’s painful to see the Turtles plunged into such chaos, it’s clear that they have been preparing for this for a long time, and by the end of the issue, they are given a chance to show how much they have prepared.