The pantheon of Gods in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe still remains oblivious to their brother, the Rat King’s actions as he aims to win the Armageddon Game. But to everyone’s surprise, another contender has forced their way in and is wreaking havoc on the denizens of Mutant Town. Colonel Ch’rell leads his Utrom brethren to war after defeating General Krang — an outcome that sits well with the Rat King but not with the ninja turtles, who are on the back foot in this war. Published by IDW Publishing, written by Tom Waltz with artwork from Vincenzo Federici, colors by Heather Breckel, and letters from Shawn Lee, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game #6 spreads the heroes thin.
Colonel Ch’rell attacks Mutant Town with military might to flush out the Triceraton Regenta, plunging the whole city into chaos. The Rat King revels in the pandemonium, advising Mayor Baxter to take control of the narrative and come out as the savior. Meanwhile, the turtles try their best to keep the Utrom forces at bay when the Gang of Four attack them in their turtle disguises. Their automatic weapons are no match for the turtles’ traditional weapons. Luckily, Leonardo and Shredder are here to save the day. On the other side of town, Old Hob and Man Ray come up with an explosive plan.
An all-out war breaks out in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game #6, and each of the narratives feels its ripples as the rush and anguish of battle meld together to create an exciting issue. Waltz manages to focus on each of the brewing situations across the board, giving the characters new challenges and cliffhangers to overcome. While the ninja turtles are the main focus of much of the conflict, the supporting cast makes the event all the more lively. Despite the action, the story makes very little progression in terms of plot. But even though slowly, the plot points Waltz has been developing over the various titles are slowly coming together, with room left for more surprises.
The multitudes of character designs and war-torn backdrops do not deter artist Vincenzo Federici from using pliable curved lines reined in by bold contours and equally intense hatching that often go radial to create the notion of motion. The low-angle shots show the ninja turtles pounding the war-ready Utroms as they climb a pile of bodies and debris to get their target, creating a cinematic look. The splash pages are overflowing with energy and a great showcase of the characters. Heather Breckel’s colors are electrifying as they engulf the pages in utter chaos. With gradients of red and yellow flaming up the pages, the blue tones bring out the sci-fi elements in the story. Letterer Shawn Lee does well to keep the conversations flowing through the action while also adding a plethora of sound effects to accompany the vigorous artwork.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game #6 finally brings the turtle brothers together as each completes their missions, only to find themselves embroiled in Armageddon in the true sense of the word. While the villains rejoice as the turn of events plays right into their hands, their actions may have also condemned them to failure. The Rat King has assembled a team of eccentric egomaniacs who excel at stabbing each other in the back. Even though unknowingly, the half-dead Krang’s tunnel vision will have repercussions. For now, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles endure the onslaught as the saga nears the end.
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