Sirk TV Graphic Novel Review: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES - IDW COLLECTION - VOL. 8 [IDW]

The texture of TMNT reflects around the texture of family but what it means in a certain understanding of their relationship. It mirrors the aspect of how the mutants came to be but also what they do with that knowledge. For others, the path might not be as righteous. The major story of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW Collection Vol. 8" [Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz/IDW/344pgs] is not set in motion by the Turtles but by their foes Bebop & Rocksteady using a device of time. While the science it tries to dictate gets a little bit twirly at times, the idea is sound and based within a multiverse structure (which the time mistress Renet says can be millions and millions dimensions deep). The action regards an old time master that tries to hijack the continuum for power. The two lug head villains (BeBop and Rocksteady) just happen to be at the right place at the right time. The Turtles only get involved when they see Prehistoric bones displayed that look like their old nemeses. Bebop & Rocksteady needless to say find their old selves pre-mutation when they go back and then forward in time not thinking of any of the consequences. Throughout their bungling, they completely unwind the timeline. According to the time mistress the only place to go is the 79th dimension which helps them cut out all the corrupted versions of their foes and then proceed back to the times of the dinosaurs, where in one timeline BeBop and Rocksteady break a time scepter and die there. There is some BIll & Ted shenanigans to be sure but the theme that continues through the storyline is the love/hate relationship between Bebop & Rocksteady. It is an ill fated duo that like those before them have a chance at greatness but through their own ignorance never get to achieve it. The essence of identity moves within the other stories of this volume in a similar yet different way. One story talks about a new mutant in the sewers made up of many different organisms so there is a disjointed sense of self within the proceedings. The Turtles try to talk the situation through, especially with Dr. Stockman, a former adversary who has his own identity problems. In another story, Splinter tells one of his new students (separately from the Turtles) of the path of the ninja and how it has changed through the years depending who the ruling aspect of history wanted them to be. When they became mercenaries of a sort, the game undeniably changed. The final story is the one most reflexive of the Turtles. After the shutdown of Metalhead with Donatello's consciousness placed back in his body, an existential crisis seems averted. Donatello however feels the need to tinker and in doing so reactivates Metalhead only to discover some form of his mind still lies within it but separate from his own. This begins to drive Metalhead mad as he does not know who he truly is. Is he just a copy? His computer mind is completely at odds with his emotions so he seeks to fix it. All the stories in this volume deal with the notion of being in one way or another which continually reflects the notion of community...that bond being the one element that can truly define that perspective.B

By Tim Wassberg