#tmntseries

Towards the end of Volume 1, I was already feeling truly relatable to Mikey and how quickly he had to grow up. No longer being able to have fun with his depression and anxiety eating at him constantly. This issue just confirms how much of his innocence was lost over the past year since he and his brothers went their separate ways. This opening scene and the metaphor used couldn't be more perfect. How many of us are guilty of beating ourselves up on the inside, only to display fake confidence on the outside?

TMNT (2024 -) Issue #2

Every version always has him being the fun loving party dude, but really he has always been putting on an act. He is always known to be the heart of the family, the one to keep everyone together and help ease animosity, but it always came at a cost: having to push his own worries and concerns to the side so he can instead be there for his older brothers.

He isn't able to throw a tantrum and storm out like Raphael. He doesn’t have the burden of being a leader like Leonardo who has to deal with his brothers always arguing with him. He doesn’t have the luxury of just shutting off his emotions and hiding away in a lab like Donatello. 

He always had to be the strong one, the comic relief when really he was always full of self doubt, depression and struggling with his own issues. After all, someone had to be the sun to bring his brothers out of darkness, and it fell to him being the youngest. Master Splinter described Mikey's personality best to Raphael.

This is why I liked/hated the emotional hell the writers put Mikey through for the last half of Volume 1 in the IDW comics. He may not have come close to death like Donatello where Donatello’s soul had to be transferred to an AI robot till Dr Honeycutt could create a new carapace for him. He may not have been corrupted to the dark side like Leonardo, fighting against his brothers as he joined Shredder and the Foot Clan. Lastly, he didn't have to deal with the fallout for unknowingly helping Hobb set off the mutant bomb that mutated hundreds of humans like Raphael did. No, the traumatic event was watching his family fall apart, everyone he ever loved leaving him and being helpless to stop it.

TMNT #101

Watching them fight amongst each other and acting like children instead of talking it out. 

TMNT #142

TMNT #142

Watching his father take control of the Foot Clan and no longer following the code of honor he instilled upon him and his brothers. 

TMNT Macro Series #2

His family was falling further and further apart and no matter what he did, he was never able to fix it to where they all eventually went their separate ways after the Armageddon Game. 

So upon reading this issue, it was emotional and heartbreaking seeing just how much of a toll all that took on him. I love how both the writer and the artists personified Mikey’s self hatred doubts into the forms of his brothers. It really ties in his anger towards his brothers and anger at himself.

His anger is so pure, so raw and completely justified. His brothers always told him he had to grow up and he did. He tried to reason with his brothers, compromise but they were the ones who acted like children, not Mikey to where Mikey feels like they abandoned him during his time of need.

Another part of Mikey that they explored more in depth was who Mikey truly is underneath the mask that he wears. A kid full of self doubt, anxiety, loneliness and most of all exhausted from having to keep it all inside that has manifested into anger after so many years of filing his true emotions away.

The writer I swear was in my head as he wrote Mikey’s inner thoughts, and it also made me think of everyone else I know, including myself who feels like they have to pretend to be someone they aren't because that is what people expect them to be. To act differently throws everyone off. 

At the end of the issue, he is so angry, so alone and dealing with so many negative emotions that no one showed him how to handle, he could only blame his brothers for everything he went through. That he didn't have a part in the fracture, that he is the victim and is blinded to the fact that he also needs to take responsibility for his own actions. All four of them had a hand in the family fallout whether they wanted to acknowledge it or not.

Mikey's part that he played was not expressing his feelings to his brothers, but instead keeping it all inside. Deep down he knows that if he actually voiced his concerns, his brothers would have tried harder to keep their family together.

Of course it ended in a cliffhanger, however I think the writer did a great job having it be Rapahel whom Mikey fights. Raphael knows what it is like to be alone, to have self doubts and be full of so much anger that it blinds you. Raphael will not hold back either as they fight, being one who hits first and talks later. I have a hunch in the next issue, it will be Raphael who is able to help Mikey fight through his issues. 

It almost seems like each issue is a character study of the four brothers, and how they are dealing with the fall out of their family falling apart. To be honest, I am here for it because it truly does flesh them out and makes them more grounded in reality for fans to relate too.

Next month is focused on Leonardo and I am anxiously waiting to see how the master of the Hamato Clan and eldest brother has been dealing with the fallout.

On a lighter note, can I just say how freaking awesome these few panels are? Mikey the party dude got a major upgrade and you know those diamond encrusted nunchucks pack way more of a punch than the wooden ones he used to use.

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He has been in trouble with the law twice, even though the first time he was cleared of all wrongdoing. For most casual fans, this wouldn't be surprising at all. Out of all the brothers, it would only make sense that an “angry bruiser who enjoys fighting” would end up being the one to eventually end up in prison. However, I tend to disagree. I have always stood firm behind my belief that Raphael is way more complicated than people give him credit for.

Raphael cares so much about those that he lets get close to him, that he is terrified of losing everyone and being all alone again. He is overprotective, fiercely loyal and when anyone he loves is in danger, his desire to protect and save everyone comes out in anger and rage because the feelings are so intense and overwhelming. His ex-girlfriend Alopex understands this perfectly. 

TMNT Volume 1 Issue #46

His anger and rage becomes even stronger when he feels like he failed to protect his family. Similar to Mikey who is constantly dealing with his own demons and self-loathing, Raphael also battles his own set of demons. He is extremely hard on himself and sees himself as weak; never strong enough to protect anyone as is made evident when his brother Donatello dies after being brutally smashed to pieces by BeBop and Rocksteady.  

Even with Donatello’s soul being transferred into Metalhead till Dr Honeycutt could make him a new shell, Raphael was not able to see this robot as his brother Donnie. To Rapahel, his brother was dead and he felt responsible because he wasn't there to help fight BeBop and Rocksteady. Even though he was fighting with his brothers elsewhere to help save the world.

TMNT Volume 1 Issue #46

This panel here shows just how much inner turmoil Raphael is feeling and it takes Mikey to call him out on his attitude and behavior. (Side note, in the comics Mikey is the only one who can call Raphael out on his anger without repercussions. Even though Casey Jones is Raphael's best friend, he has always been close with Mikey. They are the physical forms of yin and yang.)

In the last panel you can see Raphael realizing his brother is right and is regretting his anger, however being the stubborn teenager that he is, he refuses to let the others see his brief moment of weakness. He is the strong one; the family shield; the protector and showing any weakness negates his role in the family.

Now towards the end of Volume 1 we do see major growth from Raphael when the family decides together to pursue their own interests; the final cut in the only single thread that was still holding the family together.

In the final scenes of Issue #144, we see this beautiful image of Raphael riding his bike with tears in his eyes as he leaves everyone he loves behind.

So now we can get back to Volume 2 Issue #1 which from what I can gather a year or longer has passed since the separation. It would seem like whatever character growth Sophie Campbell wrote went to the wayside, but thanks to the great writing of Jason Aaron, who as I said earlier did a great job of getting inside Raphael's head, he isn't who he used to be anymore. Yes, he is still rough around the edges, but compared to who he was in the beginning, he has for the most part been able to control his anger and rage.

The few panels below aren't only beautifully drawn by Rafael Albuquerque and colored by Ronda Pattison, but were really emotional even with Jason Aaron only writing a few words. It almost broke me knowing just how much Rapahel used to love his brothers and now, due to whatever happened between them, he would much rather forget about his family.

Yea, that got me deep in the feels. As the issue continues, Jason continues to go into more depth of Raphael’s psyche. His writing continues to back up my views on who exactly Rapahel is and why it seems like anger is always his driving motivation while at the same time wishing he wasn't always so angry.

As he is being arrested by the prison guards after fighting the Foot, he comes to a realization that once again his family is in trouble. Despite stating previously he wanted to forget about his brothers and the good times they had before their family broke up, he instantly falls back into his role as being the family shield. He knows what he needs to do, even if it means having to come to terms with his past and possibly facing the anger of his brothers. His unwavering loyalty and love as always is what motivates him, even if it is shrouded in the image of anger.

Most people would think it would be Mikey who tries to bring the family together, especially after he was the lone survivor in The Last Ronin. However, in this universe it actually makes more sense for Rapahel to get the family back together. He needs the four of them to be together once more so he can not only fight alongside them when they are at their strongest, but to be there to protect them at all costs. Thus is the burden he bares being the family shield.