By Paul Allor, Andy Kuhn & Bill Crabtree

IDW has published some great mini-series that coincides with their main run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Recently, Secret of the Foot Clan and  Micro-Series: Villains have been strong stories that added depth the recent City Fall story arc. Now, with Utrom Empire  insight is given into Krang’s race and how they fell from prominence and driven to near extinction.

Writer Paul Allor frames the story around Fugitoid trying to foil Krang’ s and Dr. Stockman’s plans for the Technodrome. Fugitoid and events taking place on Burnow Island  haven’t been shown in the books in  a while; it was a pleasant surprise to see that storyline continue. Allor also wrote the micro-series issue for Fugitoid, so it makes perfect sense for him to write this title since he has a firm grasp on the character. For the Utromian history, Paul focuses on the circumstances surrounding their growth in military strength  and how this caused internal strife amongst the Utromian political elite and their eventual downfall. This may sound like a convoluted political thriller plot, but he is able to keep the narrative to the point and easy to follow. What really makes the mini-series stand out is the introduction on the Triceraton race and their origins… Such an awesome treat!

The art is fair in this first issue. Andy Kuhn has a sketch form to his work with little background detail in the panels. It’s not terrible, just not my cup of tea. I will say his design of Fugitoid works really well. Bill Crabtree’s colors are what really caught my attention. With little detail in the panels he can just select a color to use in them and set the tone. The first page immediately catches the eye. Kuhn and Crabtree complement each other very well.

If you are fan of IDW’s TMNT titles then definitely pick this up! The side stories that have been released in the past have not disappointed and this one seems to be right on point.

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About The Author Erik Gonzalez

I was exposed to comics early on, one of my earliest vivid memories was picking up the entire run of Dark Horse’s Aliens vs. Predator(1990). Odd and perhaps morbid choice for a kid, I know...At the same time, I was immersed in the pop culture of the time which included, but not limited to: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and of course, Batman: The Animated Series. Upon reflection, it’s fairly evident why I’m such a zealous geek. My day job is in television operations, so basically I’m exposed to media at every turn, which is where I want to be! Writing comic book reviews is another outlet to convey my respect and fanaticism for the this graphic medium. I hope what I have to say will resonate with others and also spark heart-felt discussion. Simon Pegg said it best, “Being a geek is extremely liberating.”

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