3 out of 5

Dude, for real: what is it with the sequencing in these books?  I get it: volume 12 collected the end of Megadeath – a Mutanimals backup series – which leads directly into TMNTA #55, which starts this collection.  However, setting aside my grievance with the way Megadeath was collected, all of this takes place after the end of the Mutanimals series, #8 and 9, which are collected at the end of this trade.  Does any of this break the world?  No.  But it is interesting that the back of the trade shows the issues in, to me, the more logical order of Mutanimals 8 and 9, then TMNTA 55 – 57.  Without any internet-checking, cross-referencing-the-originals context to set the chronology straight, you might assume that the last two issues (in this TPB) will have some kind of flashback justification for ‘suddenly’ bringing characters to life, but no, they’re just pretty dumb stories – issue 8 is the worst of the Mutanimals series – since they’re just kinda filler until the book was canceled.  (We have plenty of TMNTA one-shot filler, but it’s followed by world building stuff the Mutans never had a chance to get to, so it’s an ignominious end.)

Mutans Issue 8 is a Cap’n Mossback reappearance, written by P. Nutman with unfortunately sloppy art from Ken Mitchroney, and it’s all the eco hoopla of Steve Murphy but without the, I dunno, modicum of eductational gravitas he brings to it; instead, Man Ray just rants, and justifies theft and killing in the name of stopping some whalers.  (Who are operating, for better or worse, legally…)  It’s a questionable tale.  Issue 9 has great energy from artist Mike Kazeleh, and is an admittedly pleasingly silly tale from Clarrain that brings Slash into the modern fold.  Both of these are, at least, printed / scanned well, which doesn’t carry over to the TMNT issues, which are again muddied up and dark scans.  This is especially frustrating over some amazing Allan splash pages – the Mutanimals in Hell, for real! – but at least doesn’t slow down the pacing of an excellent, exciting arc that sort of follow the “TMNTA’s greatest hits” format of previous issues by bringing back Null and others, although it’s in a less jovial sense this time: Null always brings dastardly business along with him.

With the side series out of the way, at least the regular printing order can resume next trade.