3 out of 5

After the incompetence and dramaturgy of the last two issues, TMNT Universe takes a step back and goes the Amazing Adventures route: a main story and a backup, both rather light and inconsequential.  It’s a pleasant enough change, but I hope it’s not the intended structure of this title going forward, as Amazing Adventures was only ever a distraction, and not something compelling to read, which this title has the opportunity to be.

The main story pairs Paul Allor with Tyler Boss, set during the Triceraton Invasion and showcasing the TMNT’s Benny Hill-ish montaged attempts to sneak out of a human occupied building unseen.  Allor doesn’t quite dial in to his escalating antics approach (the Turtles’ varied attempts getting more and more ridiculous), but the story is clearly more there just to let Tyler toss around some fanciful design and layouts, which he does.  But without a fully motivated script, the art can only do so much.  So I said ‘pleasant’ above, and that’s where this lands.

The backup, by Caleb Goellner and Michael Dialynas, is a POV bit of mutanimal interactions while Mutagen Man recovers, as seen from MM’s perspective.  Caleb Goellner – an Amazing Adventures alum, I note – fills his pages competently, and Dialynas gives us pretty art.  Pleasant?  Inconsequential?  You betcha.