Review: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #5

“Crisis In Half Shell” – Part Five

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artists: Freddie E. Williams II and Kevin Eastman
Color Artist: Jeremy Colwell
Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Review by Steve J. Ray

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #5 is totally tubular and absolutely AWESOME! Apologies for turning into Michelangelo there, but this issue blew my mind… and my senses.

Where do I even begin? This story is so layered, textured and deep – for a sci-fi superhero extravaganza – that I can’t contain my excitement. Seeing Batman happy, as part of a brotherhood, at the start of this series was amazing. This is a character who has always been portrayed as the lonely brooding type, so seeing him give up this new life, even though it wasn’t real, was heartbreaking. This issue fixes that, largely thanks to James Tynion’s real love and understanding of the Batman, and a climax that had this aging fanboy jumping for joy.

Crisis… What Crisis?

Freddie Williams, Kevin Eastman and Jeremy Colwell’s spectacular art doesn’t hurt either. If you’re one of the wise fans that picks this book up, just look at the facial expressions, awesome action and explosive color on these pages. Batman and Alfred’s faces when the Dark Knight’s plan becomes clear, and Mr. Pennyworth’s face at seeing the Bat-Signal were all virtually identical to my own expressions whilst reading them!

One of my favorite things to watch is fan reaction videos, and I sometimes wish that we had them for comics too. I can’t wait to talk about these scenes with fellow Batman and Turtles fans, as I won’t be there to see their faces when they read those lines, or witness the wonderful art for themselves.

If you want to spam my inbox after reading page 15 and that gorgeous double spread on pages 16-17, please do so. The feels! Oh, and page 10… Jeremy Colwell, I salute you. Mr. Napolitano, “Cowabunga” to you too, gorgeous work.

Conclusion

With Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #5, writer James Tynion IV and artists Freddie Williams, Kevin Eastman and Jeremy Colwell have created 20 pages of sheer entertainment, that encapsulate everything I love about two of the greatest comics franchises of all time. Then we have Tom Napolitano showcasing his talent for merging vintage lettering with modern verve, and what we get is a mini-series for the ages.

If you thought that this chapter was huge, next month’s finale should have you all yelling, “COWABUNGA” too!

Images Courtesy Of DC Entertainment