Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19 – Family Fun Day!

The battle is over, and peace comes to the Hamato family. A celebration is in order! Come along as the Hamato family takes to the streets of New York for a “Family Fun Day!”

Creative Team

Gene Luen Yang (Writer), Fero Pe (Artist), Luis Antonio Delgado (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letterer)

Nathan Widick (Designer), Jake Thomas (Editor), Tommy Stella (Assistant Editor)

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Family Fun Day

Issue nineteen of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) comes after the end of the Ujigami storyline, which is such an amazing series! TMNT fans will not want to bypass this issue! You might be asking yourself, why? The Ujigami story is over with issue eighteen, and the next story arc doesn’t start till issue twenty (which is the 300th issue of TMNT). Those statements are true, but there are details within this issue that you, the reader, will need before jumping into the next story arc.

This issue is a very family-oriented story. The Turtles have been reunited with their mother (Shen) and their father (Splinter). After the conclusion of a multi-issue battle, the family deserves some family bonding time! This is more than just reconnecting with their mother; the Turtles are trying to relive fond childhood memories to bring a sense of comfort to their mother. So, the Turtles are taking it to the streets of New York!

The premise for this issue is so heartwarming! The Turtles have been separated from their mother for quite some time, and now that they have her back, they are making the most of it. One thing readers of this story should take away is this. Family is everything! You only get one true blood family. Do not take them for granted and bask in every moment that you are blessed to have with them. You will never know when that moment could be your last.

The end of this issue provides much-needed information and plot for the monumental 300th issue, which is the start of a brand-new storyline from Gene and his team! This is the slow pitch to a new and extremely anticipated adventure with the Turtles and the city of New York!

The Writing

Gene Luen Yang continues to provide an outstanding story for every issue of this series. The flow of the story is so smooth, transitioning from events to plot twists. Adding in the dynamic of the mother (Shen) and her story makes this an emotional story in itself. The switching of tones from the family fun day to the mysterious activity at the end is poetry in motion. TMNT is truly in great hands with Gene at the wheel of this series!

The Artwork

Fero Pe and Luis Antonio Delgado team up to bring their own identity to the art of this issue. The art is spectacular! The pencil work is clean, making things less challenging for the coloration to adapt to. The color wheel is in constant circulation within these pages. Beautiful bright shades bring massive impact to the story when it is needed. The panels and pages featuring the New York streets are so full of details that you start to envision yourself there with the Hamato family.

Variant Covers

Final Thoughts

This issue brings to light the true definition and purpose of family. Family fun day turned out to be fun for the Hamato family but on two different levels. I am happy with how this issue was put together. I was leery because I did not want this issue to be just a “filler” issue till fans get the new storyline, and it was not that. Gene teases readers to stay focused on what’s to come within the next story! Go get this issue from your local comic shop today!

Overall Grade: 10/10

Links

Comic Book Reviews & Entertainment News: Nerd Initiative
Previous TMNT Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #18 – Reunited
Travis’ NI Portfolio: TravisComicHaven – Nerd Initiative
Travis’ Personal Content: Travis’ Comic Haven

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