Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder #8 – Infested

Shredder lands in Tokyo to bring an end to a situation that he is the root cause of. Making TMNT fans feel a certain level of remorse towards Shredder. As well as “rooting” for Shredder!

Creative Team

Dan Watters (Writer), Sid Kotian (Artist), Marco Lesko (Colorist), Darran Robinson (Letterer)

Tommy Stella (Assistant Editor), Jake Thomas (Editor)

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Infested

Issue eight of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder builds off of the events that happened in issues six and seven of this series. Building off of previous characters and creating new characters in the process. This series gives readers a different portrayal of the iconic TMNT villain, Shredder. Some readers may have a mix of split emotions with this new story dynamic. But give it a chance!

This issue follows Shredder on his mission of correcting a mistake he made within his recent past. On this mission he is essentially on his own as he is no longer the leader of the Foot Clan. With that loss of power, he is strictly striking fear into his enemies with his reputation. This is amazing to see especially when it comes to the newly formed criminal organization that is trying to take over. Essentially ran by “young bucks” who are not familiar with Shredder. That is until some of the veteran criminals attempt to explain what they have potentially started: a war with Shredder.

One of the complex aspects of this new criminal organization is the dark science they are using as a method of control. This gives off a similar feel to the tactics of Waller and the Suicide Squad from DC. This is used by the organization to make their “soldiers” comply to their commands. One ounce of hesitation and their time within the organization and on this planet is over…

This series shines an entirely new light on Shredder as a character! TMNT fans are religiously accustomed to Shredder being the villain as the leader of the Foot Clan. Within this series readers will take in an older man, who has lost his mantle over the Foot Clan and is on his own. But after making a terrible mistake and losing the love of his life, Shredder has made a small alteration to his persona. He is slowly morphing into a hero within this series. Strange to see, but it is becoming very entertaining to read!

The Writing

Dan Watters is doing an amazing job with this story! The writing for this issue dives deeper into the story of the criminal organization that is trying to eliminate Shredder. The dialogue exchanges are simple yet very direct. The script for this story is so enticing that readers will get entangled within the pages wanting to know more!

The Artwork

Sid Kotian and Marco Lesko are a dynamic duo for this series! The pencil work and coloration really go hand in hand with each other. Clean lines and vibrant colors help to highlight the amazing details that are intertwined within the panels. Very well done!

Darran Robinson‘s lettering for this issue is very well done! Changes in fonts and sizing add to dramatized narration making emotion easy for readers to interpret. Placement of narration and dialogue is spot on as well! Great work!

Variant Covers

Final Thoughts

This is really an interesting take on Shredder the character! The back story given about his mistake and the path in which he is going down to fix it transforms him into somewhat of a hero, and I’m enjoying that! I did have to go back and read previous issues of this series to catch up on the events that have taken place, and I’m glad I did. There is so much more to this story and readers should look into getting the earlier issues to get the entire scope it! Go pick up TMNT: Shredder, from your local shop today!

Grade: 9/10

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

PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!