Bebop the Warthog and Rocksteady the Rhino are back in IDW’s Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything #2! Let’s see where their adventure is taking them:
BEBOP & ROCKSTEADY DESTROY EVERYTHING #2
Writer’s Note: Spoilers Ahead
It feels like it was just last week that Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 hit stores, and that’s because it was. If you are wondering why there was such a short delay, that is because a new issue of Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything debuts each week in June, totaling 5 issues. IDW Publishing has been really playing up the main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series by providing abundant supporting character-driven miniseries. If you are a fan of these miniseries, be sure to keep an eye out for TMNT Universe, which will be a sister comic to the monthly ongoing and will provide even more story.
Now, enough about that, let’s dive into Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything #2:
Plot wise, this felt a bit of a short issue, but that’s mostly because it was filled with zany shenanigans. Bebop and Rocksteady are loving life with their old selves. They are all drinking and playing in a band (well, wouldn’t it be a duet?) on the rooftop of a building, when Bebop gets a brilliant idea. Joining the Foot Clan was the greatest thing the two have ever done, so why not join early? Unfortunately, the building where the Foot Clan resides in the future has not moved in yet, so they look a little foolish demanding to speak with the ninjas.
Meanwhile, the Turtles are trying to track down Bebop and Rock. With Renet, they warp to prehistoric times, where we actually see Pepperoni, Raph’s pseud-pet dinosaur. This means that the time period they have entered is the same time stream as the Turtles in Time miniseries. Here, we find out the a completely different/future Bebop and Rocksteady are helping Savanti Romero. The trio is about to rush a nearby Krang camp, but before they attack, a futuristic Renet comes to stop them! As expected from Issue #1, future Renet is killed, but instructs present Renet that the staff’s gem must be removed! Unfortunately, there is no time to help because a time portal is closing and the group must rush after Savanti Romero and future Bebop and Rock.
While floating through the time stream, the group is separated. The Turtles go one way, Pepperoni goes another 🙁 , and Romero/Bebop/Rock go a third way. They all appear in different locations in NYC, but fortunately, back to same timeline as the two sets of Bebop and Rock.
Writers Note: Kudos to Bates and Weaver for writing a really smooth time travel story to read. This is hard to explain!
The last few pages are comprised of a big car chase and brawl between all three sets of Bebop and Rocksteady. For the sake of easy: Team 1 is the main timeline Bebop/Rock, the ones that we are following and trying to catch. Team 2 is the still-human Bebop and Rock. Finally, Team 3 is the prehistoric, yet future, duo that was helping Savanti Romero. Team 1 and Team 2 are in one purple convertible, while team 3 is in an identical purple convertible. The time stream is starting to get really wonky, so the cars are teleporting about. Both cars are all over the place, and they all keep fighting each other during the chase. Eventually, both cars crash in front of the Turtles and Renet, who are not in a position to do anything about the situation. Team 1 and Team 3 are able to salvage one of the vehicles and go through a portal, leaving human Team 2 behind.
This series is so much fun. Time travel is a component of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle history, so it was great to see so much crazy time travel and alternate character time lines in one issue. Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything #2 was written by Dustin Weaver and Ben Bates, with artwork by Ben bates, Giannis Milogiannis, Sophie Campbell, Bill Crabtree, and other contributions by Shawn Lee, Nick Pitarra, and Michael Garland. It takes a crazy team to imagine something like this, and we cannot wait until next week!