Shredder in Hell #5
Art and Story by Mateus Santolouco
Released December 4th, 2019
The epic conclusion to Oroku Saki’s journey into hell! Caught between the push and pull of eldritch deities, the Shredder fights for his soul—will he ever be able to return to the one he loves? Or will the universe stand in his way?
Have we awoken from this hellish nightmare? What did the depths of hell hold for our dear Oroku Saki? We’ve finally come to the final chapter of Mateus Santolouco’s Shredder in Hell with issue 5. The gorgeous artwork and tight meaningful writing continues as we conclude with a beautiful and cleansing book. It’s not everyday you get to see The Shredder fight a giant demon dragon Megazord style, but if you’re going to see it you might as well save the best for last.
I didn’t know how this series would end, a part of me thought we might be getting a redeeming conclusion to the character. But, this is the comic medium afterall, and nobody truly stays dead for long do they? I also was foolish for overlooking the fact that the end of this series nearly lines up with the historic TMNT #100. That alone is a hint for what is about to come not only for The Shredder as we thought but also for our favorite mutant foursome as well. What was thought to be a hellish additive to the mythos of The Shredder instead became a build for an even larger story. And all in all, now that the series has ended…the journey of The Shredder has not. Shredder in Hell is simply a taste of what’s to come. And it tastes good.
There were many directions this series could have taken when it was originally announced. Personally speaking, I thought we would get a very “metal” action heavy epic of one of my favorite villains slashing his way through hellish creatures with one liner’s galore. But that’s not really who the Shredder is, is it? Instead we were given a cathartic and emotional tale of redemption, resurrection, and retribution. Yes, there was plenty of action, fire, and beasties, but all serve a purpose. Shredder in Hell turned out to be my favorite comic series of the year with its beautiful artwork, thoughtful story, and epic conclusion. I’d strongly advise reading this series by picking up the individual issues or waiting for the trade paperback to be released next year.
So, have we seen the last of The Shredder? Is Oroku Saki lost to the fire? Slight spoiler? Nope. Hell itself couldn’t even contain The Shredder….as it seems he’ll be marching with a bigger purpose than ever straight into TMNT #100 next week.
Pray for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, kids.
Shredder in Hell Issue 5 is available wherever comics are sold!
