It’s the grand finale of the Batman and TMNT crossover, with a fun, knock-down, drag out battle between our heroes and Bane’s army.
Comic Review: Batman/TMNT II #6
(W) James Tynion IV and Ryan Ferrier (A) Freddie E. Williams II
The final issue of Batman/TMNT II has finally arrived. While the series may not be the pleasant surprise that the original crossover was, it has still managed to deliver a quality, interdimensional romp featuring two pop culture titans. But unlike the previous 11 issues (going back to the original crossover), this finale has a slight change in the creative team, as Ryan Ferrier steps in to help out James Tynion IV in writing the issue. But in all honesty, it is difficult to notice any impact on the story’s overall quality.
Batman/TMNT II #6 goes for broke, spending almost the entirety of its page count on the battle for New York. In one corner is Bane and a literal army of Venom-enhanced foot soldiers. In the other is the Bat-family, Team Turtles, and the Shredder (yes, you read that correct). While it is a tall task to have a massive battle and satisfying resolution all within this one issue, the writing duo of Tynion and Ferrier gets it done. While there is a moment in Ferrier’s scripting that feels a dated and out of place – a classic moment of a character describing to the reader what is happening – it is a minor distraction. This minor issue aside, the rest of the story is competently told. The concluding pages, while a little rushed, give the book a definitive ending while keeping the door cracked open for another crossover down the line.
Perhaps the best element of this issue is Tynion’s handling of Shredder, and finding a way for him to work alongside the Turtles and agreeing to turn himself back over to authorities when the fight is over. It’s honestly a welcome change of pace and a great choice by Tynion. He could have easily left it with the Shredder on the loose, but instead he choose the more difficult option to write, and the book is better for it.
At the end of the day, the purpose of the script in this issue is to provide Freddie E. Williams the framework to play with all the toys in the sandbox. If you’ve read the reviews of the preceding 5 issues, there isn’t much more to say about Williams’ artwork. It’s bold, dynamic, and stylized in a manner that some people like, while others may not. I happen to like it, so I count it as a positive, even though his human character do suffer from unnatural proportions. When all is said and done, Batman/TMNT II proves to be another successful collaboration between DC and IDW.
