IDW's 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #47 Review: TMNT's Donatello Shocker Takes Crazy Twist!

An unexpected casualty took place inside the shocking pages of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #44, from IDW Publishing. Before heading towards its 50th milestone, the twists get crazier and the action intensifies as the rest of the TMNT family deal with Donatello's ultimate defeat in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #47.

As we previously mentioned, in issue #44, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo were busy stopping Krang from terraforming the planet using the alien "Technodrome." Back at the Turtles home base, Bebop and Rocksteady delivered the death blow as they smashed Donnie's shell with a sledgehammer.

In our previous review of issue #46, after his heartbreaking demise, Donnie's consciousness was downloaded into the robot, Metalhead, by Fugitoid. Donnie attempts to save himself, while trying to comprehend this extraordinary situation.  And now in the 47th installment, we take a nice breather from the main arc and focus on Casey Jones' subplot. 

Writers Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, and Tom Waltz deliver a strong message about community and the meaning  behind family. As Hun and his gang attempt to takeover a small neighborhood, Casey Jones stands up to him, knowing he is clearly outmatched. There are David and Goliath metaphors everywhere, both visually and within subtext, as reluctant neighbors watch Casey stand up for them. Thank goodness for the uplifting message because the change of pace gears up readers for the next arc. 

Artist Mateus Santolouco captures the one-on-one confrontation between Hun and Casey in epic wide shots. Santolouco illustrates the fluid movements, the swings and kicks, to heighten the impact. Notice when we return back to Donatello's arc, the artwork focuses more on the facial expressions in closeups and medium shots. 

The issue ends on a major cliffhanger, with a one-pager that teases an epic confrontation. Santolouco knocks it out of the park as the entire Turtles family is drawn in one fantastic shot.  

RATING: BUY IT NOW

A highly entertaining read, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #47 is out in stores now.