TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #23 (IDW Publishing)
The Turtles along with Shen and Splinter have their work cut out for them as the dead are returning quicker than they can send them back to Yomi-No-Kuni. On top of that they now know that this whole thing was really set in motion by General Eight Thunders as he turned his back on Lady Izanami killing her in the process. Can the Turtles, family, friends, and unlikely allies find a way to start pushing these forces back? Or will General Eight Thunders rule over the world of the living?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 - Written By Gene Luen Yang – Art By Fero Pe - Colors By Luis Antonio Delgado - Letters By Shawn Lee - Edited By Jake Thomas - Published By IDW Publishing
Credit: IDW Publishing
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
WRITING:
This issue continues The City That Never Dies story arc while introducing new threats and revelations that make the conflict feel more dangerous and personal. Gene Luen Yang once again raises the stakes by revealing that General Eight Thunders is the true mastermind behind the crisis. That discovery does more than provide a surprising twist: it forces the Turtles to recognize that the chaos surrounding them is part of a larger plan, and that the enemy they thought they understood is far more powerful than expected. At the same time, the growing hunger of the once-dead to claim “a life for a life” gives the supernatural threat a disturbing moral dimension. These are not simply monsters attacking the living; many of them were once good people who are now being pushed toward terrible choices by desperation, fear, and the promise of a second chance. Casey Jones’ mother becomes the clearest example of that tragedy. Her attack on April places Casey in an impossible emotional position, forcing him to confront someone he loves while also protecting the people who are still alive. Her eventual decision to resist the hunger and tell Casey to go save the day gives the scene its emotional power. Yang uses the moment to show that love and sacrifice can still survive even after death, making the conflict feel deeply human rather than purely supernatural. The way he balances revelation, horror, and heartbreak demonstrates just how emotionally effective this arc has become.
At the same time, the protagonists are struggling to protect the city and its inhabitants, while the villains are beginning to realize that they have also been manipulated. This parallel development gives the issue added tension because nearly every major character is forced to reconsider who truly holds power. When General Eight Thunders emerges through the portal and confronts Baxter Stockman, Stockman learns that his confidence was built on a false sense of control. He may have believed he was using the supernatural crisis for his own purposes, but the confrontation makes it clear that he was only a piece in someone else’s plan. That reversal is especially satisfying because Stockman is accustomed to seeing himself as the smartest person in the room. Watching that certainty collapse reinforces the scale of the threat and establishes General Eight Thunders as a force who can intimidate even the story’s most calculating villains. Karai faces a similarly humiliating reckoning. She helped set these events in motion because she wanted to reign as the head of the Foot Clan and usher the organization into what she believed would be its greatest era. Instead, Master Toshiro condemns her choices and exposes how ambition has blinded her to the consequences of her actions. His judgment carries additional weight because it comes from someone whose teachings and approval matter to her. By showing Baxter and Karai confronted with their own powerlessness, Yang adds another compelling layer to the story: the heroes are not the only ones in danger, and the villains who helped create the crisis may be just as unprepared for what is coming next.
Finally, this issue is packed with action and excitement, and Yang allows that action to take center stage without losing sight of the story’s emotional core. The battles are not included simply to create spectacle; each confrontation emphasizes how desperate the situation has become and how few good choices remain for the heroes. The Turtles are forced to fight people who have returned from the dead and may no longer be fully in control of their actions. That knowledge complicates every punch, kick, and defensive move. The team cannot treat these opponents like ordinary enemies, yet hesitation could place innocent lives at risk and allow the supernatural invasion to spread. This tension gives the action a tragic edge, because the Turtles are trying to protect the living without forgetting that the figures attacking them were once people with families, histories, and reasons to want another chance at life. Yang also uses the escalating combat to show how quickly the crisis is moving beyond anything the heroes can contain through strength alone. Every victory feels temporary, and every new arrival suggests that the boundary between life and death is continuing to weaken. As a result, the issue delivers the hard-hitting, fast-paced action fans expect from TMNT while also grounding that action in grief, responsibility, and moral uncertainty. The combination makes the battles more memorable and gives the issue a sense of urgency that carries directly into the next issue.
ARTWORK:
The artwork in this issue is fantastic, and Fero Pe consistently captures the scale, intensity, and emotional weight of the story. His action sequences feel fast and forceful, with clear staging that allows the reader to follow the Turtles as they move through crowded battles without losing track of where each character is positioned. The undead attacks are presented as both exciting and frightening, creating the sense that danger can emerge from every corner of the city. Pe also gives the quieter dramatic moments the attention they deserve. Facial expressions, body language, and the distance between characters help communicate grief, fear, hesitation, and determination even before the dialogue explains what they are feeling. This is especially important in scenes involving the returned dead, where the characters must confront familiar faces that are now part of a terrifying supernatural threat. The character designs remain recognizable and faithful to the larger TMNT world, while the variety among the undead makes the invading horde feel like a collection of individual lives rather than a mass of identical enemies. Considering how many figures appear in several scenes, the amount of detail Pe includes is impressive. General Eight Thunders receives an especially commanding design. His size, posture, and supernatural presence immediately establish him as a villain capable of dominating both the page and the characters around him. Pe’s cityscapes also contribute to the issue’s scale by giving the battles room to unfold across streets, rooftops, and urban spaces. These environments do more than provide a backdrop; they remind the reader that an entire city is at risk and make the supernatural invasion feel immediate, widespread, and dangerously real.
The color selections used by Luis Antonio Delgado make Pe’s artwork jump off the page while strengthening the atmosphere of nearly every scene. His deep blues, blacks, purples, and muted nighttime tones surround the characters with a constant sense of danger, visually reinforcing the doom hanging over the heroes as the dead continue to return. Against these darker backgrounds, the neon-green eyes and supernatural glow of the undead become immediately noticeable. That contrast gives the reader a clear visual guide during crowded action sequences, making it easy to distinguish the living from the dead even when numerous characters occupy the same panel. The green light also creates an eerie, unnatural effect that suggests the undead are being powered by a force that does not belong in the world of the living. Delgado varies the intensity of the glow to add depth to the scenes, allowing nearby figures and environments to appear touched by the same supernatural energy. This helps unify the artwork and makes the threat feel as though it is spreading through the city itself.
Shawn Lee’s lettering complements the visuals by keeping conversations, sound effects, and dramatic exclamations readable throughout the issue. His placement guides the reader smoothly across each panel without obscuring important expressions or action, while the style and scale of the sound effects add impact to punches, sudden appearances, and supernatural eruptions. Together, Pe, Delgado, and Lee create a cohesive visual experience in which the linework, colors, and lettering support the same tone. Their combined work makes the action easy to follow, the horror unsettling, and the emotional scenes more affecting, allowing readers to fully understand what the heroes in a half shell are facing.
check out my review of teenage mutant ninja turtles #22
Final Thoughts:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 delivers a tense, emotionally grounded issue that blends supernatural horror, fast-paced action, and striking artwork. With General Eight Thunders’ threat growing and the boundary between life and death collapsing, the issue leaves the Turtles facing their most personal battle yet and builds strong anticipation for what will come next. If you haven’t been reading this TMNT run, you are truly missing out.
FINAL GRADE: 9.4/10
Let me know your thoughts on TMNT #23 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
