Warning: Contains minor SPOILERS for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2!TheTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesare embarking on all-new adventures with the launch of their latest comic run, the first four issues of which are highlighting one Turtle brother each.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#1 was all about Raphael, and now, with the release ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#2, readers get to see what has become of Michelangelo in this new continuity.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#2 by Jason Aaron and Rafael Albuquerque opens withMichelangelo in the heat of battle. None of his brothers are there with him, and he’s facing a horde of ninjas and a massive kaiju all alone. Then, the director yells “CUT!” and it’s revealed thatMikey wasn’t actually fighting for his life without the backup of the other Ninja Turtles, he’s become an actorstarring in exciting action movies that highlight not only his ninja skills, but also his ‘party animal’ persona.
While Michelangelo does eventually find himself thrust into life-threatening danger that’s tied to the ongoing mystery presented inTMNT#1 (including a not-so-pleasant reunion),this issue mostly focuses on one thing: Michelangelo has lost his way. Sure, he’s rich and famous, but Michelangelo makes it clear that he isn’t happy - and he’s certainly rusty when it comes to actual combat. This issue sets the stage forMichelangelo’s personal journeyas this series progresses, one that will show him reconnecting with his brothers and himself.
Michelangelo’s New TMNT Arc is the Exact Opposite of The Last Ronin
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Roninby Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau & Isaac Escorza, and Ben Bishop
Michelangelo’s story inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#2 is an interesting parallel toTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, as Mikey is separated from the rest of his family, and is making his own way in the world. However,the way Michelangelo is going about forging a life for himself inTMNT#2 is the exact opposite of what he does inThe Last Ronin, as he abandons and rejects the part of himself that is a ninja warrior as opposed to allowing himself to be consumed by it.
The way Michelangelo is going about forging a life for himself in TMNT #2 is the exact opposite of what he does in The Last Ronin
InThe Last Ronin, Michelangelo is the last surviving member of his family after the Foot Clan rose to power and wiped out the other members of the TMNT. In his isolation, Michelangelo became even more committed to his martial arts studies, traveling the world and protecting the innocent from roving gangs of villains before finally taking down the Foot Clan single-handedly. Not only that, but Mikey completely dropped the ‘party dude’ aspect of his personality without his brothers by his side, opting instead to become a hardened, focused warrior.
As fans can clearly see upon readingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#2, that is far from the solo-journey Michelangelo is on in the current continuity - and, honestly, that’s a really cool direction to take his character. Everyone is familiar withThe Last Ronin, so to create another scenario where Mikey is forging his own path, only to show him becoming the exact opposite of the warrior he was inThe Last Ronin, isa fascinating parallel, giving fans even more insight into who Michelangelo is without his brothers.
Michelangelo’s TMNT #2 Story is a Perfect Continuation of the Previous Arc
While this new chapter inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtleshistory is technically a continuation of the saga that came before in IDW Publishing’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescomic book universe, it has been made abundantly clear that Jason Aaron’s run will be something completely unique, without strong ties to what came before. However, Michelangelo’s story in this issue proves to be a perfect continuation of his life inRoad to 150- at least, an alternate version of it.
The Road to 150is a time travel story that saw the TMNT chasing Armaggon through the timestream, oftentimes landing in alternate/potential realities just like this one!
InTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#149-150, readers are introduced to a version of Michelangelo from an alternate future who went off on his own and became rich and famous. This version of Mikey lived in a giant penthouse, was beloved by practically the whole world, and seemingly had everything he could ever want. However, he was incredibly unhappy, as he gave up on his life as a ninja just as he abandoned his family. Michelangelo chose comfort and notoriety over his loved ones, and as he admitted in theRoad to 150, he lost himself along the way.
That version of Michelangelo was seemingly erased from existence upon the defeat of Armaggon, though after readingTMNT#2, it seems that’s not the case. Michelangelo in the primeTMNTtimeline went down an identical path as his alt-universe self, and the outcome is exactly the same. Michelangelo is capable of greatness on his own, but without his family, he will never be happy.This is an excellent consistency with his character, and it proves that Jason Aaron fully understands who Michelangelo isbeyond his ninja skills and ‘party dude’ persona.
TMNT #2 Further Proves Why Fans Should Be So Excited About This Run
WhenTMNT#1 came out back in July, fans everywhere were in total agreement that it was one of the coolest comics inTMNThistory. It showed Raphael at his most brutal in a setting that only elevated his brutality. Plus, it presented fans with a conspiracy involving the Foot Clan, one the Turtles themselves are now smack-dab in the middle of. And now, withTMNT#2, fans are given a totally different story, tonally speaking, that continues this Foot Clan mystery while also delving into Michelangelo with the same talent and care as the narrative exploration of Raphael’s character.
In other words,the quality of storytelling is consistent betweenTMNT#1 and #2, meaning the next two issues diving into the characters of Leonardo and Donatello, respectively, will likely continue that trend, which only lays the groundwork for the epic story that will unfold thereafter. Truthfully, no one had any doubt that Jason Aaron and his wonderful artist collaborators would be able to deliver, andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#2 is just the latest example of how fans were right to trust them.
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From parallels to iconic storylines likeThe Last Ronin, to the continuation of a previously-explored character arc fromThe Road to 150, to standing alone as a unique take on Michelangelo,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#2 is a captivating read from start to finish, and should only make fans more excited about what’s to come.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2by IDW Publishing is available July 06, 2025.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is a multi-media franchise that began with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s comics in the 1980s. Throughout the years, their comic books expanded to movies, TV shows, video games, and toys. Most notably, the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ran for nearly a decade and has become a nostalgic staple of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Several other movies have featured the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael), including the trilogy of live-action films in the ‘90s and the more recent movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
