The first issue of the relaunched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series kicked off the new status quo with Raphael in prison, telling a dark, compelling story with the shortest tempered of the Turtles behind bars.

The focus of this second issue is Michelangelo, and his current situation couldn’t be any different from Raph’s. Mikey is the star of a sort of Tokusatsu show, though instead of a costumed superhero protagonist, Mikey is the living, breathing special effect at the heart of the action. Though he’s a huge star, there’s a void in Mikey’s life, and despite his fame, he’s about to find out that he’s not entirely safe.

The first issue absolutely knocked it out of the park, with Jason Aaron’s excellent script and Rafael Albuquerque’s detailed, realistic but kinetic art proving the perfect companion to the writing. Though I was a little concerned about Raph’s anatomy (his prison suit somehow fitting under his shell), it was a nitpick, and everything else was superbly done. There’s no such qualms in this second issue, which tells a blisteringly paced and eventful tale that gives us a really good look at Mikey’s current state of mind.

It’s excellent stuff, and it shows just how strong and flexible the TMNT concept can be (not that that’s a surprise to us long term Turtles fans, of course).

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of the very first TMNT comic, and though the Turtles hype has definitely died down from its late 80s and early 90s heyday, the franchise has arguably never been in a stronger position in terms of its overall quality. This second issue of the new TMNT series reinforces that thought brilliantly.