The Turtles are nowhere to be seen in this 5th issue of their recently relaunched series (ok,  they’re seen very briefly), which instead concerns itself with a new character’s rise to power, and the danger he poses to the city and its inhabitants, human and mutant alike.

It’s also got Casey Jones doing his thing, standing up to the new bully in charge, and getting himself in serious trouble.

This is a riveting issue, and I’m impressed with the way the new threat is credibly built up, with his bigotry and callousness on full display. There are some truly shocking moments here; though you may have a modicum of sympathy for the new DA as he begins his story, you certainly won’t be on his side by the time you reach the final page’s jaw dropping, shocking cliffhanger.

Jason Aaron is building a really intriguing narrative, and after finally reuniting the brothers in the previous issue, it seems we now have a grave threat for them to come up against. The great Darick Robertson is on pencilling duties, and his style, with its short, sharp and impactful shots of gore, is perfect for this particular issue.

So we have another highly recommended issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with the franchise closing out its 40th anniversary year with some of the best comics, in my opinion, to ever bear the TMNT branding.