Batman / TMNT II #6 Is An Ideal Comic Book Crossover
by James Ferguson
You know the city has really gone to the dogs when a giant masked super villain has taken over the Statue of Liberty. That’s the situation Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles find themselves in, forced to make an unlikely alliance with Shredder to bring down Bane, who now rules the Foot Clan with an iron, venom-filled fist. The saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” fits well here.
This is the final issue of Batman / TMNT II and it goes out with a bang. It is chock full of incredible fight scenes illustrated by Freddie Williams II and colorist Jeremy Colwell. The battle for Ellis Island is split up on multiple fronts. Batman, Shredder, and Splinter are fighting Bane, while the Turtles, Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, Casey Jones, April, Kari, and a few rebellious members of the Foot Clan are fighting Bebop, Rocksteady, and Bane’s loyal Foot soldiers all over the place. That sentence came right from my wildest dreams when I was in 4th grade.
The Bane fight is a big deal, mostly because the villain is literally gigantic. He’s twice the size of his adversaries, towering over them with arms as thick as their bodies. It’s amazing to see how the combined forces of three of pop culture’s fiercest warriors is barely enough to take down Bane. It’s also crazy to see Splinter and Shredder fighting side-by-side.
This battle is so huge that it breaks through the panels themselves. The fight moves from section to section within the Statue of Liberty and Williams shows the four of them busting through panels as the page struggles to contain this massive struggle. Although cutting off Bane’s supply of venom is a priority, I’m glad to see that it didn’t immediately end the fight. Sure, it could weaken him a bit, but bear in mind that this venom is mixed with mutagen so it has some unique effects on Bane.
Williams’ artwork captures this sprawling showdown with numerous double page spreads, like he needed more room to let the climax for this tale really spread out. These aren’t full images that take up two pages, rather, more of a larger canvas to tell the story. The space is used well, with tons of extra panels highlighting all the details of this huge encounter.
Since all of this started with Donatello’s feeling of inadequacy on the field of combat, it’s fitting that he is the one to ultimately put Bane down. It’s not that surprising in terms of story, however it works well to bring everything together by the end. At the end of the day, Donnie brings a lot to the table and the Ninja Turtles wouldn’t be the team they are if he wasn’t part of the equation.
Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II is an ideal crossover, elevating both franchises through a great story with some incredible artwork. It helps that they’re two of the biggest names in pop culture. The Turtles bring some light and positivity to the Caped Crusader while Batman adds some grounded realism to the Heroes in a Half Shell. Writers James Tynion IV and Ryan Ferrier have crafted a truly enjoyable tale that I will definitely revisit again and again.
Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6 is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.
