Michael J.'s Reviews > Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin

I'm glad I read this at one sitting. I collected the individual issues, and after the delayed and infrequent release dates took the wind out of the sails, I decided to hold them and wait until I could read the entire story. Glad to see this released in a quality hardcover edition, which is the version that TMNT die-hards should treasure.
Although the comic series isn't finished, this puts a nice bookend on the end of the original four TMNTs (except for the little twist in the epilogue) in a satisfactory fashion.
The art was premium quality and the story was compelling, if not a little predictable. What made it work for me were the interactions between long-running TMNT family members (Casey Jones, April) with Mikey and his developing mentor relationship with April's ambitious daughter.
UPDATE: JUNE 2023
P.S. . . . Some spoilers below, so don't read unless you already know this story . . . . . .
I read this for the second time in preparation for a book club meeting, this time in the premium quality hardcover edition which really enhances the great coloring job on this book as well as the finer details of the art.
I had less trouble this time picking up on the transitions between current events in the apocalyptic age and flashbacks to earlier days of the TMNTs. Still, I think this could have been handled a little more distinctively for first-time readers. Also, while I clearly remember seeing the details of (view spoiler)[ the deaths of Raphael, Donatello, and master Splinter - - I can't recall the specifics of how Leonardo passed away. (hide spoiler)] I'm not going to read this for a third time, but did I miss that? (view spoiler)[ I just learned how I missed it. The death of Leonardo and Casey Jones occurs over two panels in Issue #3 and is not played out like the others were. (hide spoiler)]
This was certainly a grittier, grimmer TMNT story compared to many of those that have been published over the past decades. The Last Ronin reminded me of the days when my son and I were reading the original black-and-white Mirage Studios comic books. We had 40+ issues. I would definitely put The Last Ronin among the Top 5 All-Time TMNT Storylines.