Review by Frank Plowright

The Armageddon Game is the biggest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story in years, eventually occupying five volumes before even considering sequels, and it begins with Opening Moves.

The Rat King is abducting children from an already chaotic New York and two further stories heavily involving the malevolent manipulator. These all satisfy on their own, but show the Turtles putting together elements of what’s heading their way. Packaging four stories published over a three year period means there’s some jerkiness as background events progress, but the gist of what’s coming is evident. It also reinforces the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mainstay theme of the city above and what lies beneath being two separate worlds and provides a primer on the Rat King’s activities.

As one of eight immortal beings who’ve existed for centuries plotting to amuse himself, the Rat King is shown as really dancing to his own tune in the short opener from Bobby Curnow. Pablo Tunica’s exemplary illustration fills the panels with rats, a theme picked up by Dave Wachter (sample art) in the longer second story.

Writers Curnow and Tom Waltz collaborate with the Turtles’ co-creator Kevin Eastman for the only story actually featuring the Turtles themselves. It’s an action thriller with a clever solution, a good role for April O’Neil and the Turtles are appealing and resolute. The ending offers an announcement that the following story by Waltz and Adam Goreham isn’t perhaps the new start anticipated.

Although other writers contribute, Waltz takes the lead on The Armageddon Game and the remainder of the collection is his thorough examination of the Rat King as he tours around some known faces, tempting some and just messing with others. His priority is reducing his family numbers, a task they’re managing adequately among themselves, and spreading his influence well beyond Earth. Goreham draws the more action-oriented sequences, while Casey Maloney’s admirable layouts and detail decorate the Rat King visiting his siblings and gathering allies.

With that fixed, Waltz and Fero Pe spotlight others involved in the main event, with the Rat King’s sister Kitsune and her lover Oroku Saki, once better known as Shredder. They investigate the Rat King’s allies General Krang, Baxter Stockman and Madame Null, providing background, origins and information relevant to what’s coming.

Taken as a whole this is an ambitious opening statement with the only downside being minimal Turtle presence. IDW rapidly move their material into hardcover collections, so everything is also found as The IDW Collection Volume 16. With the opening moves detailed, head for The Armageddon Game itself. Alternatively all chapters are collected in The Armageddon Game: Deluxe Edition or over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 17 and Volume 18.