Review by Frank Plowright

Continuing the pattern of Game Changers, the chapters forming Isolation occur between chapters of massive Turtles crossover The Armageddon Game.

A key moment in The Armageddon Game is the Turtles allegedly attacking New York’s corrupt Mayor Stockman, where for a while it’s rather the mystery. Here Sophie Campbell chooses to show the main players recognising a false flag mission, but the results in Mutant Town are deadly, sparking a riot, and the consequences of that play out. It’s combined with a plot about the Utrom wanting the death of Sera, currently protected by the Turtles in their lair.

Sophie Campbell’s approach to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is character based, which hasn’t gone down well in all quarters as while the action hasn’t been dropped, it’s certainly been diminished. That’s very apparent in an opening chapter establishing the state of play with the main Turtles away on other missions, but subsequent events play up action while maintaining a human heart, particularly a desperate battle on home territory.

Fero Pe draws all seven chapters here exceptionally. There’s a large cast all given breathing space, and he copes very well with the mix and match nature of the characters occupying the Turtles’ world. Be it dinosaur, humanoid animal or cyborg alien Fe draws them with style and substance.

A continuing plot is Donatello investigating magic, which also involves Bludgeon and Venus. The stop/start learning process is well documented, but full understanding requires also picking up The Armageddon Game: The Alliance, which is disappointing.

As Isolation continues it becomes more and more Seri’s story. She’s a background presence in The Armageddon Game, but an intergalactic war is as big a problem as anything the Rat King is cooking up, and with Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz credited for “story consulting” what Seri’s involved in is worked through. It’s a strong personal growth arc for Seri, while the final chapter drops explanations for something relevant to The Armageddon Game’s finale. Whether or not the visions shown have future relevance, it’s a pleasing reaffirmation of the Turtles as a team and integral to each other.

Because this material ties in with other events there are a couple of places where the army comes over the hill very conveniently. It makes more sense if read in the order the serialised comics were released, and that’s how the entire story is presented in hardcover collections The Armageddon Game: The Deluxe Edition, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 17 and Volume 18.