Fugitoid makes his big entrance in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 from IDW Publishing.
TMNT: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 Brings Fugitoid Chaos to the Mutant Mayhem Era
The Turtles are back, the weird science is cooking, and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 comes through with that slick combo of old-school TMNT lore and new-school animated madness. This issue doesn’t waste time either. It drops readers right into a tense setup with the crew tracking Bishop and some shady government heat, and before you know it, things go full sci-fi pizza party panic when a mysterious robot crashes into the mix. And once that reveal lands? Oh yeah, baby. Fugitoid has entered the chat. WEPA.
What makes this issue click is that it understands exactly what kind of TMNT story it wants to be. This ain’t trying to be overcomplicated or act too smart for its own good. It knows the mission: bring in a fan-favorite character, make him matter fast, keep the pacing tight, and leave readers hungry for the next slice. Andrew Joustra gives this story a clean, confident structure that makes the book easy to jump into while still rewarding longtime Turtle fans who know that Fugitoid is not just some random metal dude running around causing static.
And that backstory? That’s where the issue starts flexing a little harder. Zayton Honeycutt being a brilliant young mind whose work gets twisted into something dangerous gives the comic a little emotional seasoning under all the action. That’s the good stuff. TMNT has always been at its best when it balances mutant madness with heart, and this issue gets that. Under the chase scenes and mystery setup is a story about technology, power, identity, and what happens when genius gets weaponized. That gives the whole thing more weight than just a cool intro gimmick.
Visually, Louie Joyce absolutely understands the assignment. The art has personality, movement, and that expressive animated bounce that fits the Mutant Mayhem lane beautifully. The characters feel alive. The pages move. The action is easy to follow. There’s a youthful chaos to it all, but it never turns messy. That’s important, because this universe should feel energetic, not cluttered. Joyce nails that balance and gives the issue a fun visual snap that keeps every page moving with purpose.
Brian Kolek’s lettering helps sell that momentum too. Everything flows nicely, the dialogue reads clean, and the action beats land the way they should. It’s one of those invisible wins that keeps the comic from tripping over itself. No clunky mess. No visual traffic jam. Just a smooth read from front to back.
The best thing about this issue is that it feels like a real beginning. Not filler. Not a lazy bridge chapter. A beginning. Fugitoid’s introduction matters, the mystery around him is interesting, and the ending gives the story that nice little “oh snap, now we gotta see where this goes” kick. For fans of the Mutant Mayhem vibe, this is a strong next step. For longtime TMNT heads, it’s a fun reminder that this franchise still has plenty of gas in the van.
Bottom line: Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 is a lively, smartly paced kickoff that brings one of the franchise’s coolest sci-fi characters into this newer continuity with style. It’s got energy, charm, tension, and just enough emotional circuitry under the hood to keep it from being all flash. If you rock with the Turtles, this issue is a good time.
A sharp, fun, high-energy start to a new arc that gives Fugitoid a strong entrance and keeps the Mutant Mayhem momentum rolling. WEPA…!
SCORE:
4/5
Writer: Andrew Joustra
Artist: Louie Joyce
Letterer: Brian Kolek
Editor: Ellen Boener
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Author Profile
- I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!
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