Originally written for Flickering Myth
“Intrigue and betrayal abound on Burnow Island! This mini-series takes us to the Technodrome where Krang’s plans to destroy the Earth are ramping up. Little does he know that Baxter Stockman plans to harness its power for himself! As the two villains scheme, one imprisoned robots hold the key to success—the Fugitoid! Will he be able to reach out to the Turtles in time? All this plus the long awaited story of the alien Utrom race!”
I really feel for Fugitoid. He watched his family die after sacrificing himself to save them, but keeps going back for others. The knowledge he possesses is extremely powerful and he lives in constant fear of being used for evil purposes.
So how does he choose to deal with his predicament? By taking that knowledge away. Unfortunately he soon finds himself once again in a predicament. This time it’s Baxter Stockman who seems intent on involving the ‘Fugitive Android’ in his nefarious schemes.
The focus of this mini-series isn’t just Fugitoid though. We also see the Utroms, who are being held in stasis by Krang. He’s looking to turn Earth into a new home for his race, but how did they get into this position? We know that the Utroms had a vast empire, and plenty of planets aren’t happy about their scope and presence. But Paul Allor adds detail here, as we spy the genesis of a classic set of characters and the steps taken by the Utrom Empire that will ultimately lead to their destruction.
Having previously only seen Krang and a few other Utroms it’s easy to assume that they are all war mongers. We quickly discover that we’re wrong to think of all of them that way. My favourite panel of the book (by the returning Andy Kuhn) depicts an Utrom family outing. Much like us they are mainly just living their lives, with little idea as to the machinations fuelling their prosperity.
I don’t envy this team. Secret History of the Foot Clan is a high standard to match. Though I’m not as big of aliens as I am ninjas, I’m happy to say that this is an entertaining read that has my interest. Allor is clearly enjoying the responsibility of having his own tale to tell, and continues TMNT’s knack of introducing old characters in ways that make sense.
Here’s hoping this is a sign of things to come and we have another great series to further bolster my claims that IDW’s TMNT is one of the strongest stories on the stands. The signs are good so far.
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