The Last Ronin 3: A (Very) Short, Non-Spoilery Review

Well, The Last Ronin #3 does not disappoint. I can say that much.

Without giving away anything that is new to issue #3, I think ultimately "The Last Ronin" will prove to be Oroku Hiroto. The survivors who stayed behind (April and her daughter Casey Marie) have come together through loss, and expanded their family by working with others for a greater good. Michelangelo's journey (and that of whoever else they may find along the way in issues 4 and 5) has to be to come back into their fold, and relearn what it means to be a family. Hiroto is the mirror image of that... we've seen since issue #1 that Hiroto's response to loss and isolation has been to dominate and control and punish. It's warped him to the point where he won't come back... at least that's what it seems like for now. Can I just say how much I love the fact that they've given real moral complexity and redeeming qualities to the Foot Clan generally, and to Hiroto specifically? This is shaping up to be a definitive, epic classic, come what may.

The Last Ronin #3 absolutely does its job of amping up the stakes, expanding both the circle of concern and the number of problems, and fleshing out the backstory. There are relentless gut punches, but it's exhilarating rather than exhausting. And its pacing is so efficient. It's moving like a crazy-go-nuts 1980s action sci-fi movie... and it really leans hard into the incredible wealth of those movies.

Blade Runner:

Escape From New York:

(Okay, this image is from #1, but it's still coming through really strong. The colors, the outfits, the grumpy guy who just wants to do his mission and keep everyone else out of it, but can't seem to manage it...)

Terminator:

Robocop:

I'm sure there are many others I missed, but my knowledge here is nowhere near encyclopedic. 

And then, just underneath the surface of all this pop-culture awesomeness, lie the bones of straight-up Ancient Greek storytelling, which has always been there, but is really distilled to its essence now. Michele Ivey said the other day that part of the reason she always liked Ninja Turtles so much was because they didn't have super powers. They're in this world full of crazy stuff that is too big for them, and they kick ass in spite of it all. Because of their training. Because of their upbringinging. Because of their bond. It's part of what makes them kind of mythological in their elements, and still relatable, like Odysseus and Telemachus. Like the Spartans vs the Athenians vs the Trojans vs the Gods vs whatever. Ben Bishop said it in a Last Ronin post... Kevin Eastman knows exactly what he is doing. He's just a big lying liar about it, because lying is more fun. It's so much better to leave something as it is, and let it be simple. And if people want to find more, then there's plenty to find. Jane Austen did the same thing. She told a straightforward, compelling story... but finding all the stuff she did totally on purpose is an unfinishable endeavor. (This isn't the first time I've compared Jane Austen to the Ninja Turtles. I don't know what to tell you. They're both very good.)

And the details. Oh my goodness, the details. 

There is one firm prediction that I feel very comfortable sharing, because there's no threat of spoilers in it. I am going to cry so hard before this series is done.