Cowabunga! TMNT IDW Collection Vol. 17 Review – The Armageddon Game is On

My Shell-Shocked Excitement

I’ve been a die-hard TMNT comic fan for years, and the IDW series has been an incredible ride. When I got my hands on the newly released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection, Volume 17, I practically yelled “Cowabunga!” in the comic shop. This volume is a hefty hardcover (408 pages of ninja goodness) collecting one of the most ambitious Turtle storylines to date. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my personal (and passionate) review of Volume 17 in a conversational, first-person tone – as if we’re two comic nerds gushing over coffee. No heavy spoilers here, so don’t worry – I’ll keep it spoiler-light while still digging into what makes this volume special.

Volume 17 is a big deal because it finally collects “The Armageddon Game” – a massive crossover event that has been years in the making. As a long-time reader, I felt both excited and a bit nervous going in. Would it live up to the hype that IDW has been building? Let’s break it down step by step: what’s inside, the storyline (no spoilers!), the creative team shake-ups, how it ties into the ongoing TMNT saga, and how fans (like me) and critics have reacted to this turtle-powered tome.

What’s Inside Volume 17?

First off, what exactly do you get in TMNT IDW Collection Vol. 17? This collection bundles together a ton of issues across the Armageddon Game event and related tie-ins, arranged in the recommended reading order. Here’s the rundown of what’s included in this volume:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW main series) #133–137 – These are the core ongoing issues that tie directly into the event’s storyline.
• TMNT: The Armageddon Game #1–6 – The main event miniseries issues (parts 1 through 6 of the Armageddon Game). This is the backbone of the story, the big limited series where the major plot unfolds.
• TMNT: The Armageddon Game – The Alliance #1–5 – A companion miniseries focusing on side characters and tie-in missions during the event.
• (Bonus: It even includes a short prologue story titled “Teen Spirit,” originally from the TMNT 40th Anniversary special, to set the stage.)

That’s a whole lot of Turtle content!

In practical terms, Volume 17 is like getting three trade paperbacks in one: the main series arc, the event mini-series, and the tie-in mini. IDW does a great job presenting “the complete TMNT stories in recommended reading order”, so you can read Armageddon Game in the sequence it was meant to be experienced. I really appreciated not having to jump between different issues manually – the book guides you through the crossover seamlessly. As a fan who remembers the confusion of ’90s crossovers, this is a big relief!

Storyline Overview – The Armageddon Game (Spoiler-Light)

So what’s the story? The Armageddon Game is essentially the TMNT’s ultimate showdown against an alliance of their greatest foes, orchestrated by the trickster deity Rat King. If that sounds epic, it’s because it absolutely is. The volume’s synopsis sets the stage perfectly: Rat King and his new “Trio of Terror” – which includes the alien warlord General Krang (now inhabiting the body of Leatherhead!), tech mogul/NYC Mayor Baxter Stockman, and dark witch Madame Null – have launched a devious plan to throw New York City (and the mutant-inhabited borough called Mutant Town) into chaos. This grand conspiracy is the so-called “game” in Armageddon Game, and the stakes are nothing less than the fate of the world.

Facing this nightmare scenario, our favorite heroes in a half-shell are not alone. In a wild turn of events, the Turtles are now led by none other than Oroku Saki – the Shredder himself, who has been recently reformed and now fights on the side of good. (Yes, you read that right – the Shredder is basically Splinter 2.0 for the moment. As a long-time fan, seeing Shredder play sensei/leader to the Turtles made me do a double-take, but it’s handled in a really cool, redemptive way.) Under Shredder’s leadership, the TMNT call in allies both old and new in an effort to stop Rat King’s apocalyptic scheme. We see the return of fan-favorite characters like Karai (Shredder’s granddaughter and a deadly ninja in her own right), vigilantes Casey Jones and Nobody, brainy reporter April O’Neil, mutant allies like Alopex (the fox ninja) and Bludgeon (the mutant shark), and even Venus – a recently introduced mutant turtle (IDW’s fresh take on the character from the ’90s show). Each of these allies has a role to play in this high-stakes contest for the fate of NYC.

The storyline in Volume 17 basically unfolds on two major fronts. One front follows Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael as they venture out on a quest beyond New York – even across dimensions – to rally more allies for the coming battle. This takes them to some pretty far-out places (there’s a bit of cosmic adventure in here – more on that later). The idea of the Turtles dimension-hopping with Shredder as their guide is as bonkers and fun as it sounds. The other front stays grounded in Mutant Town, where Donatello and Jennika (the fifth turtle, formerly a Foot Clan assassin turned good) are left to defend their home turf. And boy, do they have their hands full! Mutant Town is under siege from multiple threats: Mayor Stockman’s oppressive police state, General Krang’s alien-tech mayhem, Madame Null’s mutant henchmen, and even a mysterious quartet of masked ninja turtles wreaking havoc as imposters. (These false turtles are a creepy little subplot – they’re like twisted doppelgängers causing terror to turn the public against our heroes). Plus, there’s a mad scientist Dr. Barlow bent on revenge, government agents (EPF troopers) invading, and angry Utrom aliens in the mix. Talk about battle on all fronts!

Despite so much happening, the story is surprisingly accessible if you’ve been following the IDW series. The volume provides just enough context to remind you who’s who. For example, the Rat King is not just a random villain here – IDW has been building him up for ages as part of a family of immortal entities called the Pantheon. His crazy “game” has been foreshadowed in previous volumes (long-time readers will remember hints in City at War and various Annual issues leading up to this). Meanwhile, Mutant Town itself was established after a mutagen bomb exploded in an earlier storyline, creating a segregated mutant district in NYC – a big status quo change that this event heavily plays on. If you’re a new reader jumping in here (though I strongly recommend reading earlier volumes first for maximum payoff), Volume 17 does convey the idea that a lot has happened before. But it also delivers on giving you an epic, self-contained adventure with a beginning, middle, and (sort of) climax within the volume’s pages.

In short, the Armageddon Game storyline is huge. It’s the kind of tale that touches “every last corner of the TMNT universe, both on planet Earth and beyond,” as one reviewer aptly put it. We get street-level ninja action in NYC, sci-fi escapades in alternate dimensions, political intrigue, ancient mystic prophecies, and personal character moments all woven together. At times I felt like I was reading a TMNT version of a big Marvel/DC crossover event – the scope is that grand. It’s ambitious and brimming with moving parts. The best part is that, despite juggling so many threads, the story (mostly) stays coherent and engaging. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how the Turtles would navigate each twist of Rat King’s “game.” And without spoiling specifics, I’ll just say there are some pretty awesome fight scenes and dramatic reveals along the way (one issue ends with a reunion I did not see coming – and I literally gasped). Volume 17 definitely delivers in the excitement department.

Creative Team Highlights – New and Returning Heroes Behind the Scenes

One thing that makes Volume 17 stand out is the major changes in the creative team for this arc, including some notable returns. Longtime TMNT readers will recognize the name Tom Waltz – he was the head writer for IDW’s TMNT #1–100 (basically the architect of the modern Turtle saga). After issue #100’s climax, Waltz stepped back and handed the reins to Sophie Campbell (who wrote the series through volumes 14–16, focusing on the Mutant Town era). Well, hold onto your shells: Tom Waltz is back! He returned specifically to orchestrate The Armageddon Game, penning the main limited series. You can really feel Waltz’s touch in the storytelling – it’s like an old friend coming home. The dialogue has that classic TMNT banter and the pacing ramps up to “big event” mode in a way that reminded me of the pre-100 issues. Meanwhile, Sophie Campbell continues to write the ongoing series issues (#133–137) that are included here, and she even writes/draws one of the Alliance tie-in issues. The collaboration between Waltz and Campbell works quite well; it’s almost seamless in this volume. Waltz provides the overarching plot structure and epic payoff to long-running threads, and Campbell maintains the strong character-driven focus and emotional beats (especially within Mutant Town). As a fan, it’s great to see these two styles blending – it’s like getting the best of both worlds creatively.

The artwork throughout Volume 17 is dynamic and diverse, owing to multiple artists handling different pieces of the event. The primary artist for the main Armageddon Game series is Vincenzo Federici, whose slick, energetic style really suits a big action crossover. Federici’s fight scenes are fluid and cinematic; I love how he draws the Turtles and Shredder in particular – there’s a certain intensity to the way they move on the page. One moment that stood out is an “imposter turtles” attack sequence that is both chaotic and crystal-clear in panel flow (the Big Comic Page review also praised how dynamic this part looked). The ongoing series issues in Mutant Town feature art by Fero Pe, among others, bringing a slightly more gritty, street-level vibe which complements the more grounded side of the story. And then the Alliance tie-in issues each have their own flavor: artists like Roi Mercado, Pablo Verdugo, and even Sophie Campbell herself (who is an artist as well as writer) contribute. One issue drawn by Juni Ba has a really unique, stylized look – almost like a TMNT indie comic – which was refreshing in the middle of the book. Admittedly, the shifting art styles can be a bit jarring when reading the collection straight through (one chapter is polished superhero-style art, the next has a sketchier experimental feel). But each artist suits the character focus of their respective issue. For instance, Sophie Campbell’s issue in Alliance spotlights the mutant turtle Venus, a character she helped introduce – and her emotive art brings out Venus’s eerie yet sympathetic nature beautifully.

It’s also worth mentioning the colorists and letterers who keep things tonally consistent. Even as the penciler/inker styles change, colorist Matt Herms (among others) uses a vibrant palette that ties the visuals together. Letterer Shawn Lee (and Jake M. Wood on some chapters) handles the huge amount of dialogue and SFX with clarity – trust me, an event like this can get wordy, but the lettering smartly guides your eye. Overall, the creative team pulled off a complex task: making a sprawling event feel cohesive. I have to give a special cheer for Kevin Eastman as well – the TMNT co-creator provides some awesome variant covers (one of which graces the cover of this collection, featuring the Rat King). While Eastman isn’t writing or drawing interiors here, his presence in the periphery is a treat for fans (and he did co-plot some earlier arcs that lead into this event).

In terms of notable returns beyond Waltz, I already squealed about Shredder coming back into the story (that’s both a story and creative return, since Waltz originally wrote Shredder’s arc up to his demise in issue #50). We also see the return of characters like the Nova Posse (a group of Dimension X alien adventurers not seen since much earlier in the series) – a deep-cut nod for long-time readers that Waltz brought back during the Turtles’ dimension-hopping quest. And remember Leatherhead? He hadn’t been seen in a while after a shocking merger with Krang; his return here as the hybrid “LeatherKrang” is a major plot point. Creatively, it’s cool that Waltz is basically cashing in all the chips he left on the table: every lingering thread or character from his 100-issue run is fair game in Armageddon Game. As a fan, that’s super satisfying – it shows that the team had a long game in mind.

Tying Into the TMNT Saga – Continuity and Connections

One thing I absolutely loved (and that might intimidate new readers a bit) is how deeply connected Volume 17 is to the previous volumes of the IDW TMNT series. This story truly feels like the culmination of many plotlines that have been brewing throughout the run. Let me give a bit of context on how it ties in:

• “City at War” Aftermath: Back in Volume 13 (around issues #90–100), we had the massive City at War arc where the Turtles faced the Shredder in a final showdown. That ended with Shredder’s defeat and the death of Splinter (heavy stuff!). Shredder’s eventual return as a redeemed mentor in Armageddon Game is a direct follow-up to the soul-searching journey he went on in the miniseries Shredder in Hell (and beyond). Volume 17 references this backstory enough that you understand Saki is seeking atonement. For me, seeing how far Shredder has come – from ruthless enemy to uneasy ally – gave me chills. It’s a payoff for readers who’ve seen his whole arc.
• Mutant Town and Hob: After City at War, volumes 14–16 dealt with the fallout of a mutagen bomb detonated by Old Hob (the mutant cat crime-boss). That created Mutant Town, a quarantined mutant ghetto in NYC, and set up a whole new status quo. In Volume 17, Mutant Town is basically ground zero for the Armageddon Game’s chaos. The power struggles we see (Baxter Stockman as mayor exploiting the mutant situation, Hob’s underground resistance, etc.) all stem from those previous events. There’s even a subplot where Raphael tries to enlist Old Hob’s help against Rat King – a super tense moment given their bitter history (Hob was like an older brother figure then a betrayer to Raph). That conversation hits harder if you know their past, but even if you don’t, the book gives you enough to grasp that *“complicated (to say the least) past which led to the formation of Mutant Town .
• Rat King and the Pantheon: The villain of this volume, Rat King, isn’t new – he’s part of a family of demigods (the Pantheon) who’ve meddled in the Turtles’ world before. In earlier volumes (and especially the 2020–2021 annual issues), Rat King was shown plotting something big, playing a long con game with his immortal siblings. Armageddon Game is the fruition of that. The volume subtly nods to how Rat King got here – for example, his alliance with Madame Null and LeatherKrang has roots in prior incidents (Leatherhead swallowing Krang back in issue #88, Null’s dealings with mutants in the Mutanimals miniseries, etc.). If you’re a lore nerd like me, you’ll be thrilled to see these threads referenced or resolved. If not, you’ll just see “bad guys doing bad guy things,” which still works on a basic level. 😉
• Character Growth: Volume 17 also continues the personal journeys of the main Turtles and their friends. Leonardo is more confident in leadership now (after some doubt in earlier arcs). Michelangelo is struggling with the pacifist ideals he adopted (there’s a great moment where he has to decide if he can fight in this “game” without betraying himself). Donatello steps up big time in defending Mutant Town, showing how much he’s grown since his near-death experience back in issue #50. Jennika, the newest Turtle, continues to prove herself as a hero and a team player – this event challenges her to lead mutants in civil defense, echoing her attempt to create peace in Mutant Town in prior issues. And I have to mention Casey Jones and April: their relationship and new roles (Casey mentoring a bunch of mutant orphans, April becoming a resistance leader and dealing with personal loss from City at War) all carry into this story.

Reading Volume 17 felt like a reunion with old friends. The continuity connections are strong, but in my opinion, that’s what makes the IDW TMNT universe so rich. This volume rewards you for having read the 16 volumes before – practically every important side character you can think of shows up for the big finale. It truly feels like “everything and the kitchen sink” from the TMNT toybox has been thrown into the ring. Some might find that dense, but as a fan, I was delighted at each callback. And if you are a newer reader starting here (again, you can, but you’ll be like a tourist dropped into the finale of a long TV show), this volume might entice you to go back and read what you missed. After all, the IDW Collection exists so you can catch up in order. The publisher even boasts that this series has “everything a beginner could need; everything a diehard could want” collected within. Bold claim, but with how comprehensive Volume 17 is, I believe it – it’s both a crash course and a grand payoff.

Fan and Critic Reactions – Did It Live Up to the Hype?

With such an ambitious crossover event, you can bet fans have had a lot to say about The Armageddon Game. I’ve been lurking on forums and reading reviews, and the responses are actually pretty interesting – a mix of enthusiastic praise and some thoughtful critiques.

On the positive side, many readers (myself included) loved the sheer epic scope of this volume. It’s the kind of story we don’t often see in TMNT – one that dares to swing for the fences and include virtually every element of TMNT lore. The team really “touches every corner of the TMNT universe” with this storyline, and that ambition earned applause. We finally got resolutions (or at least progress) on long-running conflicts, and some dream team-ups happened (Leo and Shredder fighting side by side! April teaming up with the fugitive Triceraton queen!). One comic critic gave an issue of this event a 4 out of 5, noting that with so many threads and characters, there’s “guaranteed to be something here to satisfy any TMNT fan’s tastes. I agree – whether you’re into ninja stealth, sci-fi adventure, or character drama, Volume 17 delivers a bit of everything. Fans also appreciated the return of Tom Waltz’s writing. His grasp on the Turtles’ voices and the overall lore added a sense of consistency and “backbone” to the sprawling narrative. And let’s not forget the art – I’ve seen tons of positive comments about Federici’s artwork in the main series and the cool stylistic experiments in the tie-ins. Some favorite moments cited by fans include the intense duel involving Karai (no spoilers, but it’s badass), and a touching scene between Michelangelo and a certain ally that shows Mikey’s growth. Emotion and action, hand in hand.

However, not all reactions were pizza and parties. A number of fans felt the event didn’t fully live up to its potential, especially by the end. On a Reddit discussion after the arc wrapped up, several readers voiced disappointment that Armageddon Game “was kinda… disappointing” or one of the weaker arcs in the long run. The common criticism was that after so much buildup, the finale felt rushed or compressed. “I kept waiting for it to happen, all the build up to it, and then it culminated in very little,” one fan lamented. I can see where they’re coming from – the event is eight issues long (plus all the tie-ins), and some felt the big climax didn’t have the same impact as, say, City at War’s conclusion. Another reader commented that the second half “really fizzled it out… It was all over the place”, lacking the tight payoff they hoped for. In my own read, I did notice the final chapters had to resolve a lot very quickly. It’s almost like the story had too many big ideas to land perfectly gracefully. A couple of plot threads in this volume do end on cliffhangers or carry into the next volume (Volume 18 will likely conclude the remaining pieces), so Volume 17 by itself doesn’t wrap up every single thing. That can be slightly unsatisfying if you expect a neat ending here.

Critically, reviews were generally positive (averaging around 7.5 to 8 out of 10 for the event issues), but they echoed some of these sentiments. Some reviewers pointed out that the story risked becoming convoluted with its many moving parts. There’s a balancing act in any crossover: how do you give each character their due without derailing the momentum? Armageddon Game maybe stumbled a bit in balance. For example, if you’re not a fan of the Dimension X cosmic stuff, you might find those sections a bit jarring (one reviewer admitted the space-alien subplot “really isn’t landing for me” compared to the street-level elements. On the flip side, if you love the wider TMNT universe lore, you might be thrilled by those scenes but possibly less invested in the local Mutant Town politics. It truly is a mixing pot of subplots; naturally, not every ingredient will be everyone’s favorite.

From my perspective as a fan writing this over a cup of coffee (in a mug with Mikey’s face on it, no less), I’d say Volume 17 mostly delivers on its promise. It’s not flawless – I felt the pacing hiccup here and there, and I recognize that new readers would be pretty lost without context – but it entertained the shell out of me. The highs were very high: huge battles, dramatic character moments, and some genuinely funny bits of TMNT humor shining through the apocalypse (yes, even at the end of the world, Michelangelo finds a way to crack a joke). The lows were that it can feel a bit dense and the ending in this volume leaves you hungry for more resolution. The good news is, IDW has more to come, and Volume 18 will likely finish the game. As part of an ongoing saga, Volume 17 is a triumphant penultimate chapter.

Final Thoughts – A Pizza Party of Emotions

Wrapping up this long, passionate ramble (thanks for sticking with me!), I have to say TMNT: The IDW Collection Vol. 17 was one shell of a ride. Reading it felt like attending a giant Turtle family reunion where everyone showed up – heroes, villains, and everyone in between – and immediately a brawl and a board game broke out at the same time.  It’s chaotic, it’s heartfelt, and it’s bursting with the creativity and love that the writers and artists clearly have for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mythos.

From a first-person fan perspective: I laughed, I gasped, I even got a little emotional when certain old faces returned. This volume made me appreciate how rich the IDW TMNT continuity has become over 17 volumes. It’s the kind of storyline that could only happen after years of world-building – and it rewards you for being invested. At the same time, it’s full of action and fun that any comic book lover can enjoy: you’ve got ninjas fighting on rooftops, mutants of all shapes and sizes, world-ending stakes, and the heroes we all love trying to save the day against impossible odds.

Is it perfect? Nah. It’s a little unwieldy, and new readers might feel like they opened a novel at the climax of Act 3. But IDW did a commendable job making sure the collection itself is user-friendly (the recap pages and the chosen reading order help a ton). If you’re a general comic book fan curious about TMNT, starting from the IDW Collection Vol. 1 and working up to this would be an amazing journey – and Volume 17 will feel like a satisfying payoff when you get here. If you’re an established TMNT fan who’s been waiting to see how all these threads come together, I think you’ll find Volume 17 thrilling, even with a few reservations.

In the end, I close this hardcover with a grin on my face, excited for what comes next. The Armageddon Game in Volume 17 was a bold move, and in my book, it was a win for the Turtles. The fan in me is happy (and already theorizing about Volume 18’s contents – the game isn’t quite over yet!). The critic in me acknowledges the bumps in the road. But overall, this collection is absolutely worth adding to your shelf if you love TMNT or just love epic comic crossovers.

Time to grab a slice of pizza and toast to our heroes in green – they survived the Armageddon Game, and so did we!

Cowabunga, dudes! Here’s to 17 volumes of Turtle power and many more to come.