IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Animated Adventures #9

Originally written by Paige with thoughts from Mark Rodriguez

This issue features Metalhead as the Turtles continue on their adventures based on the 2012 TV series.

Donnie is working on Metalhead's new type of battery, while Raph looks bored in the background. Our brilliant turtle is trying to explain about the new lithium-ion batteries to his brother. Raph pretty much rolls his eyes, and makes fun of his brother. Donnie is tired of Raph's attitude and does something really stupid. He challenges a fight in the dojo...

The fight between Donnie and Raph goes as one would expect. Raph grabs his brother's bo staff and uses it against him. Donnie is easily defeated. He tries to explain that smarts is more important than strength in the real world. Raph walks away laughing.

Later on, Leo, Mikey and Raph are relaxing. Leo asks Raph if he was too harsh on his brother, but Raph just comments that he deserved it by asking to go to the dojo. As they were talking a loud crash in Donnie's lab distract them. It's Metalhead, he's been taken over by the Kraang! Metalhead easily smacks away Leo, while Donnie attempts at trying to control the robot. Metalhead finds a way out of the lair.

Metalhead flies now, which surprises Mikey and he asks about it. Donnie explains that he finally figured out the flight dynamics. The robot flies to an historic library. Oh know! Not the books! It flies to the top and the gang follow him to the roof. Mikey gets punched with the rocket powered fist. Mikey even makes a stupid comment about wishing he had that. Leo gets knocked out by the same fist of fury. Raph panics and asks Donnie to figure something out. Donnie asks if Raph is asking about how intelligence is more important than strength. He agrees, mostly because he's getting shot at by Metalhead. Donnie begins to laugh and Raph wonders what's so funny.

Donnie explains that Metalhead isn't actually under the control of the Kraang, but the whole thing is a prank. Even Mikey and Leo was in on it, mostly because they also wanted payback to their brother. So when Donnie goes to turn off the robot with the remote control, it's gone. And Raph reveals the remote control. He tells his brother that he knew about the "obvious" prank. Why would the Kraang attempt to sabatoge a library. So while Raph holds up the remote control, he gets punched by the pimp hand and there goes the controller, and it's now busted. All control of the robot is lost, and it is out of control.

The group escapes from the attack of Metalhead. Metalhead flies off, with the turtles following behind on the buggies. The robot is more destructive than before and shoots at a car and it almost squishes the turtles. The group splits into two buggies. Leo's buggy with Mikey shoots a grappling hook at the robot to catch him, but they go on an unexpected ride with it. They get dragged around behind Metalhead. Leo thinks of a way to steer Metalhead. Leo gets swung around and shot at. But with all the shots missed, it almost hits the pedestrians on the street. One guy panics, thinking the aliens and UFOs are back. Reference to the season one finale!

Raph's buggy with Donnie uses their grappling hook to get to the rooftop to see what's going on. Raph yells at his brother about the prank trying to prove he is smarter than everyone, making him feel dumb. Donnie realizes the real reason why Raph bullies him. "You think I'm trying to make you feel dumb" Raph just pushes it aside and says fighting is his thing. . Donnie makes a smart comment about insecurity. Raph grabs his brothers finger and bends it back, making him yell uncle. Raph and Donnie have a brotherly moment. Awww.... Donnie compliments Raph's intelligence to see through the prank.

Back to Leo, he finally catches up to Metalhead, but ends up getting knocked off and caught by Mikey. Raph asks about the weak spot in the battery, but Donnie interrupts talking about how Raph didn't listen when he said that the battery pack is heavily protected. But he realizes that maybe something can overload the battery, and he notices something. He asks Leo to lead Metalhead to the New Years' ball. Raph and Donnie go to the famous disco ball in the sky and works on the power box. Leo leads Metalhead towards the ball, while Mikey is useless, attempting to think of a good time to say Booyakahsa...

While the robot chases after the turtles, it gets caught on the tower, and a turtle throws the switch, shocking Metalhead. The power is too great and blacks out the whole city. A police chopper arrives, and this is their cue to leave.

While in the lair, the turtles watch a news article about the incident. The long-name reporter explains about another alien invasion. Splinter appears and compliments the brotherliness between Donnie and Raph. And he continues to say that Metalhead is dangerous to use as part of a prank. And as he explains this, Mikey uses Metalhead to throw water balloons.

Second Story-

Raph arrives at the lair without his mask and he's been beaten up. He doesn't want to tell the story, but his brothers pry it out of him. While Raph was on a lookout, he finds some Purple Dragons. This is where all the guys laugh. Raph was beaten by the Purple Dragons, that has to be pathetic! But Raph continues to explain that the Purple Dragon he was confronted by a big muscled thug. The man heard the stories about the turtles. He is determined that these stories will end.

While the two fight, Raph throws the man... into..MUTAGEN! Told you that they really should be looking for those rather than doing anything else...Well anyway the man turns into a dragon. Donnie wonders how the man turned into a dragon without dragon DNA. Raph brushes that aside and continues to explain about his fight with the dragon. The dragon plays baseball with Raph and a telephone pole. Raph then uses his own "bat" which is a wrecking ball. He smacks the dragon into a building, it's seemingly defeated. He tells the dragon not to mess with the red turtle.

Back to the gang. Everyone doubts the story, and in comes April. She tells the real story that She landed a punch on Raph. Raph feels defeated and tells the guys to "have their fun". Instead of teasing their brother, they compliment him for helping a friend.

Paige's Thoughts-

In this issue, there are two stories. One is the normal length and the second story is just two pages long. Still waiting on more of an ongoing story though. Metalhead has his comic time. And this has to be before it sacrifices itself to save the turtles in the show. So you're in our memories Metalhead.

The second story was a cute quick read. Raph's eccentric story and at the end it reveals the real truth of the black eye.

There are even references to the season finale, I think that was the first real comic reference to something that happened on the show's newest episodes. That should happen more often in this series. Oh, almost forgot the Mutagen bottle randomly on the street, reference to the scattered canisters in season two maybe? 

Mark's Thoughts-

The main story was pretty good, giving Metalhead some limelight. It also gave us a bit of focus on Donnie and Raph. Raph's always been a bit of a jerk towards him and the story actually goes into why. 

I like Metalhead on the show. It was a shame he wasn't used more often in the original cartoon, only having a minor cameo in a second episode after his main appearance. When it comes to the 80's cartoon I think he's remember mostly for his appearance in Turtles in Time than in the actual show. 

Metalhead also returns in the recent game TMNT Shredder's Revenge

The second story was short and sweet and a funny tall tale of Raph covering up the fact that April landed a lucky punch. I know it was cool to see the turtles act happy that he helped April train, but you know at least Mikey would have been laughing.