Summary: Raphael is doing time in San Quentin but not all is as it seems but when the Foot show up Raph's covert ops become an actual sentence.
Plot: After 13 years of continuous storytelling at IDW there is a new dawn for the turtles and although it's not being branded as a reboot this new story by Jason Aaron is definitely a brand new jumping on point for new readers as well as a fresh take for long time fans. So what does that mean for new fans? Well, if you haven't read any of the IDW books( and shame on you if you haven't!) and only have a casual knowledge of who the turtles are it means you can jump right in without needing to know about what came before. There is a big time jump between where we left off in TMNT #151 and the new #1 out this week and how the brothers got split up and away from New York isn't told to us and mentions of the past adventures are vague and basic meaning whether you've only read the Mirage comics, or even just the movies or the show you know enough to jump right in and can just imagine that the story follows along sometime after what ever turtles story you're familiar with. It's certainly an interesting way to start things off and the mystery of how Raph got into prison in California of all places and how he'll get out now that he's been framed for murdering the only man who knew he wasn't actually a prisoner is certainly a compelling thriller. The grittiness that Aaron brings to the book while definitely a departure to the more cartoon inspired feel of the previous IDW stories definitely still feels fitting to the turtles and should please many a lapsed reader. So while it's slightly sad to depart from the last run and I don't know where the book is going,  I am looking forward to the ride. 
Art: Joel Jones art was a big surprise to me. While I've definitely enjoyed her art in the past, especially her work in Supergirl: Being Super, I din't associate her style with the grittiness she showed here. Previously her work was very clean lined and was mostly known for it's realism(especially in how she gave us realistic representation of women with actually diversity in body types) so seeing her here giving us muddy fight scenes in the sewer definitely shocked me. I knew she was a talented artist but now I really appreciate just how much she can change her style to fit the story and it was truly awesome to see.
Grade:9/10