Warning: Spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2Brotherhood is at the heart of these Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, but Michelangelo’s relationship with his brothers just took a shocking turn. After decades of working together, recent circumstances have driven the TMNT apart, and Mikey’s resentment towards his siblings has reached a breaking point. Michelangelo officially takes a stand against his Raphael and the others, changing their relationship forever.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 – Written by Jason Aaron, with art by Rafael Albuquerque, Marcelo Maiolo, and Shawn Lee follows Michelangelo in the aftermath of a mysterious fall-out with his brothers. Without his siblings to rely on, Michelangelo became a famous television star and built a life for himself. Now, his ninja past comes back to haunt him when he is ambushed by ninjas. Raphael shows up just in time to save him, but instead of fighting the ninjas alongside his brother, Mikey makes an unexpected move and attacks him.
Michelangelo’s bitter resentment toward his brothers reaches a devastating crescendo when he and Raphael clash.And the brotherly bond of the turtles may never be as it once was as brother fights brother in an all-out brawl.
Michelangelo fights Raphael, permanently upending Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ status quo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 – Written by Jason Aaron; Art by Rafael Albuquerque, Marcelo Maiolo, & Shawn Lee
Michelangelo’s easy life of fame and fortune means he lets his guard down, giving ninjas the perfect opportunity to strike. It is revealed that they poisoned the pizza he just ate, causing Mikey to visualize his brothers attacking him rather than his actual assailants. Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello engage Mikey in battle while ridiculing his lifestyle, and he has no choice but to fight back. Afterwards, the poison is removed, but Mikey’s anger at his brothers is not abated; Instead, once he meets the real Raphael, Michelangelo unleashes his fury on him with a punch right in the face.
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In his dark era The Last RoninMichelangelo lets his infamy against his brothers get the better of him. His anger towards Rafael and the others stems mostly from the fact that they “abandoned” him, as he says, leaving him alone when he is so used to counting on them through thick and thin. Therefore, when he meets Raphael after a very long time of separation, he is not thrilled to see him. It’s not the ninjas’ poison that drives him to attack Raphael. This is Michelangelo’s own rage, fitting for his current character shift from the goofiest turtle to a more serious role.
Michelangelo has finally outgrown his “party dude” reputation
But the other Ninja Turtles still see the “old” Mikey
throughout TMNT Historically, Michelangelo is known as a “Party Dude”. He is the comic relief of the team’s lineup, always eating pizza and cracking jokes at unnecessary moments. On the surface, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2, it looks like Mikey is leaning into that persona more than ever. He smiles for the cameras while filming his ninja TV show and gives paparazzi the performance they want. When he is alone, however, Michelangelo reveals that he does not care for the party scene anymore, and he has become introspective and solemn in general. Party David Michelangelo is officially no more.
Despite Mikey’s evolution as a character, he remains the immature slacker he was before to the other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When his poisoned pizza causes him to hallucinate his brothers, they all call him out for never growing up, though it’s evident that he finally did while making a name for himself in Tokyo. Michelangelo believes that his brothers will never see him as more than a one-tone partyWho became bitter towards them. As Raphael and Michelangelo reunite, the time has come for this festering conflict to be settled one way or another.
The Brave New Era of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles split the brothers up
Can Michelangelo and his brothers still make amends?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘New series kicks off with the turtles separated, In a subversion of their usual status quo. Instead of working as a team in New York City, they are scattered around the world and are each embarking on their own journey. In the first issue, Raphael is locked in prison and framed for murder, and now Mikey’s fate is shown with his fame era. The reason for the separation of the brothers remains to be seen, but it seems to be catastrophic if it led to such deep-seated frustration on the part of Michelangelo.
Michelangelo may have turned against his brothers, but there’s a chance they can rebuild their relationship—depending on how their fight plays out.
Although Mikey’s managed to pave his own star-studded path in Tokyo, it’s not enough to replace what he had with his brothers in New York. Even after he eats at the fanciest restaurant money can buy, all he can think about is that the real best meal he ever had was the pizza he shared with his brothers in a sewer. Michelangelo may have turned against his brothers, but there’s a chance they can rebuild their relationship—depending on how their fight plays out. Michelangelo and Raphael’s battle to determine the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 is available now from IDW Publishing.