By Robert “Rob Base” Greenwood
If you have read my other reviews you will know that I am a sucker for all these great Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. I just recently gave The Secret Origin of the Foot a 5/5. This issue stars Old Hob, He is a creation from IDW’s editor-in-chief, Chris Ryall. Yet reading him in this issue you feel like you should already know him.
He loosely reminds me of Hallocat from Archie Adventure Series (bio from turtlepedia.wikia.com):
Hallocat (previously known as ‘Pookey’ before the mutation) was a truckers pet cat, his owner had been illegally dumping toxic waste for a chemical plant whose foreman did not want to dispose of the waste properly in an effort to cut costs. One day, Pookey got under the foreman’s feet, tripping him. In a fit of anger, the foreman picked him up and threw him into a vat of toxic waste (which was actually mutagen).
And this is Old Hob‘s origin (Also from turtlepedia.wikia.com):
Old Hob was a stray cat that came across the Turtles and Splinter after they were dropped by the pair of ninja that had stolen them from Stockgen. The mutagen that was included with them had spilled, and Old Hob had come in contact with the agent as well. He tried to scurry off with a pre-mutated Raphael. Old Hob’s eye was clawed out by Splinter. He would later mutate and team up with Baxter Stockman to get revenge on Splinter and the Turtles. Since the mutagen Old Hob came into contact was contaminated, he was sent to bring in the other mutants, alive or dead, in order to get the mutagen samples from their blood. He was put in charge of a street gang and tried multiple times to take down Splinter and the Turtles.
Old Hob is telling his origin story in a very film Noir style, He has a hatred for humans and a greater hatred for Master Splinter. This story is very existential in its delivery and so typical in its structure. This doesn’t take away from the character at all.
Most Comic book villains fall prey for this very set up, Old Hob may not be The turtles version of Doctor Doom but he most certainly isn’t Paste Pot Pete! He will be a force to be reckoned with.
I am hoping this story picks up and we learn what his plans are. For this I am giving Old Hob a solid 3/5 and once again IDW makes us love being a Turtle !!!!
