Writer: Erik Burnham
Artist: Jack Lawrence
Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists: Jack Lawrence & Luis Antonio Delgado;
Chris “Mista Jonz” Jones; Jon Sommariva & Francisco Perez; Stan Sakai &
Emi Fujii
Publisher: IDW
Price: $5.99
Release Date: June 12, 2024
Donatello brought Usagi to New York. Usagi guards an
incubating dragon and helps out at Obento’s animal shelter. Michelangelo likes
Usagi so much that he slapped the rabbit with a pizza. But does Usagi’s destiny
lie in New York or his homeland? Let's order a thick crust pepperoni, tune into
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: Saturday Morning Adventures #1, and
find out!
Story
Like the Turtles, Usagi patrols Obento’s neighborhood. When
thieves break the lock on a shopfront, he gives them a good seeing-to. Applause
erupts. Usagi turns to find his Turtle friends. Aside from their visit, the
Turtles have another surprise for Usagi. Donatello has found a way to send him
home.
Thanks to a suggestion from Master Splinter, the Turtles
step through Donatello’s dimensional with Usagi. Leonardo loves the tranquil
forest, Rafael misses the hubbub of the big city, and Michelangelo can’t wait
to sample the culinary delectations of Usagi’s world. As they hasten toward
Usagi’s village, a creature leaps from the shadows and attacks Usagi. While the
two exchange sword blows, the Turtles strain to distinguish their dark attacker
amid the shadows. Donatello brightens his Turtlecom’s viewscreen. When he
shines it toward Usagi, the dark assassin dissolves in a puff of smoke.
Usagi’s friend Kai informs them that dark shadows have
fallen on the land in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: Saturday
Morning Adventures #1. Vampires may not fill the skies, but Shadow Warriors
have defeated the Shogun's elite warriors and captured all who opposed him.
Their master, Lord Desmodus, now rules from a castle on a nearby hill. Could
Usagi have prevented this tragedy? All he knows is that the holiday is over.
It's time for the Turtles to return home so he can free his people.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: Saturday
Morning Adventures #1, Usagi is called Usagi Yojimbo, not Miyamoto Usagi. The
story doesn’t revolve around what it means to be a samurai or a ronin in
Usagi’s world. Instead, Erik Burnham focuses on what the Turtles do best:
helping others, supporting their friends, remaining resolutely upbeat, and
defeating Bad Dudes (especially megalomaniacal alien bad guys). While all the
Turtles shine, Donatello's quick thinking proves the sharpest blade. He helps
them navigate the hurdles Desmodus sets in their way. Donatello also adjusts
his thinking when he discovers more things in this dimension than are dreamt of
in his philosophy.
Art
As green smoke rises above a city bathed in the yellow
moon's light, three thieves wearing green shirts adorned with a brown shell
break a gold padlock. While two wear square masks, all three wrap red bandanas
with eyeholes around their heads. But Usagi isn’t fooled by the reptilian
pretenders. Clad in his lavender Kimono and black Katama, Usagi punches and
kicks the thieves into an early night. The Turtles clap and smile while
Michelangelo lifts his arms in admiration. Leonardo and Usagi bow parallel to
the ground, sharing each other's gaze. The Turtles take Usagi to Donatello's
lab, where Mikey enjoys a slice of Cheesy Pepperoni. Donatello presses a
control and gestures to the portal as it shows the forest near Usagi's village.
Luis Antonio Delgado lavishes a loaded palette of attractive
colors on Jack Lawrence’s art in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo:
Saturday Morning Adventures #1. Delgado and Lawrence portray Usagi as he looked
in the 1980s TMNT TV series. The black Shadow Warriors aren't hawks, but they
have wings and will remind readers of a character from TMNT: Saturday Morning
Adventures #8. Desmodus doesn’t fight crime, but he displays a familiar symbol
on the chest of his purple armor. Delgado casts Kai's memory in beige, tan, and
brown, reminiscent of his village's wood frame houses and thatch roofs. Blue
and purple robots hover around a pulsing bright green column, reminiscent of
the armor Desmodus prizes.
Ed Dukeshire's uppercase black letters in white dialogue
balloons will please pizza lovers of any age. Words rarely shrink and embolden
for inflection, while Desmodus’ computer utters larger machine font in
rectangular boxes. Energetic and colorful sound effects help us hear swords
clang, Desmodus’ jubilant laughter, and Donatello’s searing invention. Yet a gentle
cough clears the air and enlightens the reader in Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: Saturday Morning Adventures #1. Thanks to IDW for
providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Raphael grudgingly leaves New York City amid signs of his
rising popularity. Yet Raphael endorses their mission wholeheartedly when he
discovers the threat to Usagi's world. He requests poetry, admonishes Donatello
for labeling people, and discovers a new favorite vehicle in Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: Saturday Morning Adventures #1.
Rating 9.6/10
To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
.jpg)
