Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: Saturday Morning Adventures #1 Review

 

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.

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Dan Schoening

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Dan Schoening & Luis Antonio Delgado; Jack Lawrence & Gigi Dutreix

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 6, 2024

 

When Leonardo shattered the replica of the Forever Blade, he and Shredder landed in feudal Japan. Shredder used Eddiku Yuri’s original sword to travel Back To The Future. Time-traveling Renet helped Donatello open a dimensional portal to get Leonardo home. Can Donatello use the replica’s fragments to track the energy signature of Shredder’s original? Let's order a pizza, tune into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11, and find out!

 

Story

The artist Kai Eddiku used alien ore to forge his replica sword. Donatello tracks the ore in Eddiku Yuri's original sword and determines Shredder’s general vicinity. But until Shredder opens another dimensional portal, Donatello can't pinpoint his location. Thankfully for Donatello, Shredder opens a doozy to bring a new Technodrome from Dimension X. How will the turtles reach him before Shredder uses the battle fortress to unleash destruction on Earth? Say, might Michelangelo have the answer?

 

The final story in The Two Swords Meet trilogy brings the turtles to Long Island. It’s a gobstopper of a read, flavored with furious action and witty banter as the turtles battle to prevent Armageddon. Better yet, Erik Burnham gives each character a significant task that propels the plot to its epic conclusion.

 

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11, Raphael is our viewpoint character, translating Donatello's technobabble and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking. Hard work and determination bring the turtles to the fight. From there, they've got to work together to prevent Shredder from accomplishing his plans. Michelangelo's wacky brilliance demonstrates the pluses and perils of playing with power irresponsibly, and Leonardo reminds us why he's the leader of the “Heroes in a Half Shell.”

 

Renet’s role in the trilogy approximates that of the White Guardian in the Doctor Who series The Key to Time. Expect a few cameos, including one from another popular IDW franchise. But don’t be like Bebop and Rocksteady. Bring snacks as you ponder the paradoxes in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11!

 

 

 

Art

Dan Schoening welcomes readers into Donatello’s underground laboratory with perplexed turtles and a sad emoji. Krang’s classic lowrider adds a touch of class to a barren plot in Long Island. As Shredder raises his sword and opens a transdimensional portal, his cape lifts to embrace the spherical Technodrome. Bebop and Rocksteady's mouths gape while Krang smiles as his long-desired Battle Fortress emerges from the angry void that slowly devours the sky.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado contrasts Shredder’s blue portal with Leonardo’s yellow one. Fern green bushes, brown dirt, and an aqua sky form the backdrop for Eric Burnham's "The Two Swords Meet" story. Shredder slashes the Forever Blade and fills Long Island with colorful Foot Soldiers and white robots. Delgado colors Shoening’s Deathstar-like Technodrome in shades of purple. Its centerpiece—a glowing red eye—evokes a villain from another popular film series.

 

Ed Dukeshire’s uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons are a sight for sore mutant-lovers' eyes. Energetic and colorful sound effects help us hear Donatello's devices, Raphael skewer Foot Soldiers, and Leonardo delivers his master stroke. Immense silver letters herald the entry of Renet’s Little Weirdness. Let’s hope the surprise guests stick around longer than she estimates, at least until the next issue!

 

Thanks to my compadres at IDW for providing a copy of this cowabunga issue for review.

 

Final Thoughts

The Turtles must use all their strengths to prevent the Technodrome from striking back in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #11.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #9 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Dan Schoening

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Jack Lawrence & Gigi Dutreix; Dan Schoening & Luis Antonio Delgado; Tim Levins & Gigi Dutreix

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 10, 2024

 

Artist Kai Eddiku used his family’s secret sword-making techniques and Shredder’s stolen alien ore to reforge the Forever Blade. Can Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo prevent Shredder from wreaking mayhem through time and space? Let's order a pizza, tune into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #9, and find out!

 

Story

Kai rarely delivers his creations, but Shredder's lair provides unexpected inspiration. The artist wants to paint Krang, but Bebop and Rocksteady throw Kai out before the walking brain can commission a portrait. Still, Krang’s got enough to do. He wants to imbue the alien ore with psychoreactive properties. Then all Shredder must do is focus, and the Foot Clan leader can travel anywhere in time and space.

 

Travel drains the Forever Blade. Battle energizes it. Shredder isn’t interested in exploring the universe with a companion or convincing famous historical personalities to help him pass an exam. The evil Ninja Master wants cash. Why not sidestep into a neighborhood bank and make plans for world domination later?

 

The Turtles detect Shredder, Bebop, and Rocksteady’s heist. Leonardo wants to prevent Shredder from escaping before the police arrive, but an army of robot fighters proves a time-consuming distraction. Has Leonardo learned enough from Splinter to constrain a Ninja Master wielding a sword of power?

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #9 brings back the Footbots from the original animated series and serves as a sequel to the third season episode “The Ninja Sword of Nowhere.” Erik Burnham’s tale demonstrates Donatello’s scientific mindset, Raffael’s love of pop culture, and Leonardo’s reverence for their sensei Splinter. Plus, Michelangelo gets to fight and cry, “Cowabunga!” The issue ends on a cliffhanger that promises more than contemporary conflicts in the next issue of this three-part story. 

 

 

 

Art

Michelangelo needs a helmet and padding to protect against Splinter's swordplay. A glowing figure materializes in the turtles' training room. Hovering in her superhero suit and cape, the time traveler wears a helmet that sprouts fins and equipment. She clutches a staff adorned with alien fingers and claws. Krang extends tentacles from his mechanical walker to fire a gun. Bebop adopts a bodybuilder pose as he wields Shredder’s glowing sword. Ignoring shelves laden with gold bricks, Bebop shares Rocksteady’s glee as the wily warthog and the riotous Rhino fill bags with cash in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #9.

 

From the blue-white glow accompanying the time traveler's materialization to the yellow-orange blade that creates similarly colored fissures, Luis Antonio Delgado’s vibrant colors breathe energy into Dan Schoening’s art. Delgado contrasts an ample use of gray with vibrant colors like pink, purple, and orange in Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #9. Shadows fall upon characters, swords reflect light, and gray smoke evokes storm clouds. Buildings blaze with light as the turtles attack Shredder under a moonlit purple sky. Green figures leap above and wade through a sea of black and purple as they battle the evil Ninja Master’s robotic reinforcements.

 

Aside from the odd murmur, Ed Dukeshire’s black and colored dialogue in white balloons is easy to read. His sound effects help us hear Shredder rip rents in reality, Bebop and Rocksteady break down a barrier, and the turtles sever Footbot circuitry. Thanks to my compadres at IDW for providing a copy of this cowabunga issue for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

A time-traveling maiden, a bank job gone wrong, and a magical sword threaten to unleash paradoxes on the multiverse in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #9.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Sarah Myer

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Jack Lawrence & Raúl Angulo; Sarah Myer; Jon Lankry; Paulina Ganucheau

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 29, 2023

 

What? City Hall canceled this year's St. Nick-Con? How will revelers party it up if the NYPD arrests anyone dressed as Santa Claus? Let's order a pizza, tune into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7, and find out!

 

Story

Eddiku Yuri once crafted a magical sword from meteorite ore. Shredder has secured more ore and wants Kai Eddiku to make another. The famed artisan is intrigued by Shedder’s proposition. If only his ancestor had passed down his secret methods of recreating the Tsuba, or hand guard!

 

Luckily for Shredder, an authentic hand guard will be displayed at the Mid-Manhattan Museum of Asian Art next week. Too bad the City Council banned St. Nick-Con! Holiday hooligans in Santa attire would have kept the police force busy! 

 

 

At least Krang still has his duplication beam. Like Rudy Russo in Used Cars, Shredder takes over the airwaves. City Hall can outlaw Santa suits, but they haven't banned other costumes! Forget St. Nick-Con. Shreddercon will be even better!

 

Leonardo suspects Shredder is planning something. But they can't arrest Rocksteady and Bebop for giving away costumes, even if the fabric is itchy and scratchy. (No wonder Shredder is always so irritable!) So, the turtles need to observe the festivities and try to spot the real Shredder amid so many imitations. And no, Mikey, you can't wear the helmet!

 

Erik Burnham’s story shows how easily holiday fun can get out of hand. It reminds us that the turtles may be superheroes, but they're weaker in some ways than humans. As for Krang and Shredder, both villains share the same goal in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7 but choose different ways to accomplish it.  

 

 

Art

Sarah Myer opens Burnham's story in the greenhouse of a rooftop garden. Shredder may be a villain, but it's easier to identify with the lithe, good-looking villain than brainy Krang inside his avian cybernetic suit. Dressed like the hoodlums who get their clothes stolen by the Terminator, Rocksteady and Bebop's fear is palpable when facing their master's wrath. Yet their glee shows when they don their costumes and execute his wishes. Backgrounds may vanish in closeups, but Sarah Myer delivers action and people-packed panels in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7.

 

While gray and purple invade pages, Luis Antonio Delgado’s vibrant colors prevent a hostile takeover. Contrasting color combinations may lessen readers’ ability to observe and report turtle identities, but our heroes in a half shell stand out amid the surging Shredder Sea. Even if Bebop, Rocksteady, and the Shredder lookalikes can't match the artistry of Miles Morales, Delgado gives their efforts potency in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7. (Don’t look at your back, Mikey!)

 

 

 

Uppercase italicized black lettering fills white dialogue balloons. Words darken for emphasis and occasionally shrink for lowered voices. Ed Dukeshire’s appealing sound effects help us hear water spraying, swords swishing through slushies, and the annoying honking of air horns. Give those a rest, Shredder Clones, please!

 

Thanks to IDW for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While returning readers to the era of rabbit-ear TVs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7 reminds us that everyone celebrates the holidays differently, benefactors may use and discard you, and artistry is better encouraged than demanded.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Sarah Myer

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Jack Lawrence & Raúl Angulo; Dan Schoening & Raúl Angulo; Travis Hymel; Jon Sommariva & Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 25, 2023

 

The Turtles want to watch wrestling, but April's covering the mayoral debate. Master Splinter says they should be politically aware. So the Turtles remain on the couch. What issues will the candidates address? And what's their position on pizza? Let's tune into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6 and find out!

 

Story

With the candidates running neck and neck, great answers are crucial. Mr. Polk downplays the New York Hamburger Association's fears over the rise in pizzerias. As he points out, New York is the Pizza Capital Of The World. Before Polk’s opponent can reply, another candidate takes the stage. Chrome Dome announces his candidacy on behalf of the Foot Party. But will voters accept a third-party candidate? And who would vote for an evil robot?

 

 

 

While the Turtles thought Chrome Dome was dead, they've no objections to dismantling him again. But as Donatello points out, Chrome Dome is playing by the rules. If they attack him, they'll be the villains. So the gang must sit on their green thumbs as the robot campaigns in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6. Chrome Dome will slip up sooner or later, right? When he does, they'll be ready to take him down!

 

Erik Burnham infuses his story with cheeky humor and pop culture references. The Turtles occasionally break the fourth wall and address their TV series creators. Twists and turns accompany reflections on the democratic process and voters' concerns. As relevant today as when the original animated TV series aired, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6 satisfies.

 

If only the movie mentioned on the final page was real! 

 

 

 

Art

Thanks to Sarah Myer, the turtles look good from any angle. They’re expressive and move well, whether leaping into battle, relaxing on the couch, or wearing disguises at April’s TV station. Chrome Dome resembles a Cylon Centurian wearing a Colonial Warrior’s helmet.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado’s vibrant colors enhance Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6’s all-ages appeal. While gray invades panels and pages, it never overwhelms.

 

Uppercase black lettering inhabits white dialogue balloons, while white letters glow amid Chrome Dome's black fields. All are easy to read thanks to letterer Ed Dukeshire. Sound effects enhance the action when the Party Wagon hits the streets, swords clang against metal arms, and Chrome Dome activates his weaponry in this pleasurable plot involving politics, pandering, and (What else?) pizza!  

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

An idealist discovers what paves the road to hell in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.