FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review

 

Here's an edited review that I originally published two years ago. The issue is free to purchase this week at Neon Ichiban.

 

FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review

Writers: Juni Ba, Paul Allor

Artists: Fero Pe, Andy Kuhn

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado, Ronda Pattison

Letterer: Nathan Widick

Cover Artist: Juni Ba

Publisher: IDW

Price: Free

Release Date: May 4, 2024

 

A masked and armored figure stalks the night. Who will fall prey to his fury? And what does Splinter get up to when the Turtles are away? Let’s order a pizza, leap into the FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue, and find out!

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher: Story

The Mutagen bomb changed everything. Humans are inherently clannish and often born with prejudices. They exclude others who don't belong. One person sees how people punish the victims of the tragedy. They will not allow Mankind to exploit these unfortunates who never asked to become mutants. So, this individual dons a mask and armor. While stalking the night, the self-made hero protects mutant interests and instills fear in the hearts of anyone who threatens them.

 

Writer Juni Ba puts you into the mind of the Nightwatcher in the FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue. Letterer Nathan Widick places the vigilante’s thoughts into red narrative boxes. The Nightwatcher’s thoughts share panels with the thieves’ black dialogue in white balloons as these opportunists venture into a mutant neighborhood to rob a bank.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher: Art

A full moon illuminates streets filled with uncollected trash. Scaffolding surrounds damaged buildings, while others await structural repairs. Three mutants approach a tall, thin structure sporting a grand, columned façade. But no goblins guard the treasures inside this bank. The mutants walk past counters filled with ransacked trays. Discarded documents cover the floor as they enter an open vault. Some of the safety deposit boxes hang open. Who knows what treasures the others might contain?

 

A figure awaits them in the darkness. Panels focus on the violence of the fight: a mailed fist punches a face, a hand grabs a gun from a canvas bag, and gunfire bounces off the Nightwatcher’s armor. And then, all too soon, flight follows.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado provides appealing color to Fero Pe’s art in the FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue. Delgado conveys the darkness of the street and the abandoned bank. Yet everything is visible, illuminated by a flashlight or the rays of moonlight that find their way inside. Much is gray as the Nightwatcher hides or hurtles like a shadow through the night. Yet light reflects off his mailed arms and shoulders, even in the darkness. And then, there are his glowing eyes.

 

Splinter's Day Off: Story

On a rare night off, Michelangelo plays video games, Rafael pounds on his punching bag, Donatello tinkers with a robot, and Leonardo hones his pizza-making skills. Yet errant dough initiates mutant mayhem, dispelling Splinter's attempts at meditation. Splinter chastises the Turtles for their behavior and sends them out on patrol. While this displeases the Turtles, Splinter realizes he doesn't have to maintain his aura of dignity. He’s got a night off from being a role model. He can have fun like his children!

 

Paul Allor’s tale in the FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue reminds us that adults don't have to grow up. Parents can enjoy play as much as their children. Nathan Widick’s large dialogue allows adults to share this comic tale with their children and hopefully instill a lifelong love of reading.

 

Splinter's Day Off: Art

Kuhn's art conveys the Turtles' camaraderie, emotions, and personalities. We see how they function as a team. Backgrounds convey depth and reality, and fight scenes between the turtles and others convey violence and energy. Inset snapshots pepper pages with closeups amid larger panels. Yet Splinter’s humorous exploits are what linger.

 

Brown dominates the turtles’ domicile in the FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue. The turtles add a fleeting touch of green as they leap between roofs against a blue night sky. Blue stars reveal impacts as the Turtles exchange blows, yellow stars blaze as they fight the Foot Clan, and white and blue stars accompany the robot’s antics. Ronda Pattison adds interest by coloring inset panels with contrasting colors, while Nathan Widick’s sound effects help us hear Splinter's fright and delight in Splinter's Day Off. Thanks to IDW and Neon Ichiban for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

An antihero rises to haunt the mutant neighborhoods, while Splinter takes a leaf from his children's book in the FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

Read FCBD 2024: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles free this week at Neon Ichiban.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Art of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Preview

 

How do you top a beloved TV series? You move beyond what you've done an explore new horizons. That's what Ant Ward and Andy Suriano did when preparing their new series. The likeminded animation and TMNT veterans drew inspiration from movies like Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy and John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China, and Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières' Valérian and Laureline comics. 

The result wowed author Colin Stein, who writes in his introduction, "After 35 years of Turtles, I knew what I wanted from TMNT, but Rise had what I needed." How will this new book, sharing all the love the creators poured into the series, meet your TMNT needs? And when can you snap it up, along with a slice of steaming hot pepperoni pizza and a glass of Todd's sunlight-lemonade?

Here's all the info from IDW Publishing: 

 

IDW Gives Rise to the Art of TMNT with The Art of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles In Stores April 14, Preorder Available Now

The ultimate keepsake and coffee table book for fans of the animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is about to hit stores this April with the release of The Art of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! 320 glorious pages of everything from preproduction sketches to final episode designs, this book offers fans an inside look at the creative process that brought Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to life. Discover concept art, character development, and background designs that capture the series’ distinct style. Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes commentary from the cast and crew, and the evolution of iconic characters like Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and April, this collection celebrates the innovation that made the show a standout in the franchise.   “This project is a dream come true! As a lifelong TMNT fan, I never thought I'd get to be a part of the franchise myself,” says writer Colin Stein. “To go from fan to contributor and create the official art book for Rise is my greatest honor. I'm so proud of the book and thrilled to share this celebration of the series that means so much to me.”

 Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

The Art of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color hardcover (ISBN: 979-8-887-24364-1) on April 14, 2026, for a list price of $39.99. For more information please visit the IDW Publishing web site.

Thanks to IDW Publishing for sharing this preview with us.

 

About the Author
Colin Stein is an Emmy Award–winning VFX artist based in Oklahoma City with over a decade of experience in marketing and design. Stein is a longtime fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and his deep appreciation and knowledge of the franchise led him to create The Art of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His background in visual effects has fueled his passion for design and animation.

 

About IDW Publishing

IDW (NYSE AMERICAN: IDW) is a leading media company providing uniquely compelling stories and characters in various genres for global audiences across all entertainment platforms. The award-winning IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment divisions holistically evaluate and acquire IP for franchise development across comics and graphic novels, television, theatrical, merchandise, and other entertainment platforms, in addition to bringing world-renowned storytelling to life with our creative partners.

 

 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #3 Review

 

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Darran Robinson

Cover Artists: Amancay Nahuelpan & Max Dunbar

Editor: Dave Wielgosz

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 17, 2025

 

Casey Jones wants to keep moving toward something that matters. So he seeks to prove that people still need him. Everyone in his life wants him to sit still. But as Raphael told April, that means his memories can catch up with him.

 

April thinks Casey needs to remember that he almost died when Hieronymous Hale shot him. Raphael believes Casey can't exercise sound judgment until the doctor gives him a clean bill of health. Is Casey seeking suicide by defending Mutant children and searching for Annabel's father? And can he still discern heroes from villains? Let's grab our masks and clubs, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #3, and see!

 

Story

Ludovic is a snow leopard. His specialty is breaking opponents’ ribs. He works hard to earn his employer’s respect. But unlike Casey, Jack Marlin knows where to draw the line. Humans stand atop the evolutionary pyramid. Mutants and animals can never be his equal.

 

April and Raphael don't see eye to eye with Casey. Still, they want to help him. So after April shares her concerns, Raphael agrees to seek out his friend. When Raphael finds him, Casey is working with one of Leo Ban's enforcers. Just as Annabel lost her father, some of the underworld boss's underlings have gone missing. But when Ludovic attacks Casey, Raphael defends him, while Leo Ban's people flee.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #3 takes us into the heart of a dark operation. We see who Jack Marlin works with and the market niche he targets. Alex Paknadel draws on folklore motifs and HG Wells' classic novel about the evolution of the species as he contemplates what it means to be Human. Yet his story compares a man who believes he is superior to Mutants with a vigilante who knows his reptilian friends will always be his superiors.

 

Art

As Geena Gets sits before a lighted mirror, she erases crow’s feet with an applicator pad. Shimmering in her black sequin dress, Geena studies her reflection as Jack Marlin studies her in his suit and broad-brimmed hat. Amancay Nahuelpan shows Jack’s weathered hand placing a container of moisturizer next to her empty one. An inset panel shows his pearly whites gleaming beneath his black handlebar mustache. As a talk show host's face swells beyond the TV screen, Geena's smiling face shrinks into the lens of a video camera in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #3.

 

Heaven weeps as Ludovic picks up a fallen mutant and heaves him atop his shoulder. Luis Antonio Delgado paints the night red, orange, and pink as Casey and Ludovic fight. Yet the rainy night turns scarlet when Ludovic attacks Casey in a way that belies his self-image. Then pink-edged lightning bolts fill the sky, highlighting Raphael's muscular development. White, glowing eyes showcase his determination.

 

Darran Robinson fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Colored narrative boxes reveal thoughts and offscreen dialogue. Raised voices swell letters and make balloons spiky. Sound effects help us hear fighting on a dark and stormy night, a talk show guest’s ire, and a master rebuking his subordinate in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #3. Thanks to IDW and Comic Book Dispatch for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Skills and physical size make a difference. But Casey knows that determination matters most. So, he throws everything he has into his fights, never backing down despite the odds against him. As villains step on the weak as they climb toward godhood, Casey's having none of it in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #3.

 

Rating 9.6/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 Review

 

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Artist: Freddie E Williams II

Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artists: Freddie E Williams II & Andrew Dalhouse; Ben Bishop; Jared Cullum; Clayton Crain; Daniel Warren Johnson; Dustin Nguyen; David Nakayama; Blind Bag

Designers: Nathan Widick & Ben Bates

Editors: Jake Thomas & Tommy Stella

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 10, 2025

 

The Turtles have experienced highs and lows. They’ve fought separately and together. Master Splinter may no longer be with them. Still, they’re together again, protecting Humans and Mutants alike. As they honor their master’s memory, the Turtles also enjoy newfound popularity after defeating Hieronymous Hale. But life is ever in flux, transitioning from one state to another. What new danger will arise to threaten New York? And can the Turtles hang together as they combat it? Let's grab our weapons, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13, and see!

 

Story

On a dark and stormy night, Mr Brinkman visits the White Lily Tea Room. When he meets with Madame Xiang Fei Tong, he paints a glorious picture of their partnership. Thanks to his employer's support, Madam Xiang's Ghost Boys enjoy an unprecedented era of success. He suggests that, perhaps, she might consider demonstrating her gratitude by extending unprecedented generosity to his employer.

 

While Madam Xiang agreed to this meeting as a show of respect, the triad leader takes umbrage at Mr Brinkman’s suggestion in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. As the negotiator courts disaster, another player appears. He calls himself Ujigami. And instead of repeating Losira’s catchphrase, “I am for you,” the mysterious stranger says, “I am your death.”

 

Ujigami’s attack has profound consequences in Gene Luen Yang’s story. The death of a triad leader spreads violence across New York, as factions within the Ghost Boys battle for supremacy. While taking steps to quell the violence, the Turtles realize they must discover who murdered Madam Xiang. As for “Mr Brinkman,” he may need the Turtles' protection.

 

April O’Neil has fought alongside the Turtles since Hieronymous Hale put Casey Jones out of action. Now, she assists them with their investigation. Even though they are together, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello prove reluctant to acknowledge that Leonardo is the head of their family in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. But no one questions that Donatello is the heart. He grieves Splinter’s death more openly than his brothers and takes comfort in anyone who acknowledges their responsibility to their family.

 

Art

The red paper lanterns suspended above Chinatown's streets sway in the wind and rain. Inside the tea shop, Mr Brinkman and Madam Xiang perch on barrels. As more paper lanterns illuminate their discussion, lighting flashes across the skylight above them. An open briefcase rests between them as Madam Xiang sips from a porcelain cup. When Mr Brinkman produces a gun, the triad leader reveals that she has more than a card up her sleeve. Then Ujigami enters, covered in sculpted, ornamental armor. He holds a knife in each hand, and his mask evokes a ferocious bull.

 

Andrew Dalhouse adorns Freddie E Williams II’s art with a vibrant palette in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. As in a Western movie, the Turtles form tiny silhouettes as they bound atop a suspension bridge before the ebbing sun. The brothers gaze down at the white-clad Ghost Boys battling around an orange school bus. As they descend to join the fight, the yellow-orange air fills with purple, bronze, and brown. Attacks summon white pinpoints of light and yellow splatter. As Leo enters his brother’s room, an image of white-and-red-clad Splinter comforting Donatello overlays a closeup of Donatello’s green-and-purple face. Donatello places his brother’s gift next to a photograph of the brothers and their father on a cobwebbed floating shelf.

 

Shawn Lee places small, faint black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons. The words grow bold for intonation, and change color for enthusiasm. White letters in blue boxes locate us in time and space, while Donatello’s thoughts appear in purple boxes. Sound effects accompany the fighting as Ujigami's attacks send his victims fleeing. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When loved ones depart this life, their spirits linger if we remember them. As the Turtles mourn their sensei’s passing, a more tangible spirit rises to protect them. Unlike them, Ujigami has a stricter method of punishing the guilty. His code of justice could shake the brothers' unity and overturn their newfound popularity in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover options see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #2 Review

 

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Darran Robinson

Cover Artists: Amancay Nahuelpan & Louis Antonio Delgado; Nikola Čižmešija; Jared Cullum

Editor: Dave Wielgosz

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 19, 2025

 

Casey Jones is tired of being coddled. So what if he nearly died? He wants to resume his patrols, protect people, and combat crime. But April O’Neil won’t let him. So, one hot night, while she sleeps on his couch, Casey slips his shirt over his bandaged waist and heads out to prove he still has what it takes. Unfortunately, when Casey runs into Link and Chun from the Purple Dragons, he needs his friends to rescue him.

 

Like April, Raphael worries that Casey is trying to run before he can walk. And when Casey asks little Annabel why Chun and Link attacked her, he shouts and demands. How will April react to his defiance? And can Casey find Annabel's father? Let's grab our masks and clubs, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #2, and see!

 

Story

When April awakens, she follows a trail of blood to the bathroom. There she finds her worst fear realized. Casey is stitching up his side. He is so traumatized by the shooting that he is going out and finishing the job that District Attorney Hieronymus Hale started. Casey begs for her to understand he needs this. But April can’t face another vigil in the ICU, let alone a worse eventuality.

 

Unfortunately, walking out of his life frees Casey to pursue his investigation. When Casey doesn't return her calls, April turns to Raphael. Casey gave the Turtle a piece of his mind when Raph tried to help him see sense. Perhaps more than April, Raphael understands the powerlessness Casey feels, and his desperation to reclaim his self-confidence.

 

As Casey searches for Annabel’s father, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #2 explains events surrounding the night hunt at Bear Mountain State Park. While revealing the fate of Annabel's father, it also shows how Becky and Yuri fare following their abduction. Alex Paknadel’s story reinforces April and the Turtles’ belief that Casey is trying too hard. But Casey senses a greater danger underlying the missing mutants. And after Chun used a new drug to slam him into a tree, Casey knows that such wonders come with a heavy price.

 

Art

April’s eyes widen when she finds Casey on the blood-splattered tile floor. The cotton balls near a bottle of isopropyl alcohol evoke dislodged eyeballs. Electricity surges through Yuri as the Avian Mutant gets the forked end of his captor’s cattle prod. The metal enclosure in the larger warehouse reinforces how their abductor views his captives. A three-piece suit and wide-brimmed hat complete the image of a gentleman hunter.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado lavishes a nuanced palette on Amancay Nahuelpan’s art in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #2. Casey’s orange sleeveless hoodie links him with April’s yellow-orange hair. A yellow glow fills the background as Casey searches for answers, while sepia spectators cheer him on. The red sky over an abandoned church presages the red soda can and pepperoni pizza as green fingers clutch a red mask. While a white informant with rainbow hair responds to Casey's questions, another furry white Mutant preys on his community to gain the acceptance of his Human peers.

 

Darran Robinson fills white balloons and colored narrative boxes with uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Raised voices swell letters and make balloons spiky. Sound effects highlight April’s concern, Casey giving as good as he gets, and a Mutant crushing his master’s gift in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #2. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When police fail to protect endangered Mutants, the lines between right and wrong blur. Raphael believes he knows where to stand. But Casey senses a danger threatening the community he strives to protect. So, he ignores conventional boundaries and aligns himself with specters of his past in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #2.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

 

For how this series began see my review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1 Review

 

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Darran Robinson

Cover Artists: Amancay Nahuelpan & Louis Antonio Delgado; Danny Earls & Jão Canola; Mike Henderson & Adam Guzowski

Editors: Andy Khouri & Dave Wielgosz

Publisher: IDW

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 10, 2025

 

As the moon shines down on Bear Mountain State Park, a man whistles, and his dogs charge. Each dog races to reach their target first. But when they find it and sink their teeth into its scaly hide, another whistle calls them off. The dogs move aside as their masters approach. As he instructs Simon to kill their quarry, the man assures the boy that there's nothing wrong with ending another person's life. What does this man have against mutants? And why does he equate murder with mercy? Let's grab our masks and clubs, leap into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1, and see!

 

Story

Every time Casey goes to sleep, the nightmare returns. District Attorney Hieronymus Hale smiles as he shoots him. Tonight, Casey awakens in a sweat. But it’s not just the recurring dream. The temperature has risen in the city. Even at night, it doesn’t cool down. And as temperatures rise, tempers fray. The heat wave gives Casey the determination to do what he’s yearned to do for the last few weeks. His city needs him. So, Casey grabs his gear and heads out to protect people from aggressors in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1.

 

Alex Paknadel switches perspectives amid scenes as he relates his story about a “merciful” hunter. But like the full moon, the spotlight shines on Casey through most of the debut issue. Members of Casey's former gang recognize his mask. Casey feels good enough to patrol. But he hasn’t recovered physically or psychologically from being shot. Now, as Casey seeks to protect a mutant from members of the Purple Dragons, he must also deal with their anger for abandoning them.

 

While Casey fights to protect a young mutant from the gang, he must once again decide where he belongs. Casey has found a new family with the Turtles and April O'Neil. But April has been mothering him while he recovers. He only escaped her clutches because she had fallen asleep on his couch. Casey wants to be with Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael. But he doesn't want his friends to limit him. Hieronymus Hale's attack has wounded and traumatized him. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1, Casey needs to prove to himself that he can get past that and resume the life he loves.

 

Art

Spindly, scaly fingers stretch for the shore amid white streaks. Silhouettes of hounds watch with glowing white eyes beneath the stars in the green night sky. The hounds bare their teeth as they race toward their muzzled prey.

 

When Amancay Nahuelpan transports us to an apartment, pigeons scatter outside as Casey rises. A grid of pink squares behind Casey suggests a skylight. Buildings glow yellow beyond his window. Casey clutches the white tape circling his torso as he perches on the edge of his bed. He eyes his clubs and mask leaning against the grey-blue wall. Then, Casey switches off a TV reporter interviewing a woman in a black dress attending a red-carpet premiere.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado shows Casey battling villains in the green and blue park beneath a starry black sky. Yellow, orange, and red overtake panels as weapons slash and crash, and Casey delivers flying kicks. Lights glow behind Casey as he kneels before a young mutant. She has large yellow eyes like the mutant hunted in Bear Mountain State Park. Her jaw opens wide, and her ears stand erect, as a villain delivers a savage blow that creates an orange starburst in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1.

 

Darran Robinson fills balloons and colored narrative boxes with uppercase letters of varying sizes. Sound effects heighten every moment of the chase, Casey’s awakening, his battle in the park, and weapons hooking chains and spilling blood. Yet the repeated scene of Hieronimus Hale smiling and pointing a pistol between Casey's gloved, upraised hands requires no words to communicate its intent. Thanks to IDW for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Casey Jones has taken a beating. But he wants to prove that he's not broken. As Casey attempts a comeback by promising to help a young mutant, he faces gangs with enhanced abilities, and The Most Dangerous Game: Mutant Edition in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey Jones #1.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1 Review

 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1 Review

Writer: Ryan Parrott

Artist: Vincenzo Federici

Colorist: Raúl Angulo

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Alessio Zonno; Dan Mora; James Stokoe; Declan Shalvey; Paulina Ganucheau; Mateus Santolouco; Kevin Easterman; Freddie E Williams II & Francesco Segala; Tula Lotay; Francesco Tomaselli; cMv; DefShogun; Freddie E Williams II & Andrew Dalhouse; Ivan Tao; Björn Barends; Frank Uzan; Jimbo Salgado; Leno Hernandez

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Caroline Butler, David Mariotte & Andy Schmidt

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 13, 2025

 

The Turtles and the Power Rangers have teamed up to confront their enemies. But Shredder and Lord Zedd have also joined forces, and they’re making life difficult for our heroes. Can Splinter and Zordon keep the teams focused on defeating their enemies? Or will Shredder and Lord Zedd's constant attacks shatter the Turtles and Power Rangers' faith in each other? Let’s grab our weapons, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1, and see!

 

Story

The heroes are frustrated and no mistake. But they’ve got cause. Lord Zedd has put his Putties at Shredder's disposal. And Shredder has powered them up. Now, the Putties require more than a blow to the center of the chest to take them out. Tommy and Raphael argue that their combined teams are barely hanging on. And while Lord Zedd and Shredder's agents pop up across the world, the Turtles and Power Rangers are treating symptoms when they should be seeking out a cure.

 

Despite Zordon and Splinter's urging to remain patient, Tommy, Raphael, and their compatriots have a right to worry. Up on the moon, Shredder is starting to think that he's running the operation. Frustrated, Lord Zedd threatens to destroy his world if Shredder elbows him aside.

 

Before Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1 transports us back in time, Ryan Parrott begins his story at the end. Leonardo and Tommy combat the super-powered Putties after they’ve destroyed Billy’s Radbug. There’s some irony here, as Billy and the Power Rangers used the Radbug to reach the Command Center when Tommy prevented them from teleporting.

 

Tommy is no longer under Rita Repulsa's spell. While fighting alongside Leonardo, he hopes to return to the Command Center he attacked as the evil Green Ranger. But Leonardo holds little hope that they can defeat their foes and reunite with their friends and brothers.

 

Art

Vincenzo Federici shows Billy’s modified Volkswagen Beetle falling from a tornado. But instead of flying off in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1, the Radbug crashes. Dust rises, obscuring the rock formations that evoke the locale surrounding the Command Center. As Putties climb over the damaged car, Tommy and Leonardo emerge in a splash page. But they don't offer the Putties a pizza.

 

As Vincenzo Federici moves his camera to Paris, he brings Trini and Donatello into focus. The heroes battle a larger opponent before the Arc de Triomphe. Like Billy's Radbug, smoke rises from an overturned vehicle as the Eiffel Tower rises in the distance. Trini and Donatello leap into the air, delivering kicks, hits, and stabs while avoiding their opponent's mighty hammer.

 

Raúl Angulo enhances a fight atop a speeding locomotive. While snow falls through the blue sky, their purple and gray opponents summon red fireballs with their hands and wield red and yellow flaming weapons. Zordon gazes down upon the combined teams from his blue pillar in the purple command center. As the sun’s light reflects off Earth, green combats purple in Lord Zedd’s Moon Palace. While his red suit and head form a link with Karai, the Putties wear purple like their new leader.

 

Ed Dukeshire opens with black uppercase narration in white/orange narrative boxes. Alpha 5 speaks with a less relaxed font than his Human, Turtle, Rat, and Eltarian companions. Amid the white and blue balloons, giant colored dialogue accompanies the flurries of sound effects. Raphael's off-camera dialogue appears as white letters in red boxes. But while Tommy's responses appear in white-gold boxes, Thomas Covenant doesn't join the fight against Shredder and Lord Zedd in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Turtles and the Power Rangers share a camaraderie that lets them work, fight, and share rarely spoken insights. Still, not everyone trusts Zordon and Splinter’s leadership. And that can get both teams into trouble when they take on the Foot Clan and Lord Zedd in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

TMNT Best Of Dark Leo #1 Review

 

Writers: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, Sophie Campbell

Artists: Mateus Santolouco, Mike Henderson, Sophie Campbell, Pablo Tunica, Zach Howard, Cory Smith & Joylon Yates

Colorist: Ronda Pattison

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Cover Artist: James Biggie

Editors: Maggie Howell & Nicolas Niño

Design & Production: Sandy Tanaka

Publisher: IDW

Price: $6.99

Release Date: September 4, 2024

 

TMNT (2011) #24: Story

In City Fall: Part III, Oroku Karai yearns to prove herself. Shredder promises his granddaughter that she will bathe her katana in blood today. On a rooftop, Old Hob, Donatello, Splinter, and Rafael gaze down on a warehouse. Donatello and Rafael aren't sure they can trust Old Hob, but Splinter believes Old Hob knows where Leonardo is. After Michelangelo befriends the hulking turtle Slash, Rafael and Donatello's instincts prove correct when Old Hob leads them into the dark warehouse and locks them inside.

 

This first story in TMNT Best Of Dark Leo #1 shows Shredder consumed by the past. Angry with his rival, he turns Leonardo against Splinter and his family. Shredder fails to live up to his promise to his granddaughter. City Fall: Part III puts Splinter and the turtles through an emotional meatgrinder as Leonardo disowns his family and declares that Shredder is his master.

 

TMNT (2011) #24: Art

In City Fall: Part III, Karai fights through time-lapse photos. She stands beside Shredder while Alopex takes her grandfather's opposite side. A metal helmet and black mask obscure Shredder's features, while Karai and Alopex wear masks of anger. Rafael and Donatello’s faces reveal their pain and uncertainty, while Michelangelo’s expression shines with his belief in the transformative power of kindness. Dark Leo reveals the soul-robbing power of anger and revenge with his frown and the blue mask he tosses to Splinter.

 

TMNT (2011) #29: Story

In Northampton: Part 1, April O'Neil takes Casey Jones to meet her parents. Recent events in New York have left everyone reeling, so she's bringing the turtles and Splinter along. She sets Splinter and the turtles up in the barn. Then, Alopex appears. She claims that she fled New York after a fight with Shredder and is no longer a member of the Foot Clan. This shift in loyalties is something she shares with Leonardo, as he still struggles to separate memories of his family from Shredder's programming.

 

This second story in TMNT Best Of Dark Leo #1 navigates the difficulties in family and relationships. As Casey speaks with his mother in a dream in TMNT #24, Leo seeks harmony with his mother in TMNT #29. But fathers loom larger in Northampton: Part 1. Casey feels estranged from his father. Leonardo still disowns Splinter as his father, and Alopex no longer views Shredder as her master. While April's mother wears a brave face, her husband recovers from a stroke. April worries that the turtles will disturb the harmonious environment her parents sought to facilitate her dad's recovery. Still, recent events at Stockgen and something April says arouse her mother's concerns.

 

TMNT (2011) #29: Art

The art in Northampton: Part 1 gives the Turtles' idyll in the woods a homespun appearance. April looks young and innocent, her tousled hair restrained by a ponytail. Black cloth covers Leonardo's arms and legs. A black utility belt adorns his waist. Green turtle faces frame a yellowed depiction of the subsequent fight, while the orange and green foliage give the woods an autumnal glow. After Alopex shares her departure from the Foot Clan in a blue and white montage, Leonardo's memories unfold in beige tones while he kneels beside a dark lake and gazes at the moon in the purple sky.

 

TMNT (2011) #132: Story

The Turtles miss Splinter. In his absence, Shredder leads them. The overturning of their longstanding feud with the leader of the Foot Clan fills the Turtles with uncertainty. But no one struggles more than Leonardo. Dark Leo inhabits his mind and makes him doubt his leadership skills. The Turtles have mastered martial arts. Now, Shredder instructs them in the spiritual aspects of being a ninja. Their journey is an inward one. Donatello, Michelangelo, Rafael, and Jennika need an altered perspective. But Leonardo must utilize what he learns to battle Dark Leo for mastery of his soul.

 

TMNT (2011) #132: Art

Leonardo walks through the woods in this third story in TMNT Best Of Dark Leo #1. Dark Leo perches in the branches of a barren tree. Then he leaps down and battles Leonardo. Shredder left his costume behind. He sinches his black hair into a ponytail. Clad in a purple robe, Shredder follows Yoda's example and guides the Turtles through the jungle. While Porgs gently glide around the Turtles, these otherworldly spirits help the Turtles create glowing statues. Shredder instructs them amid a purple haze of darkness and the greenery of Northampton. As the cover promises, an evening communing around a campfire turns the fire blue and summons the spirit of their former master.

 

TMNT Deviations #1: Story

In this final story in TMNT Best Of Dark Leo #1, darkness falls on the Turtles. Under Kitsune's spell, they seek out their former master. Old Hob helps them capture Splinter. This alternate-world story probes the darker nature of ourselves. Without Splinter's restraint, Dark Leo, Rafael, Donatello, and Michelangelo have accomplished what Shredder's other ninjas could not. The Turtles have subdued all the gangs of New York. Shredder controls the city. But the Turtles' rise means others fall, and loyal soldiers like Karai and Alopex have something to say about that. A surprising turn for Casey's father and Old Hob and Slash’s return forms a satisfying conclusion to this four-part collection.

 

TMNT Deviations #1: Art

The Turtles crouch in darkness. Black masks and red bandanas obscure their features as they fight. Only their weapons signal their identities. Splinter has never appeared more vulnerable than in this brutal street fight where his sons wear Shredder's emblem. Dark reds, blues, and purples accompany the highly detailed penciling as the Turtles punish their former master. Shredder sits on a golden throne borrowed from Ming The Merciless. Kitsune frowns beside him, but Shredder lifts his clawed hand to silence her concerns as Karai and Alopex observe the confrontation in the blued distance within a green wood panel hall.

 

Shawn Lee casts large uppercase letters into dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in TMNT Best Of Dark Leo #1. The font size and line spacing make for easy reading. The lettering master also heightens the action with sound effects. Thanks to my compadres at IDW for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Leonardo confronts the darker side of his nature in TMNT Best Of Dark Leo #1. The stories contemplate the role of fatherhood in our lives and reveal Master Splinter's centrality to the TMNT Universe.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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