My first comic was TMNTA #38, when I was seven years old. I followed the series as regularly as I could until its cancellation at number 72. IDW is reprinting that old series, so let’s see how it stacks up to my nostalgia.
Written by: Dave Garcia, Beth Mitchroney, Ken Mitchroney, Christy Marx, David Wise, and Larry Parr
Illustrated by: Dave Garcia, Ken Mitchroney
Classic animated TMNT action in this collection of two fan-favorite cartoon adaptations! In both “The Return of the Shredder parts 1-2” and “The Incredible Shrinking Turtles parts 1-2” read along as Shredder comes back to Earth from Dimension X and attempts to exact his revenge upon the hard-backed heroes.
120 pages / $19.99
For those who don’t know, the Archie Comics TMNTA had more in common with the cartoon than the Mirage B&W series. The original miniseries adapted the first season, and the first four issues of the ongoing adapted season two episodes before going off to do its own thing. The series lasted until it’s abrupt cancellation in 1995. Issue 72 included a preview for issue 73, which was never published, and my young heart was
broken. Now IDW is reprinting the old issues, just like they did for Marvel Transformers and GI JOE. Is there a chance I could still see issue 73, the way I saw Transformers #81 and GI JOE #176? Man, I hope so.
The first four issues weren’t the best of the series, but I still enjoyed re-reading them. Even after all these years, I still hear the characters talk in their cartoon voices. Most adaptations suffer when space limitations require story to be cut, but these four issues flow very easily. There are numerous instances of strange coincidences and perfect timing, but the plot never has a blatant hole. The characters frequently lampshade their situation, highlighting the basic nature of the story. The writers don’t mean for the story to be taken serious, it’s supposed to be pure fun. And they succeed.
The series was never meant to be collected, but the exposition at the start of chapters doesn’t feel heavy handed or out of place, given the dialogue through the rest of the book.
The paper is similar to the original newspaper stock, nothing close to IDW’s usual books. The coloring hasn’t been remastered, so the book has the same feel I remember as a child. The art is rather simple, and backgrounds are non-existant in most panels. The cartoony nature of the images help to show movement, and the expressions are always very clear.
There are no bonus features at all, except for the covers inbetween chapters.
Despite the enjoyment I got from the book, the price tag was pretty steep. $20 is a lot to ask for four issues, especially for content originally priced at $1 per issue. If you’re able to find them, the back issues are usually under two bucks, and I’ve seen them as low as a quarter. No matter how much I like it, it’s almost impossible to recommend a collected volume when the content can be found cheaper elsewhere.
Final Verdict: 6 – Browse, unless you too have nostalgia for this old title.
