TMNT Adventures #13

Publication date: August, 1990

Plot: Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy) and Ryan Brown
Script: Dean Clarrain
Pencils: Ken Mitchroney
Clean-Ups: Buz McKin
Inks: Dan Berger
Letters: Gary Fields
Colors: Barry Grossman
Edits: Scott Fulop
Manager: Victor Gorelick
Owner: Stump
Cover: Ken Mitchroney and Ryan Brown

“The Final Conflict”

Summary:

Over at Stump Broadcasting Studios, Stump and Sling recap the events of the previous issue to an intergalactic viewing audience. After that formality, they (and their ring-persons, Tyme & Fayme) present what Stump likes to call “The Final Conflict”.



On Hirobyl, Raph is wondering where all the weird, flying cameras that are getting in their way have come from. Trap explains that their current battle with Maligna’s children is likely the exclusive “wrestling match” they agreed to with Mr. Stump. As the TMNT and allies take on Maligna’s kids, Wingnut and Screwloose take to the skies in search of Krang. While Leo argues with Trap over the honor of firearms, a pair of Maligna’s warriors hurl Leatherhead outside of the arena.

Up in the sky, Wingnut and Screwloose spot the Shredder. Realizing he’s one of Krang’s cronies, Wingnut promptly beans him with a rock. Wingnut then causes Bebop and Rocksteady to crash into one another.



Back in the arena, the Turtles and Trap have the fight just about sewn up until Krang attacks in his spaceship. Outside the arena, Leatherhead comes to and notices the Turnstone on the ground next to him. He decides to use it to summon Cherubae, the one who created him, and instead gets Cherubae and her captors: the Sons of Silence. He quickly thinks the little grey men away and hands the Turnstone over to Cherubae. Leatherhead asks her why she turned him into Leatherhead in the first place and she explains that it was all a matter of fate.

Cherubae then uses the Turnstone to abruptly end the conflict: capturing all the villains in a stasis field and destroying all of Stump’s cameras. Cherubae then proceeds to punish all the villains. Bebop and Rocksteady are sent to live in peace on a planet inhabited only be wildlife, where they join a herd of rhinos and warthogs. Shredder is returned to Earth and sent to prison for his crimes. Krang draws the shortest straw and is banished to Morbus, the toxic waste dump-world.







With that out of the way, Cherubae thinks the Turnstone out of existence, as she fears its power is too dangerous for the universe. As the Turtles and their allies worry about how they’re going to return home, Cherubae alleviates their concerns. She gives Krang’s ship to all of Stump’s employees while the Turtles have the fortune of riding home in the maw of Cudley the Cowlick.


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #12.  This issue is followed by TMNT Adventures #14.

*The Turtles will take a side-trip to Riverdale on their way home with Cudley in "Green Legs and Gams".

*Maligna’s threat will resurface in TMNT Adventures #19.

*The Sons of Silence will appear again in TMNT Adventures #48.

*Apparently, when Krang modified the Technodrome into a spaceship, he renamed it “the Skull-Buzzer”.

*Shredder will return in TMNT Adventures #21.

*Krang will return in TMNT Adventures #23.

*Bebop and Rocksteady will return in TMNT Adventures #24.

*Trap will appear again in TMNT Adventures #35, in the back-up story "Mah Name!". The little purple and green alien kid watching the broadcast will also return in that story.

*The Turnstone will appear again in TMNT Adventures #49.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway in TMHT Adventures #20.


Review:

And so the first original story arc of TMNT Adventures comes to a close. I have to say, it was overall very enjoyable and these last couple of issues really tied everything together nicely. Save for some moments of blatant commercialism, issues #5-#13 read together marvelously and form one of my favorite arcs of the series. This was a great transitioning period for the book, as it worked its way out of slavishly retelling episodes of the cartoon to modifying the universe into its own unique yet familiar entity.

The “final conflict” seemed like a bit too epic a title for the battle contained in this issue, I must confess. The Turtles and Trap defeat Maligna’s warriors with relative ease and this won’t be the last time they face any of the foes from this issue. While it was an entertaining scuffle, the title was a smidge melodramatic. I suppose if I could change one thing, it would have been to stack the odds against the TMNT just a little bit more. The resolution is a little too convenient, with Cherubae simply saving the day as soon as she gets her hands back on her precious MacGuffin.

If any visual in the issue appealed to me the most, it would have to be the three panels illustrating the fates of the badguys. Bebop and Rocksteady, as violent as they may be, are still fairly innocent in their stupidity. So I was pleased to see them receive a happy ending. The sight of Shredder, out of costume and stewing behind bars, is quite dramatic and not something you see very often. Berger’s inks and Grossman’s colors really amplify the panel, too. Meanwhile, Krang looks so sad as he sits amongst millions of toxic waste barrels on Morbus. You almost feel sorry for the little guy.

All in all, despite a somewhat convenient resolution, this is an issue that really delivers.

Grade: A (as in “And the American prison system manages to keep Shredder behind bars for about ten minutes. I’m impressed, honestly”.)

 

TMNT Adventures #12

Publication date: July, 1990

Plotting: Ryan Brown and Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy)
Script: Dean Clarrain
Pencils: Ken Mitchroney
Inks: Dan Berger
Letters: Gary Fields
Colors: Barry Grossman
Editor: Scott Fulop
Managing Editor: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Ken Mitchroney, Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne

“The Lost World”

Summary:

Onboard the modified Technodrome, Rocksteady is having a dream about living peacefully in Africa as a normal rhino. Bebop awakens him as Krang swoops into their destination: Dimension X and the location of the Turnstone!



On the wasted planet Hirobyl, Mary Bones, now in her true, shapely form known as Cherubae, explains the situation to the TMNT. It seems that both she and Krang were warlords of Dimension X, however, the theocracy of Dimension X eventually banished all warlords. After losing his body, Krang chose to go into hiding and plan berserker assaults, while Cherubae chose to live peacefully on Earth and guard the Turnstone: an ancient device supposedly created by the first woman which can transmute matter into anything the possessor wishes. Cherubae asks the TMNT to help her in the forthcoming battle and they agree.

No sooner does she receive their agreement, Cherubae spots the Technodrome entering Hirobyl’s orbit. She flies into space to meet Krang, transmuting his Turnstone-tracking device into a pet bird for Rocksteady. Krang counters by first blasting Cherubae with X-Ray lasers then shocking her hard enough to make her drop the Turnstone and float away, unconscious.

On Hirobyl, the Turtles witness Cherubae’s defeat and head after the lost Turnstone. While this is going on, the Sons of Silence abandon Krang and disappear with Cherubae. Frustrated, Krang dispatches Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady to locate the Turnstone on modified Footskis, then leaves to gather more help.



Krang contacts the representative of the alien bug-queen, Maligna. Maligna grants Krang an audience and the two strike a deal: Krang will lead Maligna to Earth, a planet full of juicy morsels, if Maligna lends him ten of her “children” to aid in his latest endeavor. Maligna accepts the terms.

On Hirobyl, Shredder and his goons search for the Turnstone by air. Shredder remarks that once he finds it he intends to use its power to overthrow Krang and destroy the Turtles.

On the ground, the Turtles come out of hiding and continue on foot. They eventually reach a coliseum where they’re greeted by none other than Cudley the Cowlick. Cudley says that Mr. Stump is willing to give the TMNT aid if they agree to another exclusive match on his Intergalactic Wrestling program. The TMNT reluctantly agree and Cudley spits out their reinforcements: Leatherhead, Wingnut, Screwloose and the enigmatic Trap!



However, as soon as Cudley vanishes into space, the Turtles and their friends notice that they’re being surrounded by Maligna’s children…


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #11.  This story continues in TMNT Adventures #13.

*Mr. Stump, Leatherhead and Trap were last seen in TMNT Adventures #7.

*Wingnut, Screwloose and Cudley the Cowlick were last seen in TMNT Adventures #8.

*The Flying Footskis were, of course, available from the Playmates toyline.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway in TMHT Adventures #19.


Review:

The penultimate episode of TMNT Adventures’ first original story arc has come and gone and it succeeds at impressing. For all his whining and pouting, Krang really is an evil sunuvabitch. Cherubae describes him the same way Screwloose did: “He’s an evil brain that hasn’t a heart by which to weigh the consequences of his actions”. This paints a fairly gritty picture of what Krang is really like when he’s not bickering with the Shredder like an old maid.

All-in-all, this is a great set-up for the conclusion, but the action doesn’t really get underway until the next issue.

Grade: A (as in “And you all thought Krang was nothing but a disembodied Katherine Hepburn. Think again!”)

 

TMNT Adventures #11

Publication date: June, 1990

Plotting: Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy) and Ryan Brown
Script: Dean Clarrain
Pencils: Jim Lawson
Inks and Letters: Gary Fields
Colors: Barry Grossman
Editor: Scott Fields
Managing Editor: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Ken Mitchroney, Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne

“White Light”

Summary:

Bebop and Rocksteady have been buried alive for three days, but just when things start to get awkward, the pair find themselves bathed in a strange white light and rescued by four grey aliens.

Elsewhere in the sewers, the Turtles are perplexed by the alarming number of rats gathering around them. The rats seem to be herding them in a specific direction, and not wanting an unnecessary battle, the TMNT follow. The rats lead them to their master, Ha’ntaan--the Rat King. The Rat King asks why they trespass in his kingdom and considers feeding the Turtles to his subjects. Leonardo implores his forgiveness, explaining that they entered his kingdom out of ignorance while in search of the Shredder and Krang. The Rat King mulls over Leo’s statement a bit and decides to let them leave, pointing them in the direction of Shredder’s hide-out. Raph is suitably ticked that Leo acted like such a pushover, but Leo tells him that he thought it wise to avoid a fight if possible.



Following the Rat King’s directions, the Turtles eventually stumble across the place where they last encountered Bebop and Rocksteady, only to notice a smoking crater where the two mutants had once been buried. Pursuing the trail even further, they soon discover canisters of mutagen dumped into the water, indicating their destination is near.

Not much further ahead, the Turtles bump into a freaky Foot Super Soldier guarding an open manhole. The ultra-violent Super Soldier activates and engages them in battle. The Turtles don’t fair too well at first, with the Super Foot Soldier constantly blasting them with eye-beams. Mike sees this as an opening and flings two shuriken into the robot’s eye sockets. The Super Foot Soldier then topples over into the water, defeated.



As the Turtles climb through the open manhole, they find themselves in the supply room of Shredder’s hideout. Before they can face their foes, though, the strange grey aliens sneak up behind them and use their white light abilities to put them to sleep.

Shredder, Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady chuckle over their victory, as Krang compliments the Sons of Silence (the grey aliens) for their effectiveness. Krang then unveils his newest piece of technology: a device capable of locating the Turnstone. Apparently, Krang received it from the ruler of a far-off world in exchange for the life of his planet. Krang, being the swell brain that he is, decided to take both. As Krang activates the device, he sees that the Turnstone is located somewhere in the Bayou.

Down in the Bayou, Mary Bones looks into the Turnstone and witnesses Krang’s latest scheme. Realizing that the final conflict is approaching, Mary Bones uses the Turnstone to transform herself back into her original form and vacates the planet. However, she won’t leave alone.



Back at Saki Inc, the Turtles are enveloped in a strange glow and vanish. Looking into his machine, Krang discovers that Mary Bones, the Turnstone and the Turtles have all been transported to Dimension X. Krang is far from worried, however, as he has converted the Technodrome into a spaceship and left it in orbit above Earth. Krang commands his cohorts to gather their things and the villains take off for Dimension X.


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #10.  This story continues in TMNT Adventures #12.

*Bebop and Rocksteady were buried alive in TMNT Adventures #9.

*Mary Bones was last seen (outside of flashbacks) in TMNT Adventures #6.

*The Rat King won’t be seen again until TMNT Adventures #43.

*Though his behavior in this issue might appear to be strange, the back of the Rat King’s toy card identifies his allegiance as neutral. This aspect of his character would occasionally rear itself during the cartoon series (“Return of the Fly” being a prime example), as well.

*Another Foot Super Soldier will appear in TMNT Adventures #18.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway as TMHT Adventures #14.


Review:

So the conclusion of this story arc kicks into high gear starting with this issue. The build-up to this climax has been fairly good, save for maybe a few rough spots along the way. I especially liked Clarrain’s (Murphy's) use of the Rat King in this story. No epic fight of any kind, just a civil discussion that ends in a peaceful yet suspicious resolution. Some might feel disappointed that the TMNT and the Rat King don’t throw down, but I actually thought that this turn of events was a real surprise and a welcome change of pace from “solve all your problems by punching the guy in the face”. I suppose my only regret is that the Rat King is hardly used again in the series, making his appearance here feel a little superfluous.

Jim Lawson’s on art duty again, but it’s actually a fitting appearance. You see, Lawson penciled the Rat King’s first ever appearance back in Mirage’s Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 1) #4. Rat King’s design is wonderfully creepy and Lawson has always been the best when it comes to drawing the guy (and outside of Chris Allan, he’s pretty much the only one who has drawn the guy).

Overall, this is a very unusual issue of the series and all the better for it, I say. While Rat King doesn’t really serve any major purpose to the story, he does make for a wonderful scene.

Grade: A- (as in “Awwww, giggling Krang on Page 22 is adorable”.)

 

TMNT Adventures #10

Publication date: May, 1990

Plotted by: Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy) and Ryan Brown
Written by: Dean Clarrain
Penciled by: Ken Mitchroney
Inked by: Dan Berger
Lettered by: Gary Fields
Colored by: Barry Grossman
Edited by: Scott Fulop
Managed by: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Ken Mitchroney, Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne

“Going Down?”

Summary:

Some time ago, Bebop and Rocksteady apparently decided to dump some of the Shredder’s toxic waste into the sewer, unaware that it would encounter a Norwegian flatworm and have a terrifying effect on it.

Present day, back at the Turtles’ lair, Leo feels compelled to tell Splinter all about the events of the past few issues. After unloading all the exposition he can muster, Leo tells Splinter that he’s worried about the so-called “final conflict” he and his brothers are to be involved in, but is more worried about Krang. Screwloose’s description of how Krang invaded and exterminated all the people of Huanu really got to him, it seems. Splinter recommends that to reach Krang the Turtles must first find his associate, the Shredder. As the Turtles head to Shredder’s last known whereabouts, his old submarine base, Splinter stops Raphael and asks him why he’s now wearing his black wrestling costume. Raph replies that it can come in handy during battles in the dark. Splinter remarks that Raph is becoming very wise, much to Leo’s jealousy.



At the Shredder’s secret headquarters, a sub-sub-basement concealed as “Saki Inc.”, an exterminator arrives to deal with the Shredder’s recent roach problem. The exterminator gets busy in the storage room as Shredder contacts Krang in Dimension X, who is busy razing another inhabited planet to the ground. Krang remarks that the one thing he wants most of all is the Turnstone. Shredder asks how he can get in on that action and Krang begins to set up a deal with him.

Back in the supply room, the exterminator corners a pesky roach, only to have it bite him on the thumb. The exterminator chases after the bug, only to slip on the wet floor and tumble down an open manhole into the sewer, which just so happens to be contaminated with more of Shredder’s mutagen.



Over at the Shredder’s old abandoned submarine base, the Turtles ponder which way to search for their foe’s new headquarters. They decide that since they last encountered Bebop and Rocksteady beneath Times Square, then Shredder might possibly be hiding out somewhere between the submarine base and there.

As the Turtles head down the sewers, Mike develops the paranoid notion that something creepy and yellow and gross is stalking them. He’s right, but before they can figure out what’s lurking behind them, they encounter the monster that pops up in front of them: the mutated exterminator now known as Scumbug! The unhinged Scumbug thinks the Turtles are all big green roaches and intends to exterminate them, but encounters competition from the mutated flatworm, now calling itself Wyrm!



With the Turtles caught in the middle, Scumbug and Wyrm do battle. Wyrm proves the stronger of the pair and overpowers Scumbug. He begins to suck the blood from Scumbug’s veins with his prehensile tongue, unaware that their tussle has ruptured a gas main and released a couple of live wires. The Turtles huddle-up, using their shells as protection, just as the live wires ignite the gas.

Scumbug and Wyrm vanish in the explosion, leaving four smoking Turtles behind. As the Turtles regain their senses, they find themselves surrounded by an unusual number of rats…


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #9.  This story is continued in TMNT Adventures #11.

*Scumbug and Wyrm will appear again in TMNT Adventures #52.

*While Scumbug’s origin as presented here is more or less identical to his toy packaging bio, Wyrm’s deviates considerably. His toy describes him as a former garbage man who slipped into Shredder’s dumpster; the residual ooze and other nasty elements morphing him into the grotesque Wyrm. It was also described that his only friends in the world were Muckman and Joe Eyeball (neither of which appear in TMNT Adventures).

*Mary Bones hinted at the “final conflict” in TMNT Adventures #6.

*Raph got his black wrestling outfit in TMNT Adventures #7.

*The Turtles sunk Shredder’s submarine in TMNT Adventures #5.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway in TMHT Adventures #13.


Review:

As with last issue, this one features another in-your-face “buy new toys!” plot. However, unlike the previous issue, this story follows up on a number of threads going all the way back to TMNT Adventures #5, tying many of the events together nicely. I honestly didn’t expect Shredder’s submarine base to be revisited again.

As for Wyrm and Scumbug, they’re about as generic as villains get. Personally, I didn’t think the exterminator really deserved such a gruesome fate, but hey, they’re all just comic book characters in the end.

One thing I’ve been enjoying is how Krang has started being built up as a genuine warlord and intergalactic conqueror. In the cartoon, he was typically relegated to the role of Shredder’s bickering partner and mad scientist. Granted, the cartoon was pretty devoted to humor, but I always felt that an inter-dimensional warlord with an army of Rock Soldiers should have been more of a threat. What really caught my eye was how Krang was seen multi-tasking in this issue. Rather than being his partner and equal, Shredder is presented as simply one of Krang’s agents who reports relevant activity occurring on Earth. Definitely a better take on the character and his relationship with Shredder, while still maintaining all his goofy quirks.

One final item to note is that this is actually the very first issue of TMNT Adventures I ever bought and read, so because of that, I have a certain nostalgic appreciation for it.

Grade: B- (as in “Blood-sucking worms and roaches still have a better command of the English language than most gangsta rappers”.)

 

TMNT Adventures #9

Publication date: March, 1990

Plotted by: Steve Lavigne and Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy)
Written by: Dean Clarrain
Penciled by: Jim Lawson
Inked and Lettered by: Gary Fields
Colored by: Barry Grossman
Edited by: Scott Fulop
Managing Editor: Victor Gorelick
Cover by: Peter Laird and Ryan Brown

“Codename: Chameleon”

Summary:

Down in the Turtles’ lair, their evening of television viewing is interrupted by Splinter, who recommends they go patrol the sewers and maybe pick up some groceries on their way home. The TMNT grab their weapons and head out, as the crafty sensei takes their place in front of the tube.



Anchorwoman for the Channel 6 news, April O’Neil, breaks the story of some top secret U.N. weapons plans stolen by a mysterious lazy-eyed double agent called “Codename: Chameleon”. The weapon is supposedly an even greater threat than an intercontinental ballistic missile. April reports that Chameleon was last seen near Times Square.

In Shredder’s HQ, the nefarious villain watches the news and becomes obsessed with the thought of obtaining those weapons plans. Shredder dispatches Bebop, Rocksteady, a Foot Soldier and a Foot Knucklehead to go retrieve the Chameleon, swearing that if they fail again, he’ll subject them to further genetic experimentation.

Outside Times Square, the Chameleon is on the run from the police. He manages to lose them by ducking into the sewers, only to stumble across the Turtles. High-tailing it in the opposite direction, he finds himself staring Bebop and Rocksteady in the face. With nowhere to run, Chameleon hides the weapons plans in a crack in the wall and surrenders. The Turtles attempt to rescue Chameleon from Bebop and Rocksteady, but become occupied with the Foot Knucklehead: a many-armed robotic killing machine. Leo manages to slice the Foot Soldier commanding it in half, but the evil mutants escape with Chameleon in the ensuing chaos.



Back at their HQ, Bebop and Rocksteady return with Chameleon. Shredder straps Chameleon to a table and drops a real live chameleon on his face. He threatens the spy with a canister of mutagen, telling him that if he does not give up the weapons plans he will mutate him into an actual chameleon. Chameleon yields and reveals the whereabouts of the plans to Bebop and Rocksteady, who leave to retrieve them at once. However, with Shredder being evil and all, he decides to mutate Chameleon anyway, hoping to force him into his services afterward. The now reptilian Chameleon breaks his bonds and uses his camouflage abilities to sneak away from Shredder.

Back in the sewer tunnel, Don is tinkering with the Knucklehead when Bebop and Rocksteady return. They begin firing on the Turtles, forcing them out of the tunnel. In their zeal, they don’t notice Chameleon crawl up behind them and swipe the plans. Chameleon, now clinging to the ceiling, distracts them with a display of color-changing. Bebop and Rocksteady instinctively fire at him, causing the section of tunnel they’re in to cave-in on them. Chameleon escapes the landslide while Bebop and Rocksteady are forced to climb beneath the Knucklehead and hope for the best. As the Turtles exit the battlefield, Leonardo laments at the apparent deaths of Bebop and Rocksteady.



Later that night, April reports on the Channel 6 news that the weapons plans were returned to the U.N., burned beyond recognition, with a note scribbled on the envelope reading, “Some things are not worth profiting from”. A now trench coat-clad Chameleon observes the news from outside a TV store and remarks, “You might say I’m beginning to see things differently now”.


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #8.  This story is continued in TMNT Adventures #10.

*Between this and next issue, the events of "Yo-Ho-Ho! And a Bottle of Mutagen!" and "Doomsday Hassle in Banshee Castle" take place.

*The cover is an homage to that of Raphael (microseries) #1, with Codename: Chameleon in the place of Casey Jones.

*This is the first time the Foot Soldiers have been used in any capacity since TMNT Adventures (miniseries) #3.

*The fate of Bebop and Rocksteady will be revealed in TMNT Adventures #11.

*The Foot Knucklehead was available as a toy from Playmates and is much closer in design to its plastic counterpart in the pages of this book than in its appearance in the cartoon series (“Casey Jones: Outlaw Hero”).

*Codename: Chameleon won’t be seen again until TMNT Adventures #51.

*A 2-page epilogue was added to this issue in the TMNT Adventures Vol. 1 collection from Tundra.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway in TMHT Adventures #12.


Review:

Another “mutant of the month” story, this issue is one of the weaker installments in this story arc as it really doesn’t provide much of anything. Codename: Chameleon wouldn’t prove to be particularly popular with anybody and won’t be seen again for a very long time, making an entire issue dedicated to his introduction rub off as kind of worthless. The only plot-point introduced in this issue that will be touched upon in this story arc is Bebop and Rocksteady’s entombment, but there must have been a more productive way to make that happen.

If anything, this issue reeks of “blatant toy advertisement” more than any other, as the Foot Knucklehead takes center stage. It might as well have had “buy me!” written on the side. Chameleon, oddly enough, never received a toy from Playmates.

Jim Lawson once again interrupts Ken Mitchroney’s artwork for a fill-in. As I’ve said before, his art tends to fluctuate wildly in the quality department, ranging from detailed to not-so-much at the drop of a hat. To his credit, he’s always been able to draw a really slick Shredder, though that might be more to the credit of Shredder’s bitchin’ character design than anything else.

Anyhow, I wouldn’t be so cruel as to call this issue “pointless”, but it is fairly uneventful and has little effect on the grand scheme of the storyline.

Grade: C- (as in “Chameleon’s toy probably would have just had a lame ‘changes color when splashed with warm water’ feature, anyway”.)

TMNT Adventures #8

Publication date: February, 1990

Plotted by: Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy) and Ryan Brown
Written by: Dean Clarrain
Penciled by: Ken Mitchroney
Inked by: Dan Berger
Lettered by: Gary Fields
Colored by: Barry Grossman
Edits by: Scott Fulop
Managing Editor: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Ken Mitchroney, Ryan Brown, Steve Lavigne

“Wild Things”


Summary:

As Cudley the Cowlick departs, the TMNT find themselves being pelted with rocks by a strange bat-creature named Wingnut and his mosquito-like pal, Screwloose. It seems Wingnut has a vendetta against skylights. The Turtles couldn’t care less about the flying psychopath and instead head to the sewers and back to their lair.



Greeting Splinter, the Turtles catch April on the Channel 6 news. Apparently, Wingnut is more dangerous than they thought, as he sends the G’Day Blimp crashing down with a single swipe of his talon. The TMNT aren’t about to take this sitting down and pile into the Turtle Blimp and deploy for action.

Out in the open sky, Wingnut promptly pops their blimp. Not to worry: the blimp’s glider is far more maneuverable! As the TMNT tail their winged foes from the Empire State Building to the World Trade Center, they find the chase a difficult one, as the stormy weather makes visibility quite poor.



Eventually cornering their enemies on the roof of the Twin Towers, Leo manages to tie them both up, allowing for an interrogation. As Wingnut suddenly begins to blubber like a baby, Screwloose pacifies his master by draining some of his blood. The TMNT demand answers and Screwloose explains that they are both from a planet called Huanu, where Wingnut once lived happily with his family. Screwloose’s people had a symbiotic relationship with Wingnut’s; the bat-creatures would provide the mosquito-creatures with blood while the bite of the mosquito-creatures was the only means for the bat-creatures to get to sleep. Everything was going great until Krang attacked and wiped out all of Wingnut’s people, making him the last of his kind. This eventually drove Wingnut mad; his cunning plan on Earth was to keep destroying skylights until he found Krang.

As soon as Screwloose finishes his story, Wingnut awakens and breaks free. He and Screwloose take to the skies, only to be gobbled up by Cudley. Cudley explains that when he returned the Turtles to Earth, he accidentally opened a rip in inter-dimensional space which allowed Wingnut and Screwloose to pass through. Cudley apologizes and then spits out the TMNT’s regular costumes, which he had forgotten to give them after the wrestling match. The Turtles ask what he intends to do with Wingnut and Screwloose and Cudley tells him that Mr. Stump intends to use them in his Intergalactic Wrestling match. The Turtles voice their disapproval, but to no avail; Cudley disappears into space, anyway.



The Turtles return home in the glider and change back into their original outfits. They find a red-eyed Splinter still watching the news and Mike laments that he can’t find any apple cores for his milkweed and apple core pizza. Raph jokes that there might be one behind the couch, sending a drooling Mike searching all over the floor until at last he finds one. The other Turtles are reasonably disgusted.


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #7.  This story is continued in TMNT Adventures #9.

*Splinter and April were last seen in TMNT Adventures #4.

*Don built the Turtle Blimp in TMNT Adventures (miniseries) #3.

*Wingnut and Screwloose will return in TMNT Adventures #12.

*Wingnut actually first appeared in the TMNT Cereal comics from Ralston Purina in 1989.  He was a bit different in that early incarnation; a hench-mutant of the Shredder's with no Screwloose in sight.

*Wingnut and Screwloose appeared in only a single episode of the Fred Wolf TMNT cartoon, "Zach and the Alien Invaders", as one-shot villains. Rather than Huanu, their home planet was identified as Flagenon.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway as TMHT Adventures #11.


Review:

More of Clarrain (Murphy) and Brown’s…”bizarre” story-telling with this issue. So Wingnut and Screwloose’s big plan was to keep breaking skylights until they found Krang? Brilliant!

Like many characters, I always preferred this interpretation of Wingnut and Screwloose over their appearance in the cartoon, where they were generic alien invaders (they appeared in the episode “Zach and the Alien Invaders”, by the way).

The return of the Turtle Blimp I could have done without, to tell the truth. I can accept some of their other vehicles, such as the Turtle Van and the Cheapskates…but a blimp is just pushing it. Kinda sucks the “ninja” right out of the title when the Turtles are prancing around the city in a blimp with their logo on it.

With this issue, Ken Mitchroney returns to art chores and I couldn’t be happier. His manic style fits the (if you pardon the pun) bat-shit crazy characters of Wingnut and Screwloose to a “t”. I love that face Wingnut makes as he hurls a rock at the TMNT on Page 4.

Also of note is that long-time Mirage staffer and all-around good guy Dan Berger inked this issue. And good show on that, too!

Grade: B+ (as in “Because I know I sleep a hell of a lot better when there are mosquitoes guzzling my blood…”)

 

TMNT Adventures #7

Publication date: December, 1989

Plotted by: Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy) and Ryan Brown
Written by: Dean Clarrain
Penciled by: Jim Lawson
Inked and Lettered by: Gary Fields
Colored by: Barry Grossman
Editor: Scott Fulop
Managing Editor: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Ken Mitchroney, Ryan Brown, Steve Lavigne

“Intergalactic Wrestling”

Summary:

After Raph recaps the events of the past few issues, he registers his discontent with his captors: a pair of enterprising outer space tree-men named Stump and Sling. With the aid of Cudley the Cowlick, a gigantic disembodied cow’s head that can traverse time and space (what the hell…?), the pair of money-loving flora inform the Turtles that they are to be the evening’s entertainment in their Intergalactic Wresting Competition. As you can imagine, the Turtles aren’t too hip to that idea, but as long as their weapons are somewhere in Cudley’s mouth, and they’re light-years away from home, the TMNT have little choice.



Back at Shredder’s HQ on Earth, the razor-clad villain tries to explain Leatherhead’s destruction to a very upset Krang, who needed Leatherhead to locate the Turnstone. Krang isn’t about to listen to Shredder’s excuses and hangs up.

Back in space, Stump and Sling introduce the Turtles to the other contestants: the vocally-limited and four-armed Cryin’ Houn’, the pompous and “oh god, I wish he’d put more clothes on” Ace Duck, and the ragin’ Cajun-himself…Leatherhead? Yes, as it turns out, Cudley rescued Leatherhead from imminent death so that he could compete in the night’s competition. The Turtles then leave to change into their gaudy wrestling costumes and prepare for battle.

Two matches begin simultaneously: one featuring the Turtles vs. Cryin’ Houn’ and the other featuring Leatherhead vs. Ace Duck. The matches don’t go so well at first, with Houn’ clobbering the TMNT and Ace making a fool of Leatherhead. However, both feature a surprise upset as Leonardo launches Houn’ with a flying jumpkick and Leatherhead flings Ace out of the ring at the same time; the two fighters colliding in midair.



As soon as the matches end, Cudley pukes up the TMNT’s weapons. With their bargaining posture weakened, Stump and Sling agree to send the Turtles back to Earth, though Leatherhead opts to stay and pursue a heroic career in showbiz.

Back in Dimension X, a somber Krang decides to drown his sorrows in some Intergalactic Wrestling, only to discover that he’s missed the entire match. Somewhere in Dimension X, an infuriated brain is shaking his tentacles.



Within the gaping maw of Cudley the Cowlick, the Turtles are feeling relatively disgusted. They believe their trip to be over when Cudley spits them out onto the roof of a skyscraper, only to learn that he’s accidentally taken them into a possible future. In this ruined world, Earth was destroyed by global warming (subtle). Cudley apologizes and promptly takes them back to their proper time and place. The TMNT are relieved to be home, though an ominous storm looms overhead…


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #6.  This story continues in TMNT Adventures #8.

*The Mirage Mini Comics Collection story #4, “A Forgotten TMNT Adventure” takes place between the first and second panels of Page 27 of this issue.

*The TMNT encountered Man Ray in TMNT Adventures #5.

*The unnamed skull-clad gentleman standing next to Stump is Trap, a character who won’t appear again until TMNT Adventures #12.

*Leatherhead will appear again in TMNT Adventures #12.

*Cryin' Houn' and Ace Duck will appear again in TMNT Adventures #35, in the back-up story "Mah Name!".

*A creature looking identical to Fluffy Brockleton, a character from Michael Dooney’s “Gizmo” can be seen in the crowd at the Intergalactic Wrestling match. Also in the crowd are R2-D2 and a Triceraton.

*Ace Duck’s characterization is… strange. His toy bio describes him as being the TMNT’s reserve pilot, who operates the Turtle Blimp for them. His one appearance in the Fred Wolf cartoon had him as a television character (in an extremely brief cameo) in the episode “Attack of the Big MACC”.

*It is revealed in this issue that “Dimension” X is actually a far-off galaxy and not an alternate universe as the name “Dimension” would imply.

*The Turtles will revisit the global warming-destroyed future many more times, beginning in TMNT Adventures #42.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway in TMHT Adventures #10.


Review:

With this issue, Ken Mitchroney takes a brief hiatus, leaving Mirage staffer Jim Lawson to handle the art duties. Mitchroney will be back next issue. Lawson (who is apparently Peter Laird’s favorite artist) will act as a fill-in artist throughout the rest of TMNT Adventures.

I have… not so many nice things to say about Jim Lawson’s artwork (or his modern artwork, to be more specific). This issue, however, hit the stands in 1989, when Jim Lawson was still trying. His take on the more whimsical designs of the animated TMNT is interesting. Lawson likes to draw everything very boxy and angular, but these Ninja Turtles are all quite round and puffy. Seeing him adjust to these character designs is strange, but he actually handles the job nicely. His art lacks the same atmosphere of “fun” as Mitchroney’s, but you can tell Lawson did his best to give the characters more exaggerated features and expressions.

As I mentioned earlier, though, Lawson is an artist whose skill and attention to detail gradually eroded over time. As he randomly fills in for both cover art and interior duties over the years, all the way up to TMNT Adventures #61, you’ll be able to see for yourself exactly what I mean. Hell, if you don’t want to wait that long, just open up a copy of TMNT Adventures #24, which was done only two years after this one. Compare it with his efforts here and you can already see a massive difference in quality.

Okay, pissing and moaning about Lawson aside, this was a fun little issue. It may seem like a pointless diversion at first glance, but all the characters introduced here come into play by the arc’s conclusion, so don’t worry. A lot of the concepts that Clarrain (Murphy) and Brown show off here are a little…cracked-out, to say the least. I mean, Cudley the Cowlick, on his own, is one of the most acid-tripping things I’ve ever seen, but when combined with anthropomorphic tree-people and the sheer homoerotica of professional wrestling…well, you can’t help but wonder what these guys were on.

Grade: B+ (as in “Be prepared to see a lot of bulging buttocks in this issue. A lot”.)

 

TMNT Adventures #6

Publication date: November, 1989

Plot by: Ryan Brown and Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy)
Written by: Dean Clarrain
Pencils by: Ken Mitchroney
Inks by: Dave Garcia
Letters by: Gary Fields
Colors by: Barry Grossman
Edits by: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne, maybe?

“Of Turtles and Stones and Mary Bones”

Summary:

Deep in the heart of the bayou, a thief named Jess Harley skulks through the swamp in search of the hut of a creepy voodoo practitioner named “Mary Bones”. Sneaking into her abode, Harley swipes a large crystal orb and leaves for New York City in hopes of selling it for a major profit.



While navigating the hectic streets, Harley bumps into the pizza-bound TMNT (incognito) who accidentally knock the crystal from his hands and down a storm drain. Harley chases after it through a subway access tunnel, but he finds more than just the crystal when he gets there. The old swamp witch, Mary Bones, has finally tracked him down and is in the mood for a little vengeance. She reveals to him that the crystal ball he stole is actually called the Turnstone, though some like to call it a “directional thought transanimator”.

Mary Bones summons the power of the Turnstone and declares, “You were stupid and brave to take what was not yours, Jess Harley…and thus I make you both less and more than what you once were…I make you…a Leatherhead!”



With those words, Jess Harley is transformed into a walking alligator-man. As “Leatherhead” desperately tries to stop the exiting Mary Bones, he passes right through her intangible form and crashes through the floor, plummeting several levels until he lands, conveniently, into the hidden base of the Shredder.

Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady rouse the unconscious Leatherhead, who explains his tragic situation to him. Thinking fast, Shredder reveals that both Bebop and Rocksteady are victims of Mary Bones’ Turnstone (having once been an accountant and a real estate agent, respectively). He also points out that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are in cahoots with Mary Bones and hold the secret to turning Leatherhead back into Jess Harley. Leatherhead wastes no time, and with Bebop and Rocksteady in tow, heads out to find the Turtles.

Back within the Technodrome (still stuck in Dimension X), Krang is enjoying an Intergalactic Wrestling match (featuring Ace Duck) when he’s interrupted by the Shredder. Shredder reports the latest goings-on to Krang, who realizes that in order for Mary Bones to have something as technologically advanced as a directional thought transanimator, she must therefore be a banished warlord from Dimension X, like himself. He declares that the Turnstone is likely the only thing that can get him back his original body and orders Shredder to retrieve Leatherhead, as he’s the only one who knows where Mary Bones lives.



Elsewhere in the sewers, the Turtles ride their Cheapskates (available at a toy store near you!) to a subterranean bridge they’ve been dying to explore. There, they are met by Leatherhead and crew who engage them in battle. Leatherhead and Raph are at each other’s throats until Raph points out Leo’s honorable actions in battle and Rocksteady’s dishonorable actions. As Leatherhead starts to get a grip on who the real badguys are, Shredder arrives and reveals that he’d been using him all along. Leatherhead, in his grief, accidentally destroys the bridge and plummets into the abyss.

Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady escape, with the Turtles hot on their trail. Their chase is interrupted, however, by Mary Bones, who informs them not to grieve for Leatherhead’s apparent demise and tells them that they’ll be very helpful in the “final conflict” yet to come. Mary Bones vanishes as mysteriously as she came, leaving the Turtles to gawk at some weird, mysterious figure in the tunnel with them…


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #5.  This story is continued in TMNT Adventures #7

*The Technodrome was sucked into Dimension X in TMNT Adventures (miniseries) #3.

*Though Ace Duck makes a cameo on Krang’s computer monitor, he won’t make his first full appearance until next issue.

*Mary Bones will appear again in TMNT Adventures #11. Her true nature and origin will be revealed in TMNT Adventures #12.

*The “final conflict” Mary Bones alludes to occurs in TMNT Adventures #13

*Leatherhead seems to have a tendency to battle the TMNT on subterranean bridges. He does so in his first appearance in Mirage continuity, in Tales of the TMNT (vol. 1) #6 as well as in the Konami TMNT Arcade game.

*Say goodbye to Krang’s robot body, because you won’t be seeing it again after this.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway in TMHT Adventures #9.


Review:

Well, it’s another new character/toy introduction, but unlike the last issue, this one begins a story arc that’ll run for quite some time, eventually culminating in TMNT Adventures #13. So in that respect, it feels like an awful lot more than a 28-page toy commercial.

As mentioned above, Leatherhead has been saddled with a large number of different origins, with this one deviating the most from all the others. In all honesty, I prefer this version of Leatherhead over all the rest. He has the sympathetic qualities that the Mirage version contained, but all the Louisiana trappings of the Fred Wolf version (sans phrases like “Ah gua-ran-tee!” and endless rants about gumbo). In that regard, the Archie Leatherhead is really “the best of both worlds”.

Not much else to say here, really. We got a good origin for Leatherhead (who will come into his own as an excellent character later down the line), some funny shtick with Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady and the beginning of a very good story arc. Not a bad issue, all things considered.

Grade: B (as in “Being a horror movie nerd, I’m convinced that Jess Harley is a reference to Ed Harley from 1988’s ‘Pumpkinhead’…which in turn kinda/sorta means Leatherhead is played by Lance Henriksen…who in turn is made entirely of leather”.)

 

TMNT Adventures #5

Publication date: October, 1989

Plot by: Dean Clarrain and Ryan Brown
Written by: Dean Clarrain (Steve Murphy)
Penciled by: Ken Mitchroney
Inked by: Dave Garcia
Lettered by: Gary Fields
Colored by: Barry Grossman
Edited by: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne, maybe?

“Something Fishy Goes Down”

Summary:

The Turtles are taking some time off at the Burroughs Aquarium outside Jersey City when they’re approached by an employee of the facility. After describing his admiration for devil rays to them in the creepiest manner possible, he politely asks them to leave before the aquarium closes. The Turtles decide to walk back to Manhattan along the beach. It’s a hell of a walk, but they’re ninjas, so they can handle it.



At the bottom of New York Harbor, Shredder is cruising around in his new submarine that he acquired somehow. Krang contacts Shredder over the communication machine, furious that Bebop and Rocksteady managed to lose a batch of his rare and costly mutagen into New York Harbor. Shredder casts Krang’s frustrations aside, instead choosing to detail his plans for the Fourth of July.

Back at the aquarium, the bespectacled employee gives his precious devil ray one last pet good night then proceeds to Bayview Beach for some undercover work. He locates a drainage pipe which he believes to be the source of much illegal corporate dumping. As with so many of these origin stories, timing is everything, and the devil ray-loving marine biologist is caught in a wave of Krang’s mutagen, pouring out of the pipe, and is quickly washed out to sea.



Not far away, the TMNT are frolicking on the beach when Bebop and Rocksteady spot them via periscope. Hoping to absolve their previous blunder, the duo report their findings to the Shredder who, fearing the Turtles would disrupt his plan to destroy the Statue of Liberty, launches a torpedo at his foes. The Turtles see the torpedo heading their way, only to find it dragged back down beneath the water by a mysterious figure. The creature hurls the torpedo back at Shredder’s sub, though it merely bounces off the hull (and doesn’t even explode, apparently…what was this torpedo filled with? Candy?).

As the Turtles wonder what could have saved them, Shredder docks his sub at his secret pier beneath the city and, along with Bebop and Rocksteady, begins loading the explosives onto the sub. Unbeknownst to any of them, the same mysterious creature slaps some plastic explosives onto the outside of the sub.

Down in the sewers, the Turtles are snooping around for answers when they happen upon Shredder’s hidden pier. They sneak inside the sub before it launches. Underwater, the mysterious creature prepares to detonate the explosives with a harpoon gun, only to stop once he spots Michaelangelo through a porthole.

Shortly out to sea, the Turtles are found by Bebop and Rocksteady. After the briefest of tussles, Rocksteady accidentally punctures the hull of the sub with his horn, causing it to flood. Shredder abandons ship with some scuba gear, leaving Bebop and Rocksteady to be rescued by the Turtles (and by “rescued”, I mean “left helplessly adrift in a pair of lifesavers”).



Shredder’s escape is interrupted, however, as he comes face to face with the mysterious creature: Man Ray! Man Ray defeats the Shredder in underwater combat, unplugging the hose to his air tank. However, once they both reach dry land, the tables turn and Shredder manages an escape after kicking sand in Man Ray’s eyes. The Turtles come to Man Ray’s aid, thanking him for his help. Man Ray can’t stay to chat, however, as he has a hard time speaking in his new body, much less staying on land for an extended period of time. As the Turtles watch Man Ray vanish into the water, they become distracted by the Fourth of July fireworks celebration happening over at Liberty Island. All are enamored by the beauty of the spectacle, save for Mike, who is going through violent pizza-withdrawals.


Turtle Tips:

*This issue was preceeded by TMNT Adventures #4.  This story is continued in TMNT Adventures #6.

*Man Ray will return in "Yo-Ho-Ho! And a Bottle of Mutagen!".

*A deeper look into Man Ray's history can be seen in Mighty Mutanimals (ongoing) #3.

*An 8-page prologue to this issue was added for the TMNT Adventures Vol. 1 collection published by Tundra.

*It looks as if Krang has lightened his stance on not giving Shredder any help or henchmen, as stated in TMNT Adventures #1, seeing as how Shredder now has a slick new sub and Bebop and Rocksteady at his disposal.

*Man Ray actually debuted a few months before this issue was published in the TMNT Cereal comics from Ralston Purina.  In that early incarnation, he could fly like Superman (a power dropped by the time he appeared in TMNT Adventures).

*For the record, "Dean Clarrain" is just a pseudonym used by Mirage staffer Steve Murphy. For the sake of not confusing anyone, all my reviews will address him under his pseudonym.

*Don’t be confused: Though he’s called “Man Ray” in the Archie comic, he is the same character as “Ray Fillet” from the toyline.  He never properly appeared in the Fred Wolf TMNT cartoon.  He was set to appear in the season 4 episode "Rebel Without a Fin", but objections from Ryan Brown saw him replaced by a generic character named "Ray".

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway in TMHT Adventures #8.


Review:

So here we have the first original story from TMNT Adventures. It’s a fairly cut-and-dry tale, with no discernible twists or turns and, if you don’t count the introduction of Man Ray, it’s a completely stand-alone story. Still, I will give it some credit: it’s basically the back of Man Ray’s (or Ray Fillet’s, rather) toy packaging adapted into a comic book. In case you’re wondering, the bio on the back of his card reads:

“You smell something fishy? That's because you just picked up Ray Fillet, the coolest sea creature to ever leap from the deep. Spawned from a marine biologist and a manta ray, Ray Fillet emerged from a toxic sewer pipe only to discover himself super-strong and super-slimy.”

The fact that they managed to take that and work a 28-page comic out of it is fairly impressive. The marine biologist who becomes Man Ray is never named in the issue, which is kind of annoying. His bio in the Mutant Universe Sourcebook #1 reveals his original identity as "Jack Finney". Personally, I always thought his real name was "Ray Fillet". Curses.

This issue also marks Dean Clarrain’s (Steve Murphy's) first turn at writing duties. As I said, this story isn’t especially impressive, but don’t look at it as some sort of microcosm of Clarrain’s writing skill by any means. An honest-to-gosh story arc begins with the next issue and he really hits the ground running. I just look at this as him getting his feet wet and figuring out the characters and their universe.

As always, Mitchroney’s art keeps things nice and fun, though there seemed to be a noticeable lack of explosions. A torpedo just bounces off the hull of the sub and sinks to the bottom of the harbor and Man Ray attaches some plastic explosives to a submarine full of bombs only to stop himself from pulling the trigger and simply letting the submersible sink to the seafloor.

Not enough “Kaboom!” for my taste.

Grade: C+ (as in “Clearly, this issue was not written by Michael Bay”.)

 

TMNT Adventures #4

Publication date: September, 1989

Adapted from TV by: Beth and Ken Mitchroney
Pencils: Ken Mitchroney
Inks: Dave Garcia
Letters: Gary Fields
Colors: Barry Grossman
Editor: Victory Gorelick
Cover: Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne, maybe?

“The Incredible Shrinking Turtles Part II”

Summary:

As Baxter and Shredder prepare to contact Krang with their proof of Shredder’s victory (numerous buildings shrunken by the fragment of the Eye of Sarnath), April and Splinter scour the city in search of their foe so they can retrieve the fragment and return the Turtles to their proper size.

Down in the sewer, all four Turtles are munching on a single (gigantic) slice of pizza when a flood of sewer water washes them away. Climbing on top of a bar of soap, they find themselves at the mercy of a hungry snake. They manage to escape the predator by feeding it some of the soap (it probably won’t curse anymore, either).

“Meanwhile, at an abandoned cheese packing plant on the wrong side of town” (actual quote from the comic, I kid you not), Shredder delivers his proof to Krang. Krang believes that they’re nothing but toy buildings and hangs up on Shredder. Stockman then reveals his latest invention, a heat-seeking turtle-scope which will help them track down the tiny turtles. Washing out to sea, the Turtles are about to be eaten by a fish when they’re “rescued” by Baxter Stockman’s net.

Using his mystic bond with his pupils, Splinter leads April to the abandoned cheese facility. Inside, Shredder shows the itty bitty Turtles to an overjoyed Krang. As Shredder prepares to squish his enemies with a crowbar, Spliter enters the fray and bests Shredder at hand-to-claw combat. The Turtles are found by April, whom they send to retrieve the fragment of Sarnath. Meanwhile, Shredder gets the drop on Splinter and knocks him onto a conveyer belt leading to a hydraulic press. April uses the fragment of Sarnath to return the Turtles to their original size. They rescue Splinter just in the knick of time, though Shredder and Stockman escape down a trapdoor with the fragment of Sarnath.

The heroes return home for some well-earned pizza, though they find that Splinter has ordered their dinner with a bit of a twist: they’re actually bite-sized pizza snacks!


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #3.  This issue is followed by TMNT Adventures #5.

*Some time between now and next issue, the events of "The Night of Monsterex" and "Origin of the Species" take place.

*This story is adapted from the episode “The Incredible Shrinking Turtles” from the Fred Wolf TMNT cartoon.

*The Eye of Sarnath story arc will be dropped after this issue. The fate of Baxter Stockman as well as the rest of the fragments of Sarnath won’t be revealed until TMNT Adventures #43. Does that suck, or what?

*This would be the last issue to adapt an episode of the Fred Wolf cartoon series. According to an October 1st, 2008 blog post by Ryan Brown over at "Cowabunga Cartoon Classics", the switch from episode adaptations to original content was made out of legal necessity, as Fred Wolf Films was accusing Archie Comics and Mirage Studios of breach of contract (Fred Wolf owned the rights to the episode scripts and apparently no one asked permission to use them for comics).

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway as TMHT Adventures #7.


Review:

So it’s over. No more episode adaptations. Ever!

Ignoring the fact that they should have had original content to begin with, I can’t help but feel that they should have at least quit with the episode adaptations after “Return of Shredder”. “The Incredible Shrinking Turtles” began a story arc that lasted through almost the entirety of season 2 of the cartoon series. With the episode adaptations ending here, this entire plot is dropped like a sack of hammers, with it not being resolved or even so much as mentioned again for many dozens of issues. The transition from issue #4 to issue #5 can be pretty jarring if you’re reading everything back-to-back.

At any rate, “The Incredible Shrinking Turtles” kept from being a total waste thanks in large part to Ken Mitchroney’s wonderful art. He takes a retread that has no right to be even remotely entertaining and makes it at least enjoyable to stare at. Good show.

Grade: C (as in “Couldn’t Baxter have at least tried to keep April away from the fragment of Sarnath? Maybe just a little?”)

 

TMNT Adventures #3

Publication date: July, 1989

Adaptation: Beth and Ken Mitchroney
Penciling: Ken Mitchroney
Inking: Dave Garcia
Lettering: Gary Fields
Coloring: Barry Grossman
Editor: Victor Gorelick
Cover: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird and Steve Lavigne

“The Incredible Shrinking Turtles Part I”

Summary:

While practicing in an empty section of Central Park, the TMNT are ambushed by the Shredder. Well, not quite; it turns out to be Mike in disguise. Before they can clobber him, a spaceship crashes into a nearby lake (this stuff happens all the time). They rescue the alien pilot from the bottom of the lake, but he’s dying from his injuries. Before he croaks, he tells them to find the three fragments of the Eye of Sarnath, a mystical jewel that can grant the possessor undreamed of power. He then gives them a device which will locate the pieces before he disintegrates. As the Turtles head out to go fragment-hunting, they fail notice the Shredder, who heard the whole thing while hiding beneath a bush (so dignified).

As the Turtles make haste in the Turtle Van, Shredder reunites with Baxter Stockman and sends his findings back to Krang. Krang still refuses to send him any Foot Soldiers and Shredder concedes to gather the Eye of Sarnath on his own.

The Turtles track the first fragment to a garbage barge and dig it out, only to have it snatched from their hands by Shredder. Shredder easily defeats them in hand-to-hand combat and then uses the power of the fragment to shrink them all to action figure-size. The Tiny Turtles manage to escape into the sewers with their (now relatively humongous) tracking device and are recovered by Splinter. Splinter then sends for help from April via the Turtle Communicator.

At Channel 6, April is being yelled at in a meeting by Burne. April cuts out of the meeting and goes to see Splinter. Meanwhile, Shredder once again contacts Krang, but this time with news of his victory. Krang refuses to believe him and tells him to come back with proof.

As April and Splinter cruise the city in the Turtle Van, they catch a news report witnessing the Empire State Building shrinking. At the scene of the crime, Baxter (disguised as a police officer) procures the shrunken skyscraper and brings it back to Shredder, who prepares to contact Krang with his proof…


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Adventures #2.  This story continues in TMNT Adventures #4

*This story is adapted from the episode “The Incredible Shrinking Turtles” from the Fred Wolf TMNT cartoon.

*The back of Mike’s fake Shredder helmet features the words “Ninja Pizza”. The TMNT visited a restaurant called Ninja Pizza in TMNT Adventures (miniseries) #1.

*Sarnath-himself will appear in TMNT Adventures #46 and we'll find out the true nature of the eyes and the alien pilot in TMNT Adventures #47.

*This issue was reprinted in the UK by Fleetway as TMHT Adventures #6.


Review:

Only one more adaptation issue to go after this one! You can make it, folks! I believe in you!

“The Incredible Shrinking Turtles” seems to make the transition to the printed page far better than “Return of the Shredder”, I must say. It might have something to do with the new creative team of Beth and Ken Mitchroney. They adapt the script much more smoothly, giving the right amount of screen time to the Turtles and their supporting cast per issue.

Likewise, Ken Mitchroney’s art suits this book far better than Garcia’s and, dare I say, even Dooney’s! It’s very expressive in an overtly cartoonish sort of way and really works. It’s much less bland than Garcia’s efforts and a bit more whimsically fun to look at than Dooney’s contributions. Mitchroney seems to have set the tone for many future artists on the book, as even perennial favorite Chris Allen will more or less take a cue from his style. Mitchenroy will be hanging around for a good while, too, so we have that to look forward to.

Grade: C (as in “Can you really evacuate a shrinking skyscraper in a handful of minutes? In the world of children’s entertainment, the answer is ‘yes’!”)