TMNT

This week marks the launch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, a new spotlight series that kicks off with Paul Allor and Damian Couceiro for a story about the Turtles under siege. To find out more, we spoke to them about their favorite Turtles, the challenge of designing a new mutant, and the importance of battling evil with #TwoSticksAndAChain.

James Tynion IV and Freddie E. Williams II's Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover was one of the best comic books of the year, and if you doubt that, consider that there was a scene where Shredder and Ra's Al-Ghul used mutagen on Batman's enemies and turned Mr. Freeze into a polar bear. If you can think of a comic where something better than that happened, then folks, I want to hear about it. The only downside was that it ended after only six issues. Now, though, it looks like we're going to get a sequel --- sort of. Today at San Diego Comic-Con, IDW and DC announced Batman/TMNT Adventures, a second crossover between the Dark Knight and the Heroes in a Half-Shell --- and this time, it's set in the animated universes of both characters.

A library’s worth of comic books, multiple successful animated series, half a dozen movies, a bonanza of video games, enough toys and action figures to sink a battleship, millions of albums sold, and a “live”, touring rock ‘n roll stage show. When talking about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles it starts to become easier to try to think of the aspects of pop culture they haven’t conquered. But what’s even more astounding than that is when you realize they’ve conquered so many of these corners of the zeitgeist over and over. For the last three decades, these radioactive, sewer-dwelling reptiles have time and again reinvented themselves for new generations of fans eager to learn more about martial arts and pizza, as well as pulling back in former “party dudes/dudettes” who now have little would be Turtle fans of their own. Or, you know, people who are old enough to have kids, but don’t, and are just happy to see the Ninja Turtles re-emerge from the depths to take over the airwaves and toy aisles yet again.

As far as opening lines go, "This is bad, right? Bebop and Rocksteady just traveled through time to who knows where!" is probably one of the more ominous starts that a comic has ever had. I mean, really, considering those two dudes can't even walk into a building without bringing the whole thing down around their heads, giving them access to the time stream can only be bad. For the people in that universe, I mean. For those of us here in this dimension who are reading the comic, we're in for a treat as Ben Bates, Dustin Weaver, Sophie Campbell, Giannis Milonogiannis and Bill Crabtree chronicle the second stop on the destructive duo's trip through the time stream: A journey back to the distant past of the year 2000 (and another journey back to dinosaur times for a team-up with the demonic master of the Cretaceous, Savanti Romero! Check out a preview below!

If there are two things I find fascinating in the world of comic books, it's bizarre crossovers and Archie comics where everything turns weirdly serious. They're the things I look for when I hit the back issue boxes at conventions, and while I usually have to settle for getting those two fixes separately from stuff like those Life WIth Archie comics from the '70s where Betty gets attacked by a bear, every now and then, I'll find something that fits both. And every now and then, it's even weirder than I expect. Case in point: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie, in which... well, you can probably guess what happens just from that title. What you might not guess, though, is that it involves a kidnapping at gunpoint and a giant floating interdimensional cow head.

You could probably be forgiven for thinking that Sideshow's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Premium Art Print" wasn't that big a deal. I mean, given that Sideshow is mostly known for their high-end action figures and collectibles, I spent the first few minutes after I saw this thing wondering why they were charging a hundred bucks for a photograph of a bunch of statues. But then I realized that it's not a photo at all, and is actually a brand new piece of art by the truly amazing Paolo Rivera, printed from an original oil painting. Check it out below!

Q: Childhood nostalgia aside who is, once and for all, the best Turtle from TMNT? -- @drawesome86 A: The thing about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is that, more than almost any other team in comics, they're less of a group and more of a single unit. As much as the four Turtles might have individual personalities and quirks --- and, y'know, favorite colors that make them nice and toyetic --- it's hard to imagine ever really separating them out into four distinct characters that don't have an equal place within that unit. So on one level, asking to pick out the best one is like handing me a slice of pizza and asking if I prefer the cheese, the sauce, the crust or the toppings. It's all one delicious thing. But on another level, I really like ranking things, so I think we can probably get you an answer. And honestly, I'm pretty sure what you're actually asking here is "Who's better: Michelangelo or Raphael?" because we all know it ain't gonna be Leo or Donnie.

When you get right down to it, this was the sort of thing that pretty much had to happen. I mean, if you're going to take advantage of having a premise like a Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover --- and I think the past few months have shown us that James Tynion IV and Freddie E. Williams II are definitely up for the challenge --- then eventually, you're going to want to make some new mutants and have them fight Batman. It's the most logical, toyetic, ridiculous and amazing thing you possibly could do, and as the series hit its final issue this week, that's exactly what they did. So in case you missed it, well, Mr. Freeze is a polar bear now, and it's kind of my favorite thing.

Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the great inexplicable pop phenomenons of our time, a creation that began as a one-note joke between friends, and went on to conquer the world. It's a franchise that's proven to be endlessly adaptable, appearing in endless variations in numerous media, with an appeal that spans generations and a fanbase that continues to expand with each passing year.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a weird-looking crowd, which makes a lot of sense when you consider that they're teenagers, mutants, ninjas and turtles, all of which are traditionally pretty weird-looking groups. They've got the weird shaped heads, the blocky three-fingered hands, and then there's the part where they'er wearing clothes, but only belts, elbowpads and kneepads. But what if --- and bear with me here because it's a pretty radical idea --- they looked a little weirder?