Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Saturday Morning Adventures: IDW Endless Summer One-Shot

When Michelangelo forsakes pizza, opting instead for a fresh green salad, his fellow Ninja Turtles know something's not right. It's the heat of summer in the Big Apple and the boys have been working really hard against Shredder and his evil Foot Clan. A single day of rest and relaxation can't hurt. So the boys don Western costumes and cosplay as cowboys at the nearby Old West theme park, Frontier Ride-A-World

Once inside the park, the turtles notice that something's off about the place. The rides go just a little too fast. The atmosphere seems electric. Too electric And is that Traag, Krang's rock creature generalissimo over by the cotton candy stand? Fun time is over!

This one-shot by Dave Baker was part of IDW's 2023 Endless Summer lineup of specials. Drawn in the style of the classic 1980s cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the art by Tango was so picture perfect. With continuity nods to the original series, it really did feel like I had discovered a lost episode!

I really hate that IDW didn't do any summer specials this year. I know that the company has been hurting and the past 12-18 months for them has been really difficult with losing both the G.I. Joe and Transformers licenses. However, if IDW was ever in need of sales, bringing Endless Summer back in 2025 is a sure way to get me to open my wallet.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Saturday Morning Adventures Halloween Special One-Shot (Family Comic Friday)

Celebrate Halloween 2023 by taking a trip back in time to the late 1980s with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Saturday Morning Adventures Halloween Special. 

For the past couple of years now, IDW Publishing has been releasing a number of books based on kids cartoons from the 80s. While most of the cartoons in this series aired on weekdays after school and not Saturdays, I've been a big fan of these publications. 

There are 2 stories in this Halloween special. The first story has Master Splinter sending the Turtles out on patrol on a Halloween night where the heroes come face-to-face with their old nemesis, Creepy Eddie. A master of dreams, Creepy Eddie takes the turtles to his realm where Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael must make it to the end of the yellow brick road which leads to the exit by midnight or else they become slaves to Eddie! Then readers head over to Dimension X where Krang and Shredder are trying to unlock the secrets to a meteorite with mysterious properties. Shredder believes that if he can create a special sword with the space rock, he'll be able to create a powerful weapon that will make him and Krang the rulers of Earth. To do this, Shredder summons the spirit of an ancient master bladesmith who refuses to help Shredder because just doesn't like Oroku Saki's style. 

This special was so much fun. I don't really remember Creepy Eddie but then again, it's been over 35 years since I saw his single appearance on the original TMNT cartoon series. I thought the story was so funny and I loved how none of the characters took themselves too seriously. The Turtles made comments about how the retconning of Turtle history is just too confusing while Creepy Eddie was plagued by his lawyer to not be too similar to another certain dream master who also wears a striped sweater; least he violate copyright law.

The story starring the villains was also a lot of fun. Though I will admit at first I thought this was going to be a stinker. Then I remembered how funny Krang was. He thinks he's a big deal and yet he's like a toddler who thinks he's bigger and badder than he really is. As Shredder kept on yapping, I started to hear that iconic deep voice by late actor James Avery and I just didn't want this trip down memory lane to stop.

Turtles are huge this year. Thanks to a new animated movie, I saw a ton of kids dressed as their favorite Turtle during a recent trunk-or-treat event. Even though these Turtles look like they did when we 40-somethings were growing up (and that by the way, is the correct way that they should) kids will love it. Adults will love it because of the nostalgia. With tomorrow being the annual Trick-or-Read free comic giveaway at comic books stores nationwide, why not pick this one-shot special up while getting so free Halloween themed reads. It's a something the whole family enjoy- guaranteed!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Prime Slime Tales #1

I paid $2 for this book based only on the publisher. As Mirage Studios was the birthplace of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I hoped that maybe this was set in the same universe. Other than the wraparound cover being penciled by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, there isn't anything else that connects the Ninja Turtles with the cast of characters in this book. 

The star of the book is an alley cat named Zigbone. He lives at the city dump along with an assortment of other critters like a foul-mouthed bullfrog named Warty. One day as Zigbone is scouting the refuse for his next meal, the kitty stumbles across a strange looking character. Fearing that either an alien is invading or a monster is attacking, Zigbone rallies his junk yard pals in hopes of destroying the... adorable little guy that only says 'Blort!'

Prime Slime Tales was written and illustrated from Rowen and Tony Basilicato who co-created the Geriatric Gangrene Jujitsu Gerbils. A parody of the Turtles, I am surprised that Mirage Studios signed the Basilicatos to do this book and I am even more surprised that the Gerbils make a guest appearance in this book. Obviously Eastman and Laird had a good sense of humor about things, figuring if you can't beat 'em, team up with 'em!

I hated the ending. For one, it ends with a cliffhanger. Second, it looks like it's curtains for that adorable Blort creature. I really hope he didn't die! He's so freakin' cute. I really, really want to know what happens next, unless it's a funeral for 'Blort'.

Prime Slime Tales only lasted for a second issue at Mirage before jumping ship to Now Comics. Considering that I can't even find out what happens in issue #2, I have even less hope of understanding why the Basilicatos defected. There's very, very little about Now Comics on the net, probably because of how such a small player the publisher was in the vast nearly 90 year history of comics. 

If you were like me and you were expecting the Ninja Turtles to appear in this book, don't be completely disappointed that they aren't in this story. Eastman and Laird do craft a pin-up in the back cover that has the Turtles helping the stars of this book from a horde of scary looking monsters. Unfortunately, it's in black and white. But it's still impressive looking. 

A good read that left me in the lurch. I really need to know what happens next.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Flaming Carrot Comics Omnibus, Volume 1

Bob Burden's insane creation. The Flaming Carrot, is collected in this giant omnibus from Dark Horse Comics. 

Anything Flaming Carrot is darn near impossible to find in stores. A staple of the 80s and 90s Indy scene, not many issues were printed and what few fans have don't show up on the market that often. I know that I am a massive dollar bin picker and I'm not likely to find these books for cheap. But even when I go to shows and conventions, I cannot find Flaming Carrot anywhere. 

I am always looking for Flaming Carrot because for some reason, this series just happens to be my wife's favorite. The peppering of non-sequitur. The surrealism and the shear insanity. On paper, this shouldn't be something my wife enjoys. But she does! And that's even more odder as the Ben Stiller film, Mystery Men (in which my wife absolutely hates), is based on this series of comics. 

I wasn't disappointed by the comics reprinted in this collection. But for an omnibus, there are quite a few issues missing. This book reprints issues 1-2, 4-11 and 25-27. I understand why Dark Horse made sure to add books 25-27. Those 3 books guest star the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the crossovers are definitely fan favorites. I also assume that issues 12-24 are part of a massive storyline and the publisher didn't want to split it up. 

But where's issue #3? Even in earlier reprint editions, that issue is missing from them. Why? Honestly, I can't figure this one out.

As this is volume 1, I am sure that the next book is going to include many of those missing books. But I'm not holding my breath for that third issue. It just seems to have disappeared from existence like a McFly in a photograph from Back to the Future.

Let's talk about the book's cover. I love the image of FC with a pack of monsters. But it really has nothing to do with the comics reprinted within. However, there is a 4 page prose story that appears to be brand spanking new from Bob Burden. It does involve the Monster Party illustrated on the front. It was pretty funny. But it isn't as classic as all of the sequential art stories I read previously in this. 

Then there's the matter of the Easter egg that I couldn't find. According to foreword author, Kevin Eastman, the first issue of Flaming Carrot has the first ever appearance of the Ninja Turtles. I read and reread that issue and I could not locate them. Was it a red herring from the comic book legend? Or is there yet another issue that wasn't reprinted in this assemblage? 

I really enjoyed Bob Burden's absurdist humor. But the omnibus felt less like a complete collection and more like a scrapbook of the Flaming Carrot's earliest and best.

I am really hoping that volume 2 not only comes out soon, but also includes all of the missing gaps. A great book but clearly not absolute!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #89

Things have literally crumbled for Master Splinter. It's Christmas Eve and on what is typically a very festive night, the family is solemn and separate.Though he now has control of the Foot Clan, Splinter's relationship with his sons, The Turtles, has been damaged, possibly beyond repair. April has gone into hiding.  An ally has died and none feel like celebrating. Everything seems to be balanced on the edge of a knife. Enter the ghost of Splinter and three other spirits who show Splinter scenes of the past, present and future in hopes of changing the ninja master's fate. 

I was both greatly intrigued and disappointed by this comic. First of all, the solicitations for this book talk greatly of the Dicken's A Christmas Carol plot device. In 1990-91, during a reissue of the Michelangelo Christmas Special, an all-new story was added. It too was done like A Christmas Carol. So, I was interested to know if that tale was being reprinted in this issue or not. 

It was not!

Thus, my disappointment. It is not that I am unhappy that the story has not been re-released. What I am not pleased with is that a different kind of storyline couldn't have been used. Yes, it has been about 30 years since the original TMNT Christmas Carol story was done. But couldn't co-creator Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz have borrowed from something else to be original? It's a Wonderful Life would have worked here. Maybe even The Gift of the Magi or even an all-new take on the holidays would have been better than reusing that same old storyline...

This book came out like a week ago or so. I've heard from a couple of fans that they were disappointed in this issue. As I've not really been up-to-date on the current Turtles, I don't really know what I have been missing and such. But I have heard that this story does little to move the action. Since the writers at the end of this book ever say that this Christmas tale was meant to act as a pause in the drama, I would have to agree. 

This issue wasn't awful. There was some festive moments. And since Splinter's previous life as Hamato Yoshi takes place in feudal Japan, in which Christmas was a non-entity at that time, it was refreshing to have a look at a non-Christmas past. The art was also quite good. Godzilla's Dave Wachter has a style very similar to those very earliest of Ninja Turtle comics. 

While this story has a quite classic style to it, I think I prefer my Turtles done more light-heated. I'm going to say it, my Turtles are from the cartoon and TMNT Adventures comics from Archie. Still, if you like the Turtles and you are needing a jolt of holiday cheer that isn't cloying, this is a pretty good 2018 offering!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classic Micro Series: Michaelangelo

Reprinting the extremely difficult to find (as well as quite expensive when you do) Michaelangelo one-shot from 1985. This colorized version recalls Mickey's holiday trek through Manhattan on Christmas Eve. Here, the turtle goes sledding, enjoys the sites and smells, adopts a kitten and takes on a group of baddies who have stolen a truck full of toys due for the orphans. 

This was a Eastman and Laird masterpiece. While I am very grateful to have recently found this book for only a buck at my favorite thrift store, I am not done with trying to find more copies of this story. I've given up on trying to find the 1985 original. It's too expensive. However, there is the matter of the 1990 Michaelangelo Christmas Special from Mirage. That volume not only reprints the story found in this comic but it includes an original A Christmas Carol-style story. 

The 1990 Christmas special has been reprinted several times with both tales. Why IDW didn't include the 90s story with this edition is beyond me. Since there's a TMNT Christmas story out there that I have yet to read, I'll keep looking for the Michaelangelo Christmas Special even though I'll have already read half of it.

Full of thrills and action. It's not the all-ages Turtles you may be used to on TV. But, I think readers at least of the age of 10 will enjoy.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #5

The combined forces of the Ninja Turtles and the Ghostbusters are ready to fight off the Collectors, a group of ethereal demon bounty hunters. Only the Collectors are now one with the spirit of the man who ordered the Turtles killed- Darius Dun. And Darius Dun is now one with the Collectors and their combine mights are stronger than ever before. 

But before the climatic battle, the Ninja Turtles have a reunion with their mom?!

This fifth and final issue of this crossover wasn't quite as great as the last issue. But I felt that it was a marked improvement over the first couple of issues which were comprised of some real college level physics, um, stuff. 

I leave this miniseries satisfied. While there's a teaser for a third and final crossover between the two franchises, I'm not counting down the days to when it will happen. If I come across more IDW stuff involving either properties for an amazing price, I will consider purchasing. But it's not necessarily stuff that I'm going to be adding to my wish list for any time soon either.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #4

In this penultimate chapter, events are conspiring to either tear the teams apart or bring everybody together to stop the combined might of the Collectors; a sort of ectoplasmic gang of bounty hunters. 

Raphael's spirit is still stuck in Ray's body on the Scandinavian netherworld while Michelangelo and Peter  are prisoner's of the Ghostbusturtles of Zoo Amsterdam. Meanwhile back on the Ghostbusters earth, Donatello and Egon have their weapons to fight the Collectors tested and ready for final battle. But it may be too late as Donatello and Winston find themselves face-to-face with their hunters on a barren wasteland.

After a couple of very rough chapters, this miniseries from IDW Publishing keeps getting better and better. I really had zero qualms with this issue. It took a while but writer Erik Burnham and Tom Waltz were finally able to capture in a bottle. I only hope that next issue, which is the last, continues to amaze and is one heck of a finale!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #3

The inter-dimensional caper between the Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters continues in this thrilling third chapter!

Venkman and Michelangelo are stranded in Zoo Amsterdam, an anthropomorphic version of earth. There, Peter has just been mistaken for a demon and has been captured by the Ghostbusturtles!

Meanwhile on a Scandinavian plain, Ray and Raphael awake to find their bodies doing battle. Turns out, they have both been dispossessed and cannot escape to another earth without their corporeal forms. 

My biggest complaint of this series is that it's kinda complex in it's presentation of techno-babble. But with the action level ramped up, this was the most enjoyable issue. 

The artwork, which varies from earth to earth is quite awesome. I love the little TMNT and Ghostbusting Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the multiverse as well. However, if every one of IDW Publishing's miniseries and series of these two properties are as full of advanced physics and philosophy as this crossover is, I do not think that I am going to be adding any of them to my comic book wish list any time soon.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ Ghostbusters 2 #2

The Turtles have run afoul of the ghost of a crime lord that Master Splinter ordered assassinated. As the sins of the father come back to hunt the ninjas, they are hunted by a group of bounty hunting ghosts known as the Collectors. With the help of the Ghostbusters, who have dealt with the Collectors before, each Ninja Turtle pairs with a buddy. 

Armed with trans-dimensional tech, each team will jump from dimension to dimension in order to stay ahead of the Collectors. Ray and Raphael leap to a frozen world filled with menacing pink spirits that might be vikings... Leonardo and Winston are stuck on a battle world filled with robot assassins... Mickey and Peter are on an anthropomorphic variant of the Big Apple where they just happen to run into that world's version of Ghostbusters! 

Meanwhile, Donatello and Egon are back on the home world of the Ghostbusters trying to devise a trap for the Collectors. But time is running out and the pair have zero time to waste. But that might be a problem as a short in the trap's system may have merged Don's brain with that of one of the Ghostbusters!

A great second act. It's still filled with a lot of eye-glossing techobabble. But the artwork did exactly what I wanted to happen in the first issue. While Dan Schoening is on main art detail, a number of additional artists are drawing each team of Turtle and Ghostbuster on their separate worlds in a different style of art. (Why, there might even be a Saturday morning Easter egg or two floating about. But I'll never tell!)

Some key details about why the crime lord Darius Dun hates the Turtles as well as why Splinter had him killed are finally revealed. So, if you are like me and not up to date on your IDW Turtles history, that's a-okay! Writers Erik Burnham and Tom Waltz have got you covered!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

My Top 10 All-Ages Comics of All-Time! (Family Comic Friday)

Welcome to another edition of Family Comic Friday. I turn 40 today! So instead of focusing on a single book or title to review, I decided to make this article a countdown of my 10 favorite all-ages comic book series of all-time.

While most of these titles are no longer being produced in monthly form, you can find many of these titles in bargain bins for a dollar or less nationwide. You’ll just have to search through thousands upon thousands of books at comic book shops and conventions. But unless you wanna use an online source, the search is half the fun of collecting comic books.
A couple of these titles are being reprinted in omnibus form or other collected formats and I will do my best to point those out. I used eBay and Amazon primarily for my online shopping needs. But there’s dozens of sites out there waiting to become your next source of comic book relief.

With that being said, let’s explore my pick of the Top 10 All-Ages Comics of All-Time:

10. Hanna Barbera’s Laff-A-Lympics

If you are a fan of crossovers, then you have to start with the granddaddy of them all Hanna Barbera’s Laff-A-Lympics. This comic based on the cartoon of the same name from 1977-79, this series featured no less than 35 different characters from shows like Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, and much more.

Each issue had the characters participate in oddball events in an olympics style setting. There were two teams of good guys as well as a group of baddies! One thing that appealed to me about the show was that sometimes the villains won!

The series was published by Marvel. It only ran for 13 issues. Of all the books on my list, this one is probably the hardest ones to track down- and most expensive! To my knowledge, they’ve never been collected. Though Amazon sells these annuals from 1982 and 1983 based on the TV show that might have reprints in them. But the site isn’t really clear on that.

9. Marvel’s Star Comics Imprint

The only selection on my list that isn’t a single comic book. In 1984, Marvel created an all-ages imprint called Star Comics. The first few titles were all original stuff. Top Dog was about a talking dog. Planet Terry was a young space explorer. Perhaps the most infamous of all was Royal Roy, which was a blatant rip-off of Harvey Comics’ Richie Rich. Marvel was actually sued for copyright infringement by Harvey and the title was ended after only 6-issues.

By 1986, all of the original titles were toast. They just weren’t all that great. But what Marvel kick major butt at was getting licensed material from some of the hottest properties of all-time. For two additional glorious years, Star Comics issued forth comic book antics of character like Chuck Norris, Count Dukula, Mad Balls, Masters of the Universe, and even Star Wars!

A couple of years ago, Marvel started releasing collections of the original titles. The Star Wars Droids and Ewoks titles have been released at least twice in a combined omnibus fashion from Dark Horse. In terms of most of the other series, the licenses are probably lost to time or buy-out from one defunct company to another. But I find Star Comics in bargain bins at every convention I go to. However, because they were owned by kids, they’re not in the best shape. For someone wanting to start collecting comics, cheap and low grade isn’t a bad way to start.

 8. Tiny Titans 

This 2008-2012 DC Comics series was the brainchild of Art Baltazar and Franco. Sure, the artwork looks like a 6-year old did it and some of the stories are pretty goofy. But one thing that kept me coming back to it was the subtle Easter eggs that peppered each issue. They were clearly put there for the adults and definitely why it’s on my all-time fav list!

DC published a total of 8 collected volumes. There’s also a sequel miniseries called Return to the Treehouse. It was good, but the magic was missing from it. There’s also a 3-issue crossovers with the Little Archie gang that has not been reprinted ever in the 7 years since its debut.

7. Ducktales

 I loved the original series from the 80s. So much that when I heard that there was going to be a Ducktales comic, I bought a 2-year subscription to it! I was quite disappointed to learn that this book wasn’t of all-new material related to the cartoon but reprints of the numerous Carl Barks stories from the 1940s and 50s in which the show was based on.

As I have gotten older, I have since grown to appreciate these stories for their historical and entertainment values. It’s still a pet peeve of mine that Disney rarely will issue new comic stories in the US- at least in the IDW books that they’ve authorized. But reprints of Ducktales and the endless cache of 80 years of comics based on Disney properties are as common in bargain bins as are issues of the DC Bloodlines annuals from 1993 that fans as a whole just seem to hate.

(Note: The Ducktales books were published by Gladstone/Gemstone. But there are several publishers of Disney comics including Gold Key, Marvel, and Disney’s own publishing company.)

6. Marvel Adventures Avengers

 Issued under the Marvel Adventures imprint, when Wolverine, Storm, and Spider-Man joined the Avengers around 2003, the House of Ideas struck gold. Add in a slightly non-canon Janet Van Dyne in the form of Giant Girl along with the Big Three of Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man- plus the Hulk and this is my favorite Avengers line-up of all-time.

A total of 39 issues were written by Jeff Parker and Paul Tobin with awesome art from numerous artists. Each story was creative, action-packed, and extremely funny. Collected in digest format only, these are not the easiest to find in bookstores but pretty affordable online.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures

When the TMNT cartoon debuted in the late 80s, the Turtles went from adult to kid friendly. As a result Archie Comics was awarded the license to published a series of all-ages adventures.

The first series was only 4-issue long and each story was devoted to the first couple of episodes of the show. After the trail run proved successful, Archie issued a monthly series that ran six years. Add in the dozen of so spin-offs and miniseries that Archie put out to cash in on the Turtles popularity, there’s well over 150 issues to collect.

 Thankfully in the past couple of years, IDW, who currently owns the license to the Ninja Turtles has been reissuing the comics in trade form. If you want individual issues, they’re not that very hard to find. It is hit-and-miss as when I do find them, I am able to snag up a dozen of so issues. But it’s the first 40 or so issues that are more common than the later Archie Comics stuff.

4. Peter Porker: Spider-Ham

 A spider by the name of Peter is bitten by a radioactive pig and becomes your friendly neighborhood Spider-Ham! This funny animal series was a parody by Marvel Comics that ran sporadically throughout the 80s. With great characters like Goose Rider and The Hulk Bunny, this was another series I remember subscribing to when I was a kid.

Spider-Ham first debuted in a 1983 one-shot called Marvel Tails. Thanks to popular demand, Spider-Ham joined the Star Comics line-up in 1985. When it was cancelled, that was not to be the end of Peter Porker as various issues of the reprint series Spider-Man Tales would run back-up features on Peter and his friends off-and-off for the next five years. Spider-Ham seems to be unkillable as he keeps popping up in specials and miniseries such as Spider-Verse every couple of years. The Spider-Ham 2099 issue of What The--?!  (#26) is the most sought after of the Spider-Ham related issues by collectors. It usually runs for $4-10, depending on condition and seller.

Currently only Marvel Tails and the first 3 or 4 issues of Peter Porker have ever been reprinted. It’s still available on Amazon. Issues of Peter Porker can be found online but it’s a fan favorite series and not cheap. As for the Spider-Man Tales issues, Wikipedia offers a complete list of the issues that contained Spider-Ham stories on the Spider-Ham page. However, the Spider-Man Tales issues are pretty commonly found in bargain bins.

 3. Pep Comics

There’s countless Archie Comics related books that star Archie and the gang. To me, the cream of the crop was PEP Comics. The series started first as a superhero anthology series starring characters such as the SHIELD. But it wasn’t until issue #22 that the title stuck gold. In that issue, a young redhead lad met a blonde bombshell named Betty and history was made.

There’s no way in the world that I can afford those older issues. But as a kid, I enjoyed current issues of PEP which was a monthly who’s who of the Archie Universe. A typical issue might have appearance by Josie and the Pussycats, Little Archie, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Add to it jokes, games, and other cool things and a monthly offering of PEP was a solid hour of fun!

Most of the pre-Archie issues have been reprinted in pristine formats. Individual issues can be found littered in bargain bins worldwide. It's not hard to find as there was over 400 issues printed in it's nearly 50 year run.

2. Justice League Unlimited

 The Justice League cartoon from Cartoon Network was awesome. But when the show rebooted in 2004 as Justice League Unlimited, a great cartoon got even better.

Justice League only focused on the team of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, J’onn J’onzz, Hawkgirl, Flash, and Green Lantern. But JLU opened enrollment to almost the entire gambit of DC Universe superheroes. Added to the mix was the Injustice League of super villains lead by Lex Luthor and Gorilla Grodd.

The comic of the same actually outlived the TV series by 2 years. It including dozens of characters that the show not got the chance to explore like the Phantom Stranger, the Metal Men, and Mary Marvel. There were even a couple of holiday themed issues!  While DC did issue 5 volumes of collected stories, only the first 30 issues were reprinted. So if you want the entire series, you will have to find issues 31-46 elsewhere.

1. Scooby-Doo Team-Up

Last but surely not least. I present to you my favorite all-ages comic book series of all-time. What makes Scooby-Doo Team-Up so great. First of all, there was no better Scooby-Doo show than the New Scooby-Doo Movies where the Mystery Inc gang teamed up with the Harlem Globetrotters, the Addams Family, and of course Batman & Robin. Building on that premise, every month Scooby and Shaggy solve mysteries with members of the Hanna-Barbera family or the DC Universe.

In my opinion. The DC team-ups are the best. They’re quite funny while filled with clever inside jokes that only established DC fans will get. Tons of great B and C-list characters have been used like Bat Lash, Deadman, and Jemm: the Son of Saturn. All of it is thanks to the marvelous work of Sholly Fisch and it’s one of only two series I buy new on a monthly basis! For a notorious bargain hunter as myself, that’s high praise.

 Back issues are very hard to find. But DC has been issuing collections of the series in trade paperback. They run for about $15 a piece new. But if you are looking to get into this series based on my recommendation, it’s worth the price.

And there you have my top 10 picks for greatest all ages comics of all-time. And that’s all the time I have. It’s time for presents and cake. If you have a suggestion for this list, let’s hear them in the comments section below.

Until next week, have a great holiday weekend and keep reading!

Article published concurrently at outrightgeekery.com!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Story by Erik Burnham & Tom Waltz
Art by Dan Schoening
Published by IDW

It's the end of another work week and that means it's time for another Family Comic Friday. Today, I choose a team-up comic book. For those of you unfamiliar to the term, a team-up is when two or more superheroes and/or teams combine for an adventure. This type of story is also known as a crossover. Though, I feel that a crossover is more when entities from two different publishing companies join together. For example, Wolverine from Marvel Comics may try to save the President from zombies with the help of DC's Green Arrow. However, with so many publishers owning the rights to different projects these days, both team-up and crossover had kinda been muddled together.

Choosing Teams 

In this premiere issue from IDW, the Ninja Turtles have been imprisoned in a ghost dimension between their universe and the Ghostbuster's version of reality. A trio of ghostly bounty hunters called the Collectors have been hired by the ghost of former New York gang leader Darius Dun to trap the Turtles in hopes of enacting revenge on their father and sensei Splinter.

The Ghostbusters become aware of this and devise a sort of cloaking device to free the Turtles from their ethereal prison. But it will only be a matter of time before the Collectors become aware of the deception. As these spirits can only travel as a group of three, the plan is for each Ninja Turtle to pair up with a Ghostbuster and flee to another dimension in hopes that it will buy time for  Egon and Donatello to find a way out of this mess.

Let's Get Technical

This opening chapter by Erik Burnham (Super Secret Crisis War!) and Tom Waltz (KISS Kids) was very intriguing. But man, is it really heavy on complex technical jargon! I understand what Egon and Donatello are trying to do. But couldn't they explain it at a 8th grade level? Sorry, but I never took college level physics!

I really think that the vocabulary is the main thing that might prevent young readers under the age of 12 from enjoying this book. The artwork by original miniseries artist Dan Schoening isn't scary. The ghosts (and Ghostbusters) look like they did back in the 80s on the Real Ghostbusters cartoon for the most part. With the Turtles, the look very similar to the Michael Bay versions of the team. But the art isn't very consistent.

There's a scene where the pairs are arriving in their different dimensions and the art changes. Both Peter and Ray look like their human counterparts of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. You might think that Schoening is trying to pay homage to the actors who originated the role. But Michelangelo looks like his 1980s animated self while in another panel Raphael appears to be drawn like his Nicktoons counterpart. I would like it if each team looked different in each reality they enter in. Yet at this stage of the story, it's not heavily implied that this is the direction that the artist is trying to go in. Maybe we'll find out more in issue #2.

Fans of All Ages

Both Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have fans that range from ages 1-99. This opening chapter to the 2014 miniseries of the same name doesn't have any swears or overly scary or violent scenes. However, some source material gets deep and I am not just talking about science. A good 3 pages discusses the conception of purgatory: a netherworld place for souls awaiting to crossover to either Heaven or Hell. That concept might be a little too complex for some younger readers. Parents and guardians, if you are planning on reading this book with the young reader in your life- arm yourself with an array of technical manuals. I have a feeling you're going to need it.

I recommend this book for readers 12 and up, if reading alone. If with an older reader to help with questions, then 10 years of age is appropriate.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ Usagi Yojimbo One-Shot (2017)

Written, drawn, and Lettered by Stan Sakai

Established Histories

   I first learned about Usagi Yojimbo from a random visit to a toy store in 1989. I was on a major Ninja Turtles kick at the time and I had to have all of the figures. A new batch of figures had just arrived and Usagi was one of them. Decked in a blue samurai outfit, and brandished two sharpened katanas, I instantly fell in love with that white rabbit!

   So what if the toy manufacturer Playmates called him by the wrong name? He was super cool looking! For those of you new to the character, Usagi Yojimbo is the name of the series. Miyamoto Usagi is the rabbit's full name. Usagi is hired out as a yojimbo; a kind of Japanese bodyguard.

    When I learned that IDW was putting out a new crossover one-shot starring Miyamoto Usagi and the Turtles, I was thrilled. Stan Sakai is doing the story and art? Consider me first in line! Variant covers by talent such as Sergio Aragones- with a team-up of Stan and Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman? Consider my comic reserved and paid for!

Hello Again For The First Time

   An ancient danger threatens to tumble all of feudal Japan into the sea. To battle it, the Kakera-Sensei must replace a stone fragment that has broken off the seal that weakens the beast. Needing protection, Kakera-Sensei calls upon the rabbit ronin Miyamoto Usagi to guard him on his quest.

    However, this mission is far too important for the yojimbo to face alone. So Kakera-Sensei summons a quartet of heroes from the future to assist in the quest: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While this is Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael; these are not the same turtles that Usagi has teamed with in the past.

   This Turtle team is from an alternate universe. They are just as skilled and qualified as the ninja master Usagi knows. But the danger is mounting in the form of a army led by the wicked Jei. Can the rabbit warrior and the reptilian fighters learn to become a cohesive fighting unit and save Japan before it’s too late?

Classic Usagi

   As true to Stan Sakai’s style, he combines Japanese folklore with historical settings. Sakai’s use of Namazu, a giant catfish, who’s massive body resulted in earth-moving tremors, was classic Usagi fare. Then to use actual places like the Kashima Shrine, Sakai makes a story like this one-shot come alive.

   I’m not very sure that I liked that these turtles weren’t the same version that Usagi knows. The camaraderie between the two sets of friends is a missing dynamic. It does help to simplify the story as this book is only 48-pages. But that spark of friendship is sorely missing. However, now that we’ve established alternate versions of the Turtles exist, could we be seeing a crisis on Infinite Ninja Turtles on the horizon?

   Don’t stop reading after the story ends. Be sure to flip a few pages to the great interview with Stan Sakai. It gives so very informative backstory as to how a group of Ninja Turtles meet up with a samurai bunny in the first place. Plus, it’s talks about that beloved Yojimbo figure of mine from 1989!

    The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle/ Usagi Yojimbo one-shot is a fun trip down memory lane indeed!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Variant Cover C by Turtles Co-creator, Kevin Eastman.

  Earlier this year, the worlds of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collided for the very first time. But that comic team-up was aimed at teen and adult audiences. (Very few people know that the Ninja Turtles was originally a very gritty and mature parody of Frank Miller’s Daredevil comics.)

   Well, in order to placate those who called for an all-ages teaming of the two franchises, DC and IDW joined forces again to bring us Batman/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. The miniseries which hit shelves with issue #1 this past Wednesday is set in the TMNT Nickelodeon animated universe and the Batman: The Animated Series Universe, marking the return of the original TAS universe in comics form in almost 20 years! When I saw the ad for this series a couple of weeks ago, it immediately went on my wish list and issue #1 did not disappoint!

   In the Batman Universe, a number of inmates from Arkham Asylum have escaped and seemingly vanished without a trace. When the Dark Knight finally catches up with Two-Face, the dual villain rambles on about a world without a ‘Two-Face...without a Harvey Dent… Without a Batman!’

   Meanwhile, in the Ninja Turtles universe, the Shell-heads are facing a problem of their own. Archenemy Kraang and his people have activated another inter-dimensional portal into the Turtles sewer lair. But instead of a bunch of pink brain creatures pouring through it, the guys battle a man made of mud that can change into anything and anyone: Clayface!

   Though the Caped Crusader and the Heroes in the Half Shell never meet, parts of their two universes do bleed over. I believe that there’s supposed to be a total of 6-issues in this storyline. So the two parties are going to come face-to-face. I just hope it’s sooner than later.

     The artwork is primarily in the vein of the Nickelodeon series. But Ninja Turtle  artist Jon Sommarvia along with inker Sean Parsons do a fairly good job in their renderings of Batman, Alfred, Two-Face and Clayface. But there were a couple of characters that really look nothing like the original animated series or the Batman/Robin and Justice League spin-offs for that matter. I’d tell you who they are, but I don’t wanna ruin the surprise yet…

   I really enjoyed this issue. Various Batman titles writer Matthew K. Manning has done a great job thus far and I think this will end up as one of the all-time classic team-up stories that appeal to a wide spectrum of generations of Batman and Ninja Turtle fans.

  

   Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, Volume 1

 This IDW Publishing collection reprints the first four issues of Eastman & Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (Volume 2) series published by Archie Comics in the early 90s. Now you might be thinking 'what in the heck is a gritty series like the Turtles being published by a goody-goody publisher like Archie?' Well, the answer is quite simple- this series is based on the kids cartoon series of the same name.

    While at this time Mirage issued a series that was gritty and more for adults, Archie released titles based on the cartoon series that ran from 1987-1996. In 1988, Archie put out a 3-issue miniseries based on the first five episodes of the show, which were packaged as a self-contained miniseries, much like GI Joe did years earlier. Playmates, the company that owned the rights to produce action figures based on the property, were hesitant to go through with a large production run unless it could be proven that the Turtles could carry an animated series. With the show an instant success, Playmates green lit a complete run of figures, playsets, and, of course, a full series of cartoons. (This also explains why the first figures of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo looked more like the original Eastman & Laird designs as opposed to their Murakami-Wolf-Swenson counterparts.)

     When Archie began a full series they were in quite a rush to meet production and public demands. So, the first four issues of the second volume were adaptations of the first two episodes of season 2 (The Return of the Shredder and The Incredible Shrinking Turtles.) I can't really recall if writers Dave Garcia and Beth & Ken Mitchroney were faithful to the storylines. It's been years since I have seen these episodes. But the artwork by Garcia and Mitchroney were pretty faithful to the main characters. April's assistant Irma and rival reporter Vernon however, look nothing like they did on TV. 

     I found this book at my local library and I am glad I did. I've been dabbling in whether or not to collect this series or not. I didn't want to spend a lot of time and money on a series only to find that it was childish, or corny, or even worse- LAME. But I liked what I read and I am more than willing to officially put the Archie incarnations on my wish list. With IDW releasing these books in collected form, I might even save a little money if I decide to go the collected treasury route (and I may have to as some of the later issues are very pricey.)
  
    A tubular trip back to the early days of the kid-friendly Ninjas Turtles.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1Q (Happy Halloween Edition)

   

  In 2011, IDW Publishing obtained the rights to publish the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles after Archie Comics commanded the franchise for almost 2 decades. With IDW's new series, co-creator Kevin Eastman retooled the turtles origin for a modern audience. 

    In the first issue, we learn that the turtles and their adoptive father, the rat Splinter, were lab subjects at Baxter Stockman's laboratory. Genetically spliced, they showed signs of intelligence. But at this point, they've not mutated yet. Also, the alien brain creature of Kang is now retooled as a human general, who has a goal to create an army of hybrid super soldiers, has hired out Stockman's company which houses one-day mutant animals.

   Another big change to the origin of the Turtles is that April O'Neill isn't an intrepid reporter but an intern at Stockman's lab. Also, she named the turtles after Renaissance artists and not master Splinter! 

    This first issue wasn't bad, but it left me with more questions than answers. The story ended with a 'to be continued' and that's probably not a bad thing since the turtles have yet to become the radical sewer dwelling Heroes in a Half-Shell. So, the origin continues in future issues, which I don't happen to own currently.

    The art by Dan Duncan, along with coloring by Ronda Pattison were very good. They emulated the early works of Eastman. As a bridging of generations, Eastman even pencilled several of the covers, including this one. 

   Speaking of covers, my copy says in the top left corner 'Happy Halloween.' However, there is nothing Halloween themed in this story. For someone trying to collect holiday tales, this is a disappointment. (It turns out that while issue #1Q was re-released for 2011's Halloween ComicFest as a giveaway, it wasn't Halloween themed. Nor does it seem intended that way)

It's not bad for a TMNT fan such as myself. But I am a purist of the original Eastman and Laird title (and a fan of the cartoon, which the Archie Comics titles were based on.) So, I will probably stick with collecting those.  But I wouldn't be opposed to picking up a trade of this continuing series for the right price.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.