Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
Publisher: DC/IDW Publishing
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Freddie E. Williams II
Cover: Freddie E. Williams II
Over the years Batman has met up with the likes of Spawn, the assassin known as Grendel, and even taken on a Predator. Now here comes a crossover that I’m pretty sure no one ever saw coming as he meets up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! The title alone is enough to get fans of both excited and if you’re not then you should be. This is pretty much the comic book equivalent of when you would pit your action figures against each other regardless of what “world” they belonged to! So with that in mind lets jump into this review!
Tynion wastes no time as he throws you head first into the action and fun in this issue. The Foot Clan is after some hi-tech science equipment and run into the Turtles. The event is recounted to Batman which sets him on a mission to find out who these thieves are and the mysterious assailants who he feels are one and the same. There are veiled references to how the Turtles arrived in Gotham but Tynion decides to focus on the more exciting aspects of this story. He also doesn’t waste time giving us backstory on the Turtles or Batman either because we really don’t need a history lesson here. He allows the story to just carry itself and infuses what we love about the characters to a level of perfection just right for this type of story. The main characters don’t even meet up until the end but the cliffhanger will make sure you come back if nothing else does.
Freddie E. Williams II brings the visual punch (and a few kicks) needed to make this work on every level. The opening sequence is a classic TMNT set-up filled with ninja and the brothers in action from the shadows. Batman looks similar to how he does in the recent video games so he’s a bit jacked but it’s nothing too extreme that takes away from the classic design of the character. The action in the issue is mostly carried by the Turtles with each panel more dynamic than the last. Jeremy Colwell heightens the intensity with the colors, rounding out a great looking issue.
Tynion, Williams, and Colwell make sure that everything syncs up and you get your money’s worth. So if you haven’t snatched this one up, head out and get a copy now! Now comes the hard part and that’s waiting for the second issue!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
You would have thought this would have come out years ago