TITLE: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1
AUTHOR: Matthew K. Manning
PENCILLER: Jon Sommariva. Cover by Hilary Barta.
PUBLISHERS: DC Comics, IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: $3.99

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I can understand why people liked the first Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. It was the first time the Dark Knight and the boys in green met in any medium. While it had its flaws, for some of us, it was a big moment in fanboy culture.

But this? This is more like it. While we have to repeat numerous story points, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1 is so much more fun than its predecessor. While the first story seemed to be aimed at older fans, this one is squarely directed at a younger audience. In this case, that makes for a more entertaining sandbox for these characters to play in.

As is often the case with these crossover stories, there’s a dimensional portal involved. After a recent breakout at Arkham Asylum, members of Batman’s rogues gallery are finding their way into the TMNT world. Case in point: The Turtles and April run into Clayface in the New York City sewers. And as we see by issue’s end, someone much worse is also there. But Batman isn’t fair behind, and the Turtles will gain a new and unexpected ally in the Dark Knight.

Question: Do kids today watch Batman: The Animated Series? Those of us who grew up with it understand what a milestone it is. But for younger fans, is there any significance to seeing this version of Batman teamed up with this version of the Turtles? Or is it just a matter of this being a simpler version of the character that anyone can understand? Either way, it’s great to see these characters back on the page. They’re more cartoonish and exaggerated than they were on screen. But It matches the tone set by the Turtles.

Matthew K. Manning is no stranger to either Batman or the Turtles, having worked on the comic book spinoffs for The Batman, Beware the Batman, Justice League, and the current TMNT cartoon. Oddly enough, he runs into a similar problem James Tynion IV did with the first issue of the other series. The Turtles come out sounding and feeling alright. But he has trouble capturing the Alfred so distinctly carved out by Efram Zimbalist Jr. He sounds too American, and is lays on too much sarcasm. Granted, he’s in the issue for all of one page. A minor offense to say the least.

Clayface was the perfect villain to crossover against the Turtles. He has the dark and twisted edge of a Batman villain, but also the ugly monster element that a lot of TMNT villains have. You can easily picture him alongside some of the weird creatures of Dimension X. His scene with the Turtles is a lot of fun, particularly when he briefly masquerades as Michelangelo (shown below).

The glory for that scene goes to penciller Jon Sommariva, inker Sean Parsons, and a colorist with the fitting name of Leonardo Ito. Look at the close-up of Mike on the page at right, with the one telltale drip coming off his face. We get that great subtlety, and in the next panel he goes full on monster. You also have that nice glowing green color. It’s very TMNT.

After reading the freshmen issue of the first Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, I opted to wait for the collection. That’s not a bad thing, per se. I just didn’t feel the need to fork money down for it month after month. I’m happy to say that’s not the case here. There’s something about this story, or at least this first issue, that speaks to my inner child. I suppose that’s because, as a kid, I would have crawled through mutagen to read a story like this. Damn kids today. They don’t know how good they’ve got it… *mutters*

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