Comics We’re Thankful For — A Fandom Rebirth With ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’
by Scott Redmond
Heroes in a half-shell. One of the monikers or subtitles long associated with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media franchise. Born in the comic books in 1984 from the minds of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the four Renaissance named bandana wearing ninjitsu trained Turtles have wowed generations of children.
Back in the early ’90s, I was one of those children.
Whether it was the animated series, the 1990 live-action film, the Archie Comics line of comics, or the action figures, I was living and breathing Turtles. A Leonardo guy from the start (I’m also a Cyclops guy, go figure), I’ve kept up with the adolescent pizza eating mutants ever since in different ways. One of the ways I wasn’t keeping up for a long time was on the comic book side, despite being an avid comic book reading connoisseur. That was until 2020.
Somewhere in the haze of the ongoing pandemic, my attention finally settled upon the IDW Publishing series which had been running since 2011. I had wanted to dive in for quite some time but kept finding reasons to not move it up my packed docket.
A fresh jumping on point, with writer and artist Sophie Campbell leading the way, sold me that now was the time. What better moment to rekindle a love for characters than a global pandemic where myself and so many others were off work and trying to fill the time. Looking for anything to really grab onto, we found ourselves home for the most extended period of time imaginable.
I’m so thankful for the “Reborn” era of this series, as it’s been branded, as it spoke to me so much. Seeing the Turtles struggling with a new Mutant Town and trying to figure out who they were following Splinter’s death was powerful. Here were these characters I love going through their own crisis and struggles with depression and other trauma. It felt relatable and connective in so many ways.
Everything that was from the core of these characters felt distilled, enhanced, and delivered in the most decisive and innovative ways. It spanned genres from mystery to horror to superhero and everything in between. Childhood favorites Tokka and Razhar were brought to life in the medium, time travel was thrown into the mix, and the awesome Jennika was given room to shine as the fifth turtle.
Oh and the wonderous Lita, a young girl mutated into an ivory-colored Turtle, who became the surrogate child for the whole of the Splinter Clan and stole reader hearts along the way. Same goes with the Weasel trio of Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom who were the mutant cat Old Hob’s surrogate children who joined the Splinter Clan.
There were gods making power plays and moments where the old foe Shredder became ally and teacher. Characters from across the TMNT wide verse came to play on Earth and in the stars above.
All of it was rendered beautifully by Campbell, colorist Ronda Pattison, letterer Shawn Lee, and a rotating bevy of artists including Campbell herself pulling double duty at the start and along the way.
From 2020 through to 2024, this series was a delight that kept my interest in my old friends piqued. Never missed an issue, both as a reader and as a reviewer of the title.
I’m thankful for not only the journey that this era of TMNT took me on, but the feelings it rekindled. A passion for the craft, the franchise, and for things that I had long loved.
