Toy Review: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’ X ‘G.I. Joe’ Michaelangelo Starts Things With A Bang

Playmates’ time with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is drawing to a close, but they’re wrapping up with a bang. How else could they do that but crossing over the Turtles with the largest 1980s property that they haven’t yet been able to: G.I. Joe.

The TMNT X Joe crossovers have started to hit stores, and having spending time with both the TMNT/He-Man and TMNT/Godzilla crossovers, how could we say no to these?

The first two we got in hand were Michaelangelo as Shipwreck and Raphael as Roadblock. We’ll look at the former first.

So most of the crossovers in this line are based on a solid match in their role. Leo and Snake-Eyes are both leaders and the stoic/stilent type. Donatello and Dial-Tone are both the tech guys. Raph and Roadblock are the bruisers. For Mikey and Shipwreck, the connection is more personality based — they were each the more lighthearted members of the team, and the comic relief. Matching them makes a certain amount of sense.

I also really like the design of this figure. It takes the classic 1987 Turtle design and adds Shipwreck’s sailor outfit. It’s a little disappointing not to get any of the weird detail that the line used to be known for (like classic Surfer Mikey’s fish and seaweed stuck to his suit). Overall though, it’s fantastic.

I also really like the accessories Mikey came with. We get a spin on Shipwreck’s classic six shooter, making it a prank gun instead. We also get Pigeon Pete instead of Polly (a great nod to the fact that Mikey is a city dweller, not an open sea sailor). The highlight though is the anchor nunchucks, which include a real chain. Though it doesn’t mean you can pose the figure with the ‘chucks hanging away from the body, you get a lot range of movement with them.

And the figure itself is great for posing. Though there were a few quirks — not being able to pose him kicking for example — I had a ton of fun posing this figure. It was a great Turtle, and really had a lot of fun with the concept.

So, the line starts off very strong with this figure, and I’m excited for the rest of the brothers.