Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half-Shell (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Archie Comics) by Michael Dooney

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half-Shell (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Archie Comics) Reviews

• 
  Sooraya Evans

  This brought back a lot of great memories.
  
  As mentioned in the description, the original single issue prints of the Heroes in a Half-Shell miniseries is indeed rare. I remember a time when the only way to get a copy of these 3 issues in Malaysia, one had to purchase a tin (largest size) of Nespray brand milk powder. A ridiculous purchase back in the late 80's.
  
  I personally prefer the penciling style here compared to the cutesy style that follows.
  In this volume, we get to see the origin of the turtles, master Splinter, Bebop and Rocksteady.
• 
  Stephen the Librarian

  In a prelude to the glut of original TMNT comics that IDW has been reprinting ever since the company obtained the proper licensing, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half Shell prologues the Archie Comics series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, a 72-issue (plus assorted spinoffs) that ran from 1988 to 1995. This collected edition features the preamble three-issue miniseries that closely adapted Season One of the unforgettable Fred Wolf TV show, in which four humanoid turtles and their rat sensei team up with Happy Hour reporter April O'Neil to confront the villainous Shredder. In this slim volume, readers are treated to the Turtles’ origin story as well as the earliest battles with the likes of Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, and the robo-Foot Clan.
  
  There’s an outstanding cover by Michael Dooney, who also scripted this adaptation. Dooney's overall contribution here is serviceable albeit uninspired. To his credit, he seemed to have had very little autonomy in that he was tasked with parroting the cartoon's often barmy character designs. On the downside, the book is peppered with shoddy coloring that severely diminishes the artwork. The dialogue is just as campy as one might recollect from reading the individual issues and watching the cartoon episodes back in the 90s. The stories and ambiance are simple and light-hearted, a stark contrast to contemporary “superhero” comics that challenge readers and favor a darker tone—though the Archie series would soon mature and explore the characters with great depth, more so than the TV series.
  
  This 25th Anniversary compilation, which features original sketches by Eastman and Laird and a brief intro discussing the genesis of the TMNT phenomenon, offers a more-or-less satisfactory stroll down the dank underground tunnels that is home to those tubular terrapins.
• 
  Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library)

  Synopsis: It's the origin story of the heroes in a half-shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! When a mysterious mutagen drops through the sewers onto ninja master Hamato Yoshi and his four pet turtles, they become humanoid...but he becomes rat-like! Watch as they face Yoshi's old enemy, now known as the Shredder, and his partner in crime Krang, for the first time! Also, see their first meeting with April! It all starts here!
  
  The Good: It's been a while since I've seen the episodes these comics are based on, but this adaptation was fun for what it was. It brings the humor and charm of the original television series into book form very well.
  
  The Bad: The artwork wasn't as polished as I would have liked. I've been reading Archie comics for as far back as I can remember, and, even though the style changed, the drawings were really well done...but, in this volume, it just felt rushed, which is not what I've come to expect from this publisher or comic books in general.
  
  Content Concerns:
  Sex: None.
  Nudity: April wears a low-cut outfit; a poster in the background has a scantily clad woman.
  Language: Name-calling, at worst.
  Violence: As you'd expect, fantasy action violence is seen throughout.
  Drugs: None.
  Frightening/Intense Scenes: Krang is a bit creepy; scenes of peril; emotional intensity.
• 
  Marcus Hutchens

  This held up a lot better than I thought it would considering the last time I read it was over 10 years ago! Still entertaining and silly with the right amount of cheesiness and actually pretty great penciling (I'd say great art, but I think almost all the coloring from the 90's looks really bad). A good read for comic fans, and essential for fans of TMNT =] 3.5/5
• 
  Shaun

  To people like me who grew up on the 80s cartoon version of the turtles when they think of the TMNT Comic this may be what comes to mind. Actually the real origins of the turtles go back to a darker more adult comic by Mirage Studios. But this, this is bright, colorful, and totally tubular.
  
  Yes this may be silly fluff, but it's fun. It's nostalgic. If you are an adult like me wanting to relive your youth, this comic may better serve it than the original. If you have kids you want to introduce to the Turtles, this may be a good way to do it. This collection contains the 3 issue origin story of the turtles. I believe it stays pretty close to the source material (that source material being the cartoon.) Now I do believe eventually this archie comics series veers off into it's own plots and stuff. This should be familiar to fans of the cartoon series though.
  
  So basically, if you want the cartoon... but in comic book form, knock yourself out with this. If you want something familiar to that cartoon but with different plots, you might want to check out other issues in the Archie TMNT collection. And if you want an actual look at the origins of the Turtles in Comics you might want to check out a reprint of some of the original issues of the Mirage TMNT comic.
• 
  Mike A

  Nice adoption to the pilot episodes of the teenage mutant ninja turtles!
• 
  A.L.

  The good:
  -Reading the origin of Bebop and Rocksteady
  -Reading about how and why Krang and the Shredder end up in Dimension X
  -Seeing Michael Dooney's incredible art of the TMNT. He's one of the best at drawing our four favorite heroes.
  -The introduction with background info about the series and the genesis of the TMNT phenomenon
  
  The bad:
  -April O'Neil's ridiculous cleavage/outfit/positions. I kept thinking, "Isn't this comic supposed to be for kids?"
  -The pacing was slow compared to most of the rest of the TMNT Archie series. It felt dialogue heavy, and the dialogue was only OK.
  
  The bottom line:
  A good but not great read. Dooney's turtles are incredible to see even while his April O'Neil was disappointing. Even the original Laird/Eastman books didn't exploit the character like that. Why do it in a kids' comic?
• 
  Matthew Ledrew

  "These issues provide a great starting point for any reader. As adaptations of TOS they provide a background for people who aren’t familiar with the series but are faithful enough for people that are. As far as the rest of the ongoing series goes, having a widely-known background can do wonders for not having to explain everything all the time, a trait which serves this series well."
  
  
  Read my full review on TheBookCloset :)
• 
  Deirdre

  I love that the turtles have different personalities. My favorite turtle is Leonardo. I just love teenage mutant ninja turtles.
• 
  Cris Morales

  Este comic lo leí cuando era un chamaco y fui a los estados. Me lo acabo de encontrar! Viene con un cassette. Los efectos de sonido de las alcantarillas me traen gratos recuerdos.
  
  Turtle power!