Ask a Question, Get an Answer
 

I asked Krang about this and he said we could replace the FAQ threads with this, a general question and answer thread.

So this is where you can ask any and all of your TMNT comic book questions. No question too small, no question too large. No question too obscure! Someone around here is bound to know the answer.

It can be "How much is this comic worth?" or "In what issue did this happen?" or "Where can I find this comic?" Really, anything. This is your place to ask.

So how much ARE all of my comics worth? ;) I have all of Vol. 1, most of 2, none of 3, all of 4. I have all of the Tales Vol 1 issues but Leatherhead (where do I find this one? Already checked mycomicshop and milehighcomics.) and all of vol 2 (gotta go to the comic store soon to pick up a ton!). I also have quite a few signed... but none by Laird.

Alrighty, here's my general take on the value of TMNT comic books.

With a few exceptions, it doesn't seem that individual issues go for a whole lot. I've got a stack of comics for sale in the buy/sell/trade forum basically for cover price ($2-$3), yet people complain about my prices being too high. But once in awhile you'll get a lot on eBay for all of Vol. 1, 1-62, and it'll sell for $500 - An average of about $8/book.

All of the magazine-sized issues seem to sell for at least $20, with the early first prints obviously fetching considerably more. The error cover of #3 seems to be the most sought-after/valuable comic after the first print of #1.

The entire run of Vol. 2 is still available from Mirage for $3/issue.

Most of Vol. 4 is still available from Mirage for $3-$4, too. I watched an eBay auction of Vol. #1 first print recently just to see what it would go for (since Mirage only has the second print available). The opening bid was low and I don't think it even sold at all. I don't think there's much demand for these books.

If you want to get a hold of Tales #6 and those places don't have it, watching eBay is probably your best bet. If you're not so concerned with the actual comic and just want to read the story, all of Tales Vol. 1 is supposed to be reprinted in a collected book sometime this year.

Signatures will probably help the value at least slightly. I personally don't like my books to be signed (unless I also have an unsigned copy) and if it is signed I would prefer that it was signed close to the date of publication. But that's just me.

Haha, I rambled a lot. But I guess in short I'd say that I don't think TMNT comics are relegated to the quarter bins anymore as they used to be.

Thanks for the thread. I just wanted to ask, in what issue

Thanks in advance! :)

And just wanted to say hi to fellow Turtle fans.

That would be Vol.4 #9.

I thought it was in Volume 2?

Nope, Tristan's right.

We assume in Vol. 2 that Baxter is dead, but in Vol. 4 we learn Don's secretly been keeping Baxter's brain alive all these years. Then in #9 he blows him away.

In response to the comics worth question, I just spent about 650 bucks on all of Vol 1, 2, and 3, Tales vol. 1, some Turtle Soups, the casey and raph microseries, casey miniseries, and the individual turtle microseries.

Dude, where'd you get all of Volume III? I've only got #3-8, what Mirage still had.

On another note, I have a question. In Tales #11 "The Quick and the Dead", a lady sends three Foot after the TMNT. Does this blonde chick appear again? Where?

The same group of Mystics are also in Tales #2, appearing right at the end after Splinter defeats the Mystic initiate on the spiritual plane.

I got all of mine on ebay and from www.mycomicshop.com & http://www.milehighcomics.com/

^ On that note, where the heck can you get the newer issues of Tales?

Both those sites, (and ninjaturtles.com), are sold out of most of the newer Tales issues.

Basically I need everything from Tales #30 and up, and those sites only have one or two of them available. Why are the newer tales issues so scarce?

I'm also having a hard time finding the movie prequal books, I know they've been collected but I want them seperately as well.

Best I can guess is that they didn't print enough copies to accommodate the increased demand that resulted from the movie. Although I don't know what the deal with issue #32 was, because that one didn't even ever get shipped to my comic shop (grrr).

I have an extra of the April book that I can sell you if that's one you need.

If people want to send me their list of what they need I'm willing to bring them to Comic-Con with me and look around. But don't get too excited because there really aren't a whole lot of comics at Comic-Con and I'm going to have limited cash on-hand with which I can make purchases.

Where, when, and what is Comic Con?

Comic-Con is July 25-29 in San Diego. You can learn all about it at the official website.

I'm reworking April's Wikipedia page, and I need some help filling in the gaps (which are considerable, since I haven't read Volume 1.

1. Are she and Casey officially married, or simply cohabiting?
2. When did their relationship first begin
3. Has April officially adopted Shadow?
4. Where did she live between Return to New York and her move to California in City at War?

1. As of Vol. 4 they are married, but we do not know at what point in time this happened.

2. I'd say at the end of City at War, Vol. 1 #62 when everyone is reunited in Northampton. When they go their separate ways at the start of CAW it's sorta in denial of a relationship.

3. I don't think there's been any mention of this either way.

4. Northampton.

Since I am unfortunately unable to find my TMNT collected books, what weapons does each Turtle use in Vol. 1, #9? All I remember is someone used tonfa, and Don used his bo still....

Raph: Tonfas
Don: A bo
Mike: Manriki-gusari
Leo: A single katana

What's a Manriki-gusari?

A chain with weights on the ends. Kinda like what the Nightwatcher was using.
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/4898/mgpw0.jpg

Okay, so like a kusari-gama, just without the blade?

Thanks bunches!

Actually it's more like the other way 'round. :P The kusari-gama is a manriki-gusari with a blade!

I find it ironic that despite using one in issue 9, and again in the old toon, when Karai used it as The Shredder in 2K3, he called it a "chain-whippy thingie".

I love to see the Turtles use weapons other than their trademark favs. I wish it would happen more often.

What year does City at War take place in? What year does Volume 4 start in?

I'd say Volume 4 begins in 2001 (Dec. 2001 was when issue 1 was released), because I know they reference September 11th as being fairly recent in one issue (I think the exact term is "last September").

Actually, I think with the exception of time travel, all of the mainstream TMNT issues take place in the same year that the comic is released.

Are there collected books containing entire volumes? I'm gonna guess no so how many issues are usually contained in collected books...if there are even any collected mirage comics out there?

For Volume 1:
Collected Book 1 - Issues 1-11 + Raphael #1, Michaelangelo #1, Donatello #1, and Leonardo #1
Collected Book 2 - Issues 12-14
Collected Book 3 - Issues 15, 17, and 18
Collected Book 4 - Issues 19-21
Collected Book 5 - Issues, 16, 22, and 23
Collected Book 6 - Issues 24-26
Collected Book 7 - Issues 27-29
Soul's Winter - Issues 31, 35, and 36

Books 1-7 are not in print, Soul's Winter is.

It was published 1992-1993; I would assume for it to take place during that time period.

Hello - question from me time.

In what issues were the first appearances of the Rat King, Leatherhead and Usagi respectively?

Thanks :)

Rat King: Mirage: Tales of the TMNT volume 1 #4
Archie: TMNT Adventures #11 (not positive on this one)

Leatherhead: Mirage: Tales of the TMNT volume 1 #6
Archie: TMNT Adventures #6

Usagi: Albedo #2 (this is almost as high-priced as TMNT #1 1st printing)

My questions:

1) Is Bodycount #1 just a page for page reprint of Casey Jones and Raphael #1? Are there any differences other than the title, cover, and publisher?

2) Why are there two Volume #1's of the Archie TMNT series printed in the same year comprising two different numbers of issues? Wouldn't it have been easier to create a volume 2 continuing the initial volume rather than starting over again? And for that matter, what was the big idea having them start at issue #5?

3) What's the story behind the Turtles going to Image? Was it no longer financially practical for Mirage to write/draw/publish them?

I can answer #1:

I think (THINK) that Bodycount #1 has more story in it. I've read the Casey Jones & Raphael issue, and it ends with Raph leaping off the roof.

I haven't read Bodycount, but the previews on the TMNT 'site show that Raph fights Johnny Woo Woo in #1. Thus, I think there's a little more to Bodycount.

RaphAttack is correct that Bodycount has more pages of story. Aside from that, there's no changes to any of the pages. Casey Jones & Raphael #1 does have a backup Guzzi Lemans story by Jim Lawson.

Well, the three issue mini-series was published in 1988, likely as a way to gage interest. When it sold enough copies to ok it as a regular title they started the regular series in March of 1989. And it did continue from the first three issues (although still adapting TV episodes); there was no repeated content. Why start again at #1 instead of picking up at #4? Probably just to have the excuse to publish another #1 and put more attention on the series. I don't know why they decided to adapt episodes instead of just jumping into the new stories.

Mirage made the decision to stop publishing based on the reasons you mention - It just wasn't financially practical. It wasn't a situation where they decided to stop publishing because Image was going to take it up.

Here is what's written in the back of TMNT Vol. 2 #13 (written by Michael Dooney):
You now have in your hands the final, at least for now, Mirage issue of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, fortunately for all of us Turtle devotees, this is not the last TMNT comic. No way!

Back a couple years ago, I suggested to my good buddy, and Image Comics co-founder, Erik Larsen that it would be great to have a Turtles/Dragon crossover adventure. Being a huge fan of the Turtles, Erik jumped at the chance to work with the Turtles. Well, when I told Erik Mirage was going to stop publishing a TMNT comic he immediately asked whether he might stop into Mirage's shoes and begin publishing a monthly TMNT book. When I passed Erik's offer on to Kevin and Pete, they loved the idea. So, in June, 1996, Erik Larsen's version of the TMNT will be debuting under the Image logo.

Where's the best place to get hold of the entire City at War series? In terms of cost and seller reliability.

Sorry, my question was not very clear. Let me try again. :tanime:

When I said "Volume 1," I meant "Collected Book Volume 1" not "Series 1."

What I mean is, of the regular Archie series (which follows the 3 issue mini-series) there are two volume 1 TPBs.

This one collects #5-9

This one collects #5-7 (three additional volumes follow this collecting #8-16)

My question is, why the two volume 1 TPBs? It's like they printed the first one and were like "Dag yo, that's way too many issues in a book, let's start again. And this time, let's spread it out." See what I mean?

And then there is the issue of, why start the TPBs at #5? Why not collect #1-4?


And of course, thank you for your answers.

Ah, I gotcha. Honestly, I haven't a clue. I can't say I ever figured it out for myself.

I imagine they didn't collect 1-4 because 1-4 are adaptations of specific episodes from the cartoon, and original stories started at 5.

Parts 3-13 (Issues# 52-62) can be ordered directly from Mirage using this order form.

That's 33 USD + Shipping. You have to e-mail them at fanmail@ninjaturtles.com to determine foreign shipping rates.

But that's a good start. All you have left is Issues #50 and 51.

For those I suggest:
(1) Local comic book shops
(2) Local comic conventions
(3) Comic shops you run into while out of town
(4) eBay
(5) Maybe these forums if you're lucky
(6) There are some websites (such as nostalgiazone.com) that sell old issues, but they are hit and miss. (Although it does look like they have a copy of Issue #51 right now.)

Ah, that actually makes sense. It seems that they do match up with the first few episodes of season 2.

Sorted. Thanks!

Very vile question.

In the comics, which Turtle has been responsible for the most casulties?