Comic Virgin! Help!

[Xaryen]

So, like a lot of people, my first exposure to TMNT was the original 80's cartoon, followed by the movies. It wasn't until many years later that I learned that:

A. It was originally a comic book and-
B. they all wore red bandanas! :lol: (that last one was most shocking of all haha).

But anywho, I've recently kinda been intrigued to read some of the original comics. Does anyone have any suggestions for me on where to start? How many issues were there originally? Any advice/info is appreciated :tgrin:

[CyberCubed]

IDW is releasing Ultimate Collections based on Volume 1. The first two are already out.

They're also going to be releasing other Volume 1 collections in trade paperbacks.

[Matches Malone]

Like most things, it's probably best to start form the beginning and in order, with Volume 1, especially since many consider it to be the best TMNT comics. Still, it all depends on what you're looking for. Luckily Eastman & Laird have been open to allowing all kinds of interpretations in the past ranging from extremely silly to the point of parody to dark and gritty to surreal.

IDW is also reprinting the first 15 issues (more if sales warrant) in color as well. Also, there are the "TMNT Classics" which reprint in trade paperback the non-Eastman & Laird issues.

As for how many issues there are of the original Mirage series, well, there are 4 volumes, and 2 "side" volumes (called Tales of the TMNT).

First volume: 62 issues, including the 4 "Micro-Series" issues; essentially solo turtle issues.
Second volume: 13 issues
Third (published by Image): 23 issues
Fourth volume: 31 issues

Tales of the TMNT was a series which essentially told stories that took place during the main series. Something good to note is that Volume 1 started off with Eastman & Laird writing and drawing, but as the series continued past #11, other artists and writers began to contribute their own issues which sometimes deviate from main continuity and tone. The best place for a breakdown of all the issues at miragelicensing.com.

[Xaryen]

IDW is releasing Ultimate Collections based on Volume 1. The first two are already out.

They're also going to be releasing other Volume 1 collections in trade paperbacks.

Hm thanks for the tip. How many volumes do you think will cover the whole series?

[Xaryen]

Like most things, it's probably best to start form the beginning and in order, with Volume 1, especially since many consider it to be the best TMNT comics. Still, it all depends on what you're looking for. Luckily Eastman & Laird have been open to allowing all kinds of interpretations in the past ranging from extremely silly to the point of parody to dark and gritty to surreal.

IDW is also reprinting the first 15 issues (more if sales warrant) in color as well. Also, there are the "TMNT Classics" which reprint in trade paperback the non-Eastman & Laird issues.

As for how many issues there are of the original Mirage series, well, there are 4 volumes, and 2 "side" volumes (called Tales of the TMNT).

First volume: 62 issues, including the 4 "Micro-Series" issues; essentially solo turtle issues.
Second volume: 13 issues
Third (published by Image): 23 issues
Fourth volume: 31 issues

Tales of the TMNT was a series which essentially told stories that took place during the main series. Something good to note is that Volume 1 started off with Eastman & Laird writing and drawing, but as the series continued past #11, other artists and writers began to contribute their own issues which sometimes deviate from main continuity and tone. The best place for a breakdown of all the issues at miragelicensing.com.

Oh wow, that was a heap of info. Thanks! I'd heard of Tales of the TMNT but wasn't sure what they were. Volume 1 is what I'm looking to read.

[Matches Malone]

Sorry, forgot to mention that Tales of The TMNT had 13 issues in the first volume and a whopping 70 issues in its second. The second volume of Tales is pretty great, but it refers to a lot of issues from past volumes, so you definitely get more out of it having read everything that was released prior to it. Reading all those comics for the first time is definitely exciting!

[Xav]

Tales had 7 issues in the first volume.

[Matches Malone]

Tales had 7 issues in the first volume.

Whoops! You're right. I must have been thinking Volume 2 when I typed that... Probably because they're both drawn by Jim Lawson.

[CyberCubed]

Tales of the TMNT had 7 issues + the Spinal Tapped story in the 2007 collection.

Tales V. 2 has 70 issues + 16 issues of Turtle micros.

[Cipher]

There's actually never been a better time to jump on board. After Mirage (the original creator-owned publisher) fighting against doing substantial book collections for years, IDW (the current comic license-holder) is going back and releasing all the old Mirage material in collections you can easily find at book stores, online retailers, comic shops, etc.

Just go over to Amazon and search "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection." The first two are out with a third on the way. They're hardcover books containing the original Volume 1 issues, with gorgeous quality and annotations from the creators. The recommended price is $50, which might be a bit steep for someone just looking to try them out, but I believe Amazon has them around $30. The first might be between printings, but a second run is on the way.

At the same time, IDW is releasing issues of Volume 1 not done by the main team (the canonocity of which is questionable, but they're all good reads and give you a feel for the surreal, indie vibe of the Mirage run) in smaller paperback books titled "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classic Collections," or something to that effect. So run a search for those as well.

Happy reading. Start with an open mind; these books are all over the place, but if you're willing to accept that, there's some really great stuff, especially later in the volume.

[CyberCubed]

Keep in mind the Volume 1 TPB's contain canon issues too. They're just all non-Eastman/Laird issues.

The first one contains a Michael Dooney issue which was adapted into a 4kids episode, the one with the alien women fighting over who will be the next leader of their planet.

Don't let anyone tell you what is or is not canon, aside from the obvious parody issues by Mark Martin, Tom McWeeny, and the alternate universe but still awesome, "Soul's Winter" trilogy.

[Cipher]

Keep in mind the Volume 1 TPB's contain canon issues too. They're just all non-Eastman/Laird issues.

The first one contains a Michael Dooney issue which was adapted into a 4kids episode, the one with the alien women fighting over who will be the next leader of their planet.

Don't let anyone tell you what is or is not canon, aside from the obvious parody issues by Mark Martin, Tom McWeeny, and the alternate universe but still awesome, "Soul's Winter" trilogy.This is definitely TMI.

Just look for the hardcover Ultimate Collections and the paperback Classic Collections. Ultimates are the creator-written issues; Classics are Volume 1 issues written by other members of the staff or guest artists. Read 'em all. Together they'll give you the entire Volume 1 when everything's out.

I assume that's where you want to start and stay for the time being. IDW has said they want to re-publish later volumes and some of the other apocrypha as well, but that's a while off and this is your best option for sampling and following the series.

[CyberCubed]

I'm actually hoping Volume 2 gets Ultimate collection treatment too, there's only 13 issues and they were Eastman/Laird stories with Lawson doing the art like City at War.

For Tales of the TMNT, I wonder if they'll just re-release the Mirage trade of it from 2007 with the extra "old turtles" and Spinal Tapped story.

Image will hopefully be collected not too long after that, along with Volume 4 and the second volume of Tales.

[Slap-Happy]

Go here (http://web.archive.org/web/20070321013140/http://www.ninjaturtles.com/html/comic.htm), scroll all the way down and you can read the first five issues, as well as Raphael #1 and Fugitoid #1.