Confused About Where to Start? IDW Reprint Guide

[Cipher]

Can I get a sticky, please?

It seems like at least once every few weeks, and I anticipate this rising as we move toward the film premiere, we have a new member asking where, among the various series and different reprint collections, to start.

This is 1) great, because thanks to IDW new readers can actually find the old Mirage and Archie material, but 2) an entirely legitimate question with all the different lines going on.

Hopefully this thread can help. I'll break down what series is contained in what reprint lines, what's going on, and a bit of what to read:

---------- Mirage TMNT ------------------------

This is the original comic book series, which began as a low-run black-and-white indie book by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and ran with some hiatuses in-house at Mirage Studios until the IP's purchase by Nickelodeon.

Since the Mirage series ran over several different volumes and titles, a little crash course may be useful before getting into the reprints. This is a great link for reviewing their run, but I'll break it down below as well. If you're already familiar with the series, just skip down to "How is this reprinted?":

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1984-1993) Vol. 1 - 62 issues, four "micro-series" issues and various specials

This is the original black-and-white volume of the TMNT, ending in 1993 for a switch to a full-color "Volume 2" series, also published by Mirage. It contains a main narrative plotted, and occasionally written and drawn by, Eastman and Laird and other Mirage staff, as well as a string of guest issues with varying levels of continuity.

The Eastman-and-Laird-plotted issues are collected in the five "Ultimate Collection" books, and in colorized form in the three "The Works" books. Guest issues are collected in the first seven volumes of the "Classics" line.

2. Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 (1987-1989) - Seven issues

The first volume of Tales is a series of one-shot issues Mirage published accompanying the original volume of the main series. It introduces several major characters.

The original Tales of the TMNT issues are reprinted in colorized form in books one and two of the Tales of the TMNT line.

3. Volume 2 (1993-1995) - 13 issues

Mirage published thirteen color issues picking up right from the end of volume 1 before passing publishing rights to Image comics for a portion of the '90s (due to flooding and other financial issues).

Volume 2 is collected in books eight and beyond of the "Classics" line.

4. Volume 3 (1996-1999) - 23 issues

Later removed from continuity when Laird began publishing the series again in 2001, Volume 3 was published by Image Comics and covers the continued adventures of the Mirage Turtles. It's very '90s, if anyone's familiar with what that meant for comics at the time, but still absolutely worth a look. You may see fans refer to issues "24 and 25," which were written, drawn and published by fans with the input of several of the original creators, and which aimed to give the series an ending compatible with later Mirage stories.

IDW has not yet collected Volume 3.

5. Volume 4 (2001-2009) - 31 issues

When Laird began publishing the series again in 2001 (Eastman having earlier sold his share), he did so in the form of Volume 4, a black-and-white, tightly serialized story that sees the Turtles aged real-time from their last appearance, and introduces several major changes to the Mirage universe. It went into an indefinite hiatus without receiving endings to its ongoing plots (though the ultimate endings of the Mirage universe characters are covered more or less in the second Tales volume), but Laird retains the right to print a certain number of issues each year despite Viacom owning the property. He's recently announced intent to release #32, and we may yet see the volume finished depending on his interest.

IDW has not yet collected Volume 4.

6. Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 (2002-2010) - 70 issues

This second volume of Tales is an anthology series with stories set all over the Turtles' timeline, from their childhood to the far-flung future. There are some real gems here. Required reading if you want to move beyond the self-contained story of Volume 1.

Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 is reprinted in colorized form in books three and beyond of IDW's Tales of the TMNT line.

---------- How is this reprinted? Where do I start? ------------------------

Yeah, good question. IDW's releasing everything again across several great reprint lines, but it can be a little confusing. Hopefully this helps.

TMNT "Ultimate Collections" Volumes 1-5
IDW's "Ultimate Collection" hardcovers collect all the material from Vol. 1 plotted by Eastman and Laird. This includes the micro-series. Together, they form one narrative that makes up the main plot of Volume 1. It can be read on its own. They can set you back a bit of money, so if you're dabbling, I actually recommend starting on Volumes 4 and 5. They do build on previous material, but they're absolute standouts and can be read as their own as a better indication of the series' later tone (the one that will carry through Volume 2, Volume 4, and the second Tales series).

If you're looking to get into Mirage, start here.

IDW's Tales of the TMNT

This single line of reprints collects colorized versions of both the original Tales series and the post-2002 volume. The original series runs through books one and two, with three and beyond collecting the second volume. Both are worth reading, and if you're looking for the next-most-important issues, story-wise, these are them.

IDW's TMNT "Classics" Line

This somewhat confusingly named line collects both the non-Eastman and Laird issues of Volume 1 (books one-seven) and, from Volume 8 onward, Volume 2 of the original Mirage series. The first seven volumes are a mix of quality and story importance, so you may want to ask for individual reviews. From volume eight onward, this is where the main story picks up after you've finished the "Ultimate Collections."

TMNT "The Works"

This hardcover line collects colorized versions of the same issues as the corresponding "Ultimate Collections." The coloring job is, for the most part, pretty nice, and it could be a toss-up between these and the Ultimate Collections depending on your preference. The main difference between the two is that these volumes don't contain creator commentary from Eastman and Laird, and IDW has indicated they may end on issue #21 (book three).