TMNT #1 Facsimile Edition Comparison

Great Hierophant · 08-26-2026, 08:25 PM

Being that it is new comic book day at my local comic shop, I took a drive to it today to see if they have IDW's new TMNT #1 Facsimile Edition. Sure enough they did and I bought it. I already have a copy of Rich Horn/TMNT: A Collection's 40th Anniversary 1st Print Facsimile Edition, so I thought I would compare the two.

The things the two reproductions have in common:

TMNT #1 1st-3rd Print Wraparound Cover artwork
The 40 pages you all know by heart and love, no more, no less
Printed on newsprint in glorious black & white
The ad for Gobbledygook #1-2 on the inside back cover is present and correctly reproduced
No ads for modern comics
Modern publishing logo on outside back cover
Magazine-sized
Glossy black cover stock
Red overlay (no 3rd Print pink here)

There are many differences between the two however:

RH has explanatory text on the inside front cover and adds a modern legal notice while retaining the legal notice for the 1st-2nd Prints, IDW has none but eliminates the original legal notice and adds its own
IDW eliminated the Mirage Studios copyright and original cover price on the back cover, RH retains them
RH has its logo on page 21's inside gutter margin, IDW does not
IDW's cover margins are significantly thinner than RH's, which replicate the original printings
RH's book matches the original 1st Print's dimensions exactly, IDW'w book is slightly smaller but only by 1/16" (W) and 2/16" of an inch (H).
IDW fixes all the errors of the 1st-3rd Print, RH has all the errors in the 1st Print
IDW's has a $6.99 cover price, RH charges $15-50+shipping for a loose copy, depending on condition
IDW's paper is slightly heavier and uses a more neutral gray tone, but RH's books were printed two years ago and its paper may have already started to age

Rich used the original TMNT #1 production negatives that were used to run off the interior pages of the 1st & 2nd Prints. IDW obviously used a later source, the DuoShade is more heavily applied, greater detail is found in certain background elements and more even in its application over wide areas of background. The inking of RH's edition is light to match the original 1st Print. While it might be too light for some, IDW went too far in the dark direction. Most pages look OK but others are so dark that it looks weird (pages 5 & 13, 19, 20-21, 24-25) and detail is lost (page 21, panel 4). It is as if on several pages large areas of the darkest black are rendered lighter than areas of black around them. For this reason I cannot quite recommend it over Rich's if you have to make a budget-based decision which to get. If this issue is a limitation of my copy, then you could do worse than to pick this up.

Boco · 08-28-2026, 02:39 PM

I see they fixed the "Nagi/Saki" screwup on page 15.

When's the first time they did that?

Great Hierophant · 08-28-2026, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boco

I see they fixed the "Nagi/Saki" screwup on page 15.

When's the first time they did that?

The 1st and 3rd prints have the error, the 2nd, 4th, 5th had it fixed as should every other printing since 1985.

*ToTheNines* · Today, 04:58 AM

Awesome, thanks for writing this up GH.

I own both, I think Rich did a better job but I’m glad IDW made it widely available. Now who’s gonna do the rest of volume 1?

08-26-2026, 08:25 PM	#1
Great Hierophant Random Punk Join Date: Jun 2025 Location: Plymouth, MA Posts: 37	TMNT #1 Facsimile Edition Comparison Being that it is new comic book day at my local comic shop, I took a drive to it today to see if they have IDW's new TMNT #1 Facsimile Edition. Sure enough they did and I bought it. I already have a copy of Rich Horn/TMNT: A Collection's 40th Anniversary 1st Print Facsimile Edition, so I thought I would compare the two. The things the two reproductions have in common: TMNT #1 1st-3rd Print Wraparound Cover artwork The 40 pages you all know by heart and love, no more, no less Printed on newsprint in glorious black & white The ad for Gobbledygook #1-2 on the inside back cover is present and correctly reproduced No ads for modern comics Modern publishing logo on outside back cover Magazine-sized Glossy black cover stock Red overlay (no 3rd Print pink here) There are many differences between the two however: RH has explanatory text on the inside front cover and adds a modern legal notice while retaining the legal notice for the 1st-2nd Prints, IDW has none but eliminates the original legal notice and adds its own IDW eliminated the Mirage Studios copyright and original cover price on the back cover, RH retains them RH has its logo on page 21's inside gutter margin, IDW does not IDW's cover margins are significantly thinner than RH's, which replicate the original printings RH's book matches the original 1st Print's dimensions exactly, IDW'w book is slightly smaller but only by 1/16" (W) and 2/16" of an inch (H). IDW fixes all the errors of the 1st-3rd Print, RH has all the errors in the 1st Print IDW's has a $6.99 cover price, RH charges $15-50+shipping for a loose copy, depending on condition IDW's paper is slightly heavier and uses a more neutral gray tone, but RH's books were printed two years ago and its paper may have already started to age Rich used the original TMNT #1 production negatives that were used to run off the interior pages of the 1st & 2nd Prints. IDW obviously used a later source, the DuoShade is more heavily applied, greater detail is found in certain background elements and more even in its application over wide areas of background. The inking of RH's edition is light to match the original 1st Print. While it might be too light for some, IDW went too far in the dark direction. Most pages look OK but others are so dark that it looks weird (pages 5 & 13, 19, 20-21, 24-25) and detail is lost (page 21, panel 4). It is as if on several pages large areas of the darkest black are rendered lighter than areas of black around them. For this reason I cannot quite recommend it over Rich's if you have to make a budget-based decision which to get. If this issue is a limitation of my copy, then you could do worse than to pick this up.

08-28-2026, 02:39 PM	#2
Boco Random Punk Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Maryland Posts: 41	I see they fixed the "Nagi/Saki" screwup on page 15. When's the first time they did that?

Today, 04:58 AM	#4
ToTheNines Col. Stinkmeaner Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 19,047	Awesome, thanks for writing this up GH. I own both, I think Rich did a better job but I’m glad IDW made it widely available. Now who’s gonna do the rest of volume 1?