Comic Vine Review

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #1

4

It's the return of the original 1984 classic Eastman series! These reprints of the Mirage original books feature color. Find out where the turtles came from in this issue!

The Good

THIS is where it all began! Now is the time to read! While IDW has been rereleasing this series in trade, I loved reading this as a stand alone issue and a start to a "new" series. If you grew up on the Turtles, even that ridiculous cartoon in the late 80s/early 90s, then this book will make you all fuzzy inside. There's a lot of familiarity here, even if you've never read the original series.

This is a 40 page comic. It's not tied down to any length restraints, so the story can develop fully over the course of the issue, and it's paced so incredibly well because of this. I had a giant grin on my face re-reading this as it flowed incredibly well, even for a book almost three decades old.

It's a great, self-contained story as the turtles are "born" and have to take revenge for Splinter, whose master was killed by the man who would become Shredder. This issue is jam packed with action and balanced with a great story.

The Bad

You're going to notice right off the bat that the art work is dated. Well, it's 28 years old, and while it may not hold up incredibly well, it does the job.

The big change here is the adding of color to the books. While it does create a lot more depth, it's nothing incredibly special. I'm a bit split on whether I like the B&W originals better or the color version.

The Verdict

Pure awesomeness. Yes, you can buy the B&W issues in trade, but this first issue is meant to be read on its own. I'm so happy IDW is reprinting these, along side of making new issues of TMNT. This issue will give you that warm fuzzy feeling as you flip through the pages. Since this issue is 40 pages long, it is paced very well as the story develops. It's a great self contained story as well that holds up almost 30 years later.

The art is a tad dated, and while this issue boasts the addition of color, I'm a bit split if I like it or not.

Overall, I highly recommend this issue to any TMNT fan, it's loads of fun and it's great to see the true origin to these characters.