Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time #1
Written by Paul Allor
Art by Ross Campbell
Colors by Bill Crabtree
Letters by Shawn Lee
Editor: Bobby Curnow
Covers by David Petersen, and Ross Campbell
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 18, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

TMNT: Turtles in Time #1 starts with action and doesn’t stop until the very last page. Then, it starts again. This book was NOT what I was expecting at all, but sometimes, that’s a good thing.

Writer Paul Allor brings us into the middle of the story that hasn’t even been told yet!!! How awesome is that? And don’t worry, later in the year the rest of THAT story is coming, but for right now, all you need is this issue. Allor pens a fantastic “fish out of water” story, with the Turtles being thrust into a strange world (we’re not sure if it’s even EARTH!), and dumps the Turtles right into the thick of a fight between the Utroms and some really nasty dinosaurs.

Every classic Turtle moment is there. Teamwork, laughs, action, wisecracks, but most off all, heart. What really made this issue for me was that even during the thick of battle, the Turtles prove to all be there for one another, and that’s what makes this story great. OK, that AND a really cool last page cliffhanger ending.

The art by Ross Campbell is fantastic. He’s a little more detailed than the normal style for the Turtles animated book, but it totally works with the theme of the story. Campbell also does some excellent world building here, making things look real, but not really REAL. After all, we don’t know WHEN or WHERE the Turtles are. He also brings some great designs to the Utroms and their technology and making that fit into the look and feel of the book. I can’t wait to see the next issue and what he renders in the next era the Turtle wind up in.

There is no reason NOT to pick up this issue. Seriously, it’s a first issue, a great comic, and whether you’re a fan of the classic Turtles or the new cartoon show, you’re going to really love this book.