The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet the Stranger Things crew in this epic crossover graphic novel event that everybody has been waiting for!
Eleven, Max, Dustin, Mike, Will, and Lucas are looking forward to a nonthreatening, fun-filled trip to New York City. With the gang hundreds of miles from Hawkins, they’re sure to catch a break this time! That is, until they encounter a threat both bizarre and familiar…and some allies that are just bizarre!
This 4 issue adventure brings together the best of Stranger Things supernatural horror and TMNT martial arts for a kick-butt, fan-pleasing crossover.
Cameron Chittock is a writer of comics and graphic novels including the Mapmakers trilogy and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things. When he’s not scribbling down ideas, he enjoys coaching basketball, reading comics of all kinds, and exploring New England with his family.
Yep. It's TMNT and the kids from "Stranger Things" in an adventure in New York City that is being overrun by demogorgons leaking from the Upside Down. What needs said?, other than "awesome"...
An unnecessary, yet fun tale set before Season 3 of Stranger Things, in which our cast of young teens get lost exploring on a field trip in NYC and encounter our favorite Turtles in the sewers. The art is actually pretty darn good, despite not having a likeness to the actors who portrayed them on TV.
Like I said, this 4-issue miniseries was unnecessary, but fun. There's a pretty well-balanced showcase on both franchises and a lot of action as well. The story sort of makes sense, but much like those early Marvel/DC crossovers of the 70s and 80s, it's implied that both franchises have always existed in the same Universe despite any contradictions you may have.
Would recommend. It was fun to get lost in to pass the time.
I definitely didn’t love this one and I didn’t expect anything crazy good out of this one, but it was a fun read and one that was a fairly quick read. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the way the Stranger Things characters were drawn, but I did love how the Turtles were drawn.
So, so important. I'm surprised there were any storytellers out there equal to the task. The epoch-making story of ninja turtles nunchucking some petal-faced ur-dingoes in a sewer. A vision of meticulous, Kubrickian perfectionism. Only Kai Greene reprising Funshine could have intensified the pathos. 🐢
A surprise to even see this crossover, and more of a surprise that it's not too bad. It's not the most sophisticated plot as crossovers go, and more Stranger Things than TMNT, but it's fairly well executed. They also do a decent job portraying the slightly harder-edged Mirage-era Turtles. (B+)
The best part of this book is that it takes place between seasons 2 and 3, which means that for those two years not once did any of the kids mention their trip to NYC where they encounter four teenage mutant ninja turtles, a talking sensei rat, and aliens from another planet - which all equates to an experience far stranger than the previous two seasons.
A good time with two icons of the "80s," but it is held back a bit by several compounding factors.
One of the best things about Stranger Things as a show is that it splits its time pretty evenly between the 3 focal points: the kids, the teens, and the adults. As this crossover focused on the Hawkins kids taking a field trip to New York City, Hopper & Joyce, as well as Nancy, Steve, & Johnathan, are nowhere to be seen, and I think it makes the story weaker without their perspective. Sure Hopper shows up as a psychic illusion for Eleven, but that's not the same. Don't believe me? It's absolutely much more believable that Steve or Hopper can do some actual damage with a ninja weapon than Mike or Dustin. Bit of a contrivance on why Upside-down shenanigans are happening in NYC now, but that's just the nature of crossovers I suppose.
Onto my gripes about the Ninjutsu Reptiles' side of things, they went retro and gave them ALL red bandana masks; if they're not gripping their iconic weapons, you really can't tell who's who. I mean, there might be something in their speech bubbles or actions that will let readers know which turtle is which, but in comparison to the distinct looks of each of the kiddos, it's kinda jarring that you have to sleuth out a character when another character right next to him you automatically know who it is. Not to mention that as expansive as the lore of the TMNT across all iterations is, they really kept it bare minimum, showing only so many allies & antagonists as to make this crossover work.
Interesting start to an unnecessary crossover. But then again, is any crossover truly necessary? That being said, it's fun, but plays it safe. We are only one issue in, but it's mainly fan-service. Knowing a few things about each franchise would probably help with the enjoyment factor of the series. However, the writing is pretty meh, though and a bit rushed.
This was a fun battle against the demodogs and some more technological enemies in the sewers of NY. Everything was believable and fits in the context of both canon franchises.
—which of course seemed like a ridiculous concept. They aren't even in the same areas, Indiana vs. New York!
So of COURSE they went ahead and made the comic to explain it (class field trip to New York). Okay, I guess.
It's... about what you might expect from a crossover, except the "fight each other upon meeting" that sometimes happens (there's literally no reason for that here). There are some appearances from secondary characters from bothseries, including a few surprises, but the core plot is dealing with the gates to the Upside Down—the turtles just have a supporting role despite the home field advantage.
On the whole, not bad, but even though I like both sets of characters, having them interact is a little too weird, like The Punisher Meets Archie. (Actually, I haven't read that, but that feels a little more believable...)
What bugs me the most is the art gallery, where some of the art is of the characters pairing off while playing D&D: - Donatello with Will - Michelangelo with Dustin - Leonardo with Lucas (and Eleven... okay, not "paired" off) - Raphael with Mike
...but the four separate images are on completely different pages! Like, why are they not grouped together as a tetraptych? The pieces that are the real world vs. the same scene in the Upside Down are paired off!
(If the gallery art is in chronological order by separate "issue" order, then... I don't see why they didn't break the rule just this once, for the sake of artistic merit.)
Recommended for fans of both series. Readers unfamiliar with one or the other (or neither!) might have a time of it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things collects issues 1-4 of the IDW and Dark Horse comic series written by Cameron Chittock, art by Fero Pe, and colors by Sofie Dodgson.
Set between the events of seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things, the gang travels to New York City on a field trip. After they get separated from the rest of their class, they try to catch up but soon find demodogs lurking in the subway system - and a group of teenage mutant turtles battling them!
This was a fun story that uses the 80s version of the TMNT which I thought was a cool connection. The story was actually pretty fun with the evil Dr. Baxter being behind everything and even a cool connection that he was a former acquaintance of Papa (Dr. Brenner) so that he knew about Eleven and her powers. Because the book is only 4 issues, it gets pretty sloppy by the end, but at the same time, it doesn’t drag anything out. Due to plot revelations made in seasons after this comic was released, the Upside-Down doesn’t work as shown in this comic, but it’s still a fun companion piece for both TMNT and Stranger Things fans.
This was a fun little crossover, but ultimately, I think it might have needed a couple more issues to really come into its own. Ultimately, it has everything you want - great art and character beats - but it doesn't quite raise to the level of other TMNT crossovers.
The problem is, it doesn't have that much of a plot. There's some cool Upside Down stuff, but once Baxter Stockman's plot is revealed, it's pretty much a straight shot from there. This isn't a huge complaint, but the plot doesn't take as many twists and turns of other crossover properties.
Still, there's enough to like here. The art is fantastic, and it's pretty cool to see the old-school Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before the multi-colored masks. It's a fun read even if it doesn't quite reach the heights of either property.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things” by Cameron Chittock is an electrifying crossover that brings together two beloved franchises in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. The story effortlessly merges the gritty, neon-lit world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the eerie, 1980s horror of Stranger Things, creating a unique and compelling narrative.
In conclusion, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things” is a must-read for fans of either franchise. It’s a thrilling adventure that honors the spirit of both the TMNT and Stranger Things, while delivering a story that stands on its own. Cameron Chittock has crafted a crossover that not only works but excels, providing a fun and exciting experience that readers will thoroughly enjoy.
Who is this for exactly? It's not for 80s nostalgia because you can barely tell it's the 80s from this, and then they would've used the cartoon turtles not the Mirage turtles (although I'm glad they used the Mirage turtles even if they gave them some stuff from other interations, this fits the tone better, even if I wouldn't have mind more silly turtles, this works better). It's not for stranger things fans, I don't think these 2 franchises have a lot of overlap in fanbases, same with the other way around. So like, why make this?
That being said, for being an officially published fanfic where the Turtles meet up with annoying children, to fight a common enemy called "evil science", I do like that there are a couple pages that really utilise the medium by making me turn my book around
Okay so like I loved the fact that they contextualized the turtles in the 80s by giving them their original Eastman and Laird appearance, singular red masks included, but holy moly was this a crap story. Littered with ‘okay, now this is epic’ attempts and rushed plotting. Not to mention that the 0/10 characterization of the Hawkins crew made them more Scooby Doo than Stranger Things.
Note: This review is for the entire series, issues 1-4
We finally see Stranger Things in an "official" crossover, as the Dungeons and Dragons series was something a little different. I thought this was okay, but really just didn't click for me. I think one of the stronger aspects of Stranger Things is how it manages to make even the impossible seem "real", but adding the turtles took that element out. It was fun, but not on the level of the regular Stranger Things comics.
I've never watched Stranger Things but I am a big TMNT fan. This was quite fun with the 1985 version of the turtles meeting the kids and encountering strange monsters from the upside-down dimension that Baxter Stockman is somehow involved with.
honestly whether or not this is good is rendered irrelevant by my delight that it EXISTS. like the entire concept of eleven and freaking raphael bonding? 10/10 no notes. well, no, some notes. giving mike a sword is always a good call. and the byler friendship content is very important. TO ME.
I’m a huge Stranger Things fan and a casual TMNT fan, so this graphic novel caught my eye and was a fun read. Necessary? Not really. Entertaining? Yes. It’s a satisfying story with a good arc and resolution.
If you're a fan of the love letter to the 80s known as Stranger Things, then you'll love the 80s tribute to the comic form of the original TMNT. Definitely worth the read.
This book is exactly what it claims. It is absolutely what original Millennial TMNT fans who’ve also enjoyed Stranger Things needed! It was *chef’s kiss* 😘