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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios 1984) #1-3, Raphael
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black & White Classics, Vol. 1
Master Splinter tells the turtles of his life with Hamato Yoshi, a master of the art of Ninjitsu. He shares the story of his master’s murder and asks them to avenge this death and kill the one responsible, the man known as ... Shredder!
143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2014
38 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Eastman
1,106 books352 followersKevin B. Eastman is an American comic book artist, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 12, 2016
Heroes in a half-shell - Turtle Power! You know them, I know them, they’re the Teenage Motherlovin’ Ninja Turtles! I watched the cartoon, the live-action movies, bought the toys and played the awesome NES video game (the second one) - I was a huge fan as a kid. Haven’t really liked the recent IDW comics but I heard that the original Peter Laird/Kevin Eastman comics from whence the Turtle empire sprang were some hardcore adult shit, not like the sanitized kiddie stuff I was familiar with - I had to read them!
… They’re not. There’s a panel where you see Leo’s sword go through someone but what little slicing and dicing there is, is done off panel and, because these comics are black and white, there’s no red blood to traumatise the squeamish. It’s pretty tame stuff actually, there’s no swearing or nudity or drug use; it’s perfectly suitable for kids.
I think this edition collects the very first TMNT issues ever and, if that’s the case, it’s pretty amazing how fully-formed Laird/Eastman’s vision was right off the bat. We get the Splinter origin tying Shredder’s origin in with his master, Hamato Yoshi; the Turtles/Splinter’s transformation thanks to the TCRI ooze (later changed to TGRI in the movies); the Foot Clan are introduced; Dr Baxter Stockman’s Mousers and April O’Neil (here an assistant to Stockman and not a news reporter) appear along with April’s VW camper which will later get converted into the Turtles van; even Krang makes a cameo!
The comic also tentatively starts establishing the Turtles’ characters with Raph as the rebel with a oftentimes tense relationship with Leo, the leader (a bit like Batman/Superman’s). Casey Jones also appears and he and Raph’s friendship/rivalry begins. Mikey and Donny don’t feature prominently yet and of course, this being black and white, we don’t see their coloured bandanas at this stage. But that’s still a hefty chunk of the Turtles established right out the gate!
The storylines though are a bit too childish for my tastes. Baxter is the cliched mad scientist who throws away legitimate millions from his Mouser creations to try to extort millions from the city because “I’m really doing it because it’s fun! HAH, HAH, HA HAH!” - what a jackass! There’s a lengthy car chase and plenty of fight scenes but they turn out predictably - the Turtles always get away/win so they’re not that interesting to read. The art is pretty good though - good use of shading to define dimensions even if the Turtles seem to have one facial expression (angry)!
I was a little disappointed with this one. I was hoping for a darker, more violent TMNT than the more popular, kid-friendly one I’ve known for years and it turned out there really wasn’t that much difference between the two versions. Still, it’s not a terrible comic just not one that many adult readers will find compelling because of its simplistic plots, but it was fun to revisit the Turtles universe for a spell!
… They’re not. There’s a panel where you see Leo’s sword go through someone but what little slicing and dicing there is, is done off panel and, because these comics are black and white, there’s no red blood to traumatise the squeamish. It’s pretty tame stuff actually, there’s no swearing or nudity or drug use; it’s perfectly suitable for kids.
I think this edition collects the very first TMNT issues ever and, if that’s the case, it’s pretty amazing how fully-formed Laird/Eastman’s vision was right off the bat. We get the Splinter origin tying Shredder’s origin in with his master, Hamato Yoshi; the Turtles/Splinter’s transformation thanks to the TCRI ooze (later changed to TGRI in the movies); the Foot Clan are introduced; Dr Baxter Stockman’s Mousers and April O’Neil (here an assistant to Stockman and not a news reporter) appear along with April’s VW camper which will later get converted into the Turtles van; even Krang makes a cameo!
The comic also tentatively starts establishing the Turtles’ characters with Raph as the rebel with a oftentimes tense relationship with Leo, the leader (a bit like Batman/Superman’s). Casey Jones also appears and he and Raph’s friendship/rivalry begins. Mikey and Donny don’t feature prominently yet and of course, this being black and white, we don’t see their coloured bandanas at this stage. But that’s still a hefty chunk of the Turtles established right out the gate!
The storylines though are a bit too childish for my tastes. Baxter is the cliched mad scientist who throws away legitimate millions from his Mouser creations to try to extort millions from the city because “I’m really doing it because it’s fun! HAH, HAH, HA HAH!” - what a jackass! There’s a lengthy car chase and plenty of fight scenes but they turn out predictably - the Turtles always get away/win so they’re not that interesting to read. The art is pretty good though - good use of shading to define dimensions even if the Turtles seem to have one facial expression (angry)!
I was a little disappointed with this one. I was hoping for a darker, more violent TMNT than the more popular, kid-friendly one I’ve known for years and it turned out there really wasn’t that much difference between the two versions. Still, it’s not a terrible comic just not one that many adult readers will find compelling because of its simplistic plots, but it was fun to revisit the Turtles universe for a spell!
March 9, 2023
It was time to revisit the Heroes in a Half-Shell, considering the trailers for the upcoming movie look fun. This collection contains the first three issues and a Raphael one-shot: the Turtles' origin, how they deal with a mad scientist unleashing robotic "mousers" on the city, the followup which concerns their search for their master, Splinter, in the aftermath of the mousers, and the introduction of Casey Jones and his first encounter with Raphael.
I was a huge fan of the Turtles at their height, and anything Turtle-related is going to be loaded down with a heavy nostalgia bias for me. I gave this collection four stars at first, but then reconsidered. The art is rough but expressive, the story is clear and appealing to my adult self, and it's very easy to see how the concept took off and became a popular cartoon (though it was toned down considerably and the violent and bloody reality of ninjas fighting ninjas was removed). Most interesting to me now is how obvious it is that the concept is a parody of street-level superheroes in general and Daredevil in particular, which was ninja-heavy back in the early '80's. In-jokes alluding to Daredevil's origin and the evil ninja clan - the Hand in Daredevil, the Foot here - are just a couple I noticed.
The original version of the Turtles, and my favorite version.
I was a huge fan of the Turtles at their height, and anything Turtle-related is going to be loaded down with a heavy nostalgia bias for me. I gave this collection four stars at first, but then reconsidered. The art is rough but expressive, the story is clear and appealing to my adult self, and it's very easy to see how the concept took off and became a popular cartoon (though it was toned down considerably and the violent and bloody reality of ninjas fighting ninjas was removed). Most interesting to me now is how obvious it is that the concept is a parody of street-level superheroes in general and Daredevil in particular, which was ninja-heavy back in the early '80's. In-jokes alluding to Daredevil's origin and the evil ninja clan - the Hand in Daredevil, the Foot here - are just a couple I noticed.
The original version of the Turtles, and my favorite version.
December 1, 2020
The Turtles have been in my periphery since the cartoon came out in 1987. I enjoyed the show but never had the chance to watch much of it. As time went by I always wanted to know more about our four sewer dwelling friends but never seemed to get more than cursory knowledge. By the time I learned much, their history was so convoluted that I just felt lost. The Turtles have remained an itch that I just never had the chance to scratch. Until now.
This volume was how it all started, allowing me the chance to read the original independent comic book stories.
I enjoyed it quite a bit. The indie look and feel of the book combined with a highly creative story gave the whole yarn an energy that was just delightful.
This volume was how it all started, allowing me the chance to read the original independent comic book stories.
I enjoyed it quite a bit. The indie look and feel of the book combined with a highly creative story gave the whole yarn an energy that was just delightful.
April 10, 2018
Impressively, the same radioactive canister that robbed young Matt Murdock of his eyesight, also set in motion the mutation that created Splinter and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
April 16, 2023
Splinter is impossibly cute here the way he's drawn. There's a lot of classic turtley goodness here!
September 4, 2021
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. The story was pretty good (and fits well with all my memories from the movies and series), and they were well written. The writing also holds up pretty well more than 30 years later. I was surprised to learn that April was originally a scientist of some sort though. Raphael and Leonardo were the clear stars in these first issues, with the two of them having to strongest personalities.
The biggest surprise for me was the artwork. Not only did I not realize that it was originally black and white (which explains why they didn't initially have different colored marks), but it's also a fairly cartoonish style. For the very first couple of pages I wasn't sure I liked the art style, but it quickly grew on me. Despite being cartoonish and very raw, it's quite dark and detailed and still manages to immerse you. The only negative I can say is that it was often hard to tell the turtles apart. Definitely worth reading for anyone who grew up with the TMNT like I did.
The biggest surprise for me was the artwork. Not only did I not realize that it was originally black and white (which explains why they didn't initially have different colored marks), but it's also a fairly cartoonish style. For the very first couple of pages I wasn't sure I liked the art style, but it quickly grew on me. Despite being cartoonish and very raw, it's quite dark and detailed and still manages to immerse you. The only negative I can say is that it was often hard to tell the turtles apart. Definitely worth reading for anyone who grew up with the TMNT like I did.
March 31, 2022
Gorgeously drawn and darkly funny. Glad I was able to finally read the original comics since I’ve heard how different they are from other adaptations.
The biggest difference is how violent it is. It opens with the turtles killing a gang and Leonardo’s narration reads like it could come out of Frank Miller’s playbook. It takes itself seriously enough while also reveling in it’s ridiculous premise.
Also, Casey Jones rules!
The biggest difference is how violent it is. It opens with the turtles killing a gang and Leonardo’s narration reads like it could come out of Frank Miller’s playbook. It takes itself seriously enough while also reveling in it’s ridiculous premise.
Also, Casey Jones rules!
October 22, 2023
Growing up on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and reading their actual debut are completely different experiences. While I understand the placement of the films and television series, these foundational three issues are incredibly gripping and raw. Much like Batman, I understand that there can be mutliple versions of the same character but different approaches. I really fell in love with this version of the turtles. Sure to jump in a read more.
February 9, 2021
Not as good as the second installment but a great origin story anyhow. Written like they didn’t know if they’d get another issue so the pages are full of action. Some really pretty spreads and all your favorite TMNT villains - Shredder, Stockman, and the Mousers. Easy to see how & why this concept owned the late 80’s.
March 28, 2021
Interesting to see the origin of the franchise. I love the drawings - so raw and gritty. Surprised how closely some of this tracks to the movie version. And I also didn’t know about the Daredevil connection and though I haven’t read those comics, having seen the show, I appreciated that as well. The story itself isn’t mind blowing but this succeeds, I think, because of the excellent characters.
Read
June 5, 2022I was on a Ninja Turtle jag in April and May and reading these original comics was one of the best parts. Very different from the 90s movies (more violent, less surfer-bro, more outer-space travel). Amazing to see an indie comic take off and turn into a world-wide sensation. Turtle mania was a big influence on my early childhood so it's kind of fun to see how it all began.
March 13, 2018
These are the stories I collected as a kid. Cheesey origin story. Shredder. April O'Neil hasher debut. The Foot clan which is either a homage or a mockery of the Hand from the Marvel universe. While silly it is much darker and more violent and bloody than the cartoon.
April 25, 2019
I revisited the original TMNT (thanks Hoopla!) after discussing them with a friend who was only familiar with the kid-friendly 90s cartoon. Fortunately, they really hold up and even grittier than i remember. There is certainly more Kurosowa than pizza-commercial in them!
April 27, 2022
Hard to believe this started the turtles. They kill shredder in the first issue! I always heard this was a bloody adult comic. Well it is edgier than the OG cartoon but barely. Still glad I finally got around to reading it.
December 29, 2019
Amazing
Awesome ! What an amazing comic book. I love teenage mutant ninja turtles especially the original comics
I give this 5 star for sure
Awesome ! What an amazing comic book. I love teenage mutant ninja turtles especially the original comics
I give this 5 star for sure
November 30, 2020
TMNT: Black & White
Never had a chance to read the original TMNT books, but now I have, some anyways. So far, so good, into the next book.
Never had a chance to read the original TMNT books, but now I have, some anyways. So far, so good, into the next book.
July 10, 2022
loved it!
Classic 80s nostalgia!
Not a bad story either, really hope we get an omnibus soon, or compendium ! 8/10! Great
Classic 80s nostalgia!
Not a bad story either, really hope we get an omnibus soon, or compendium ! 8/10! Great
October 23, 2022
Longer review is coming
Grade 8/10
Grade 8/10
November 14, 2023
3.5/5, maybe my first 3.75
February 27, 2016
I never was a TMNT fan but i gave an opportunity to this issue.
And it's the only comic that brought me exactly the same experience that a B-movie; its so bad that its good.
The drawings are good in many points as bad in others. The story is absurd but very well done and makes this comic something really addictive and original.
And it's the only comic that brought me exactly the same experience that a B-movie; its so bad that its good.
The drawings are good in many points as bad in others. The story is absurd but very well done and makes this comic something really addictive and original.
May 1, 2017
In the beginning there was a parody... this is where the TMNT phenomenon began. Within these first few issues we see the Turtles face off against the Shredder, Baxter Stockman and his mousers, and we meet April O'Neil and Casey Jones. It was fun to read these early stories and see the mythology forming, but the turtles' personalities not quite coalescing yet. Also interesting to compare with later retellings and reimaginings from tv and film.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews