Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection

by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Jim Lawson

A thorough look back at the TMNT's comic book origins with their first stories plus insightful annotations from co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.

Rediscover the underground roots of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with this special collection of Mirage Studios' issues #56-62 which includes the conclusion to the epic "City at War" storyline. With over 180 pages of mutated-martial arts action along with annotations following each issue, this volume is perfect for fans to relive the glorious days of the Turtles' origins as well as an excellent place for new readers to see where the TMNT phenomenon began.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Martial Arts, Graphic Novels Comics

180 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2013

About the author

Kevin B. Eastman is an American comic book artist, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Reviews

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent collection, some of the best work of the original run of TMNT. Great action. A lot of character development especially with Casey and Splinter. Really ties together the finish of volume 1 of the turtles.

The turtles often alternated between zany sci-fi like with Renet the ditzy time traveler, and Fugitoid the robot that is a fugitive in outer space. Then they would have the more "serious" stuff like their battles with the foot can and more personal internal struggles. This collection is entirely the latter, and if that is the kind of stuff you enjoy, this volume is really for you.

That said, it's not a perfect work. For instance there is a side thing going on about an old man in a hospital that doesn't really tie to much of anything, and was pretty unnecessary. While it doesn't detract too much from the story, it adds very little.

Also, the sort of ends on an ultra happy note, perhaps a little too much so? Things seemed to work out too well and too suddenly for a couple of characters, and things are maybe a little too sweet. I guess ultimately it works though, and leads you to wonder, what is next for our heroes?

[Petr Nakasharal Fabián · Rating 5 out of 5]

Závěr TMNT runu Eastmana a Lairda, jako celý City at War, je tak dark a depresivní až mě to zaskočilo. Že se série, která vznikla jako parodie Daredevila, dostane až k syrovýmu, realistickýmu vyprávění o single otci v trailer parku, rozkladu vztahů, srovnávání se se životem a akcí jen jako vatou na pozadí jsem fakt nečekal. :D A už vůbec ne, že se toho Eastman/Laird chopí takhle kurevsky dobře.
Celej jejich Mirage run je jedna z nejlepších a nejzábavnějších komiksovejch sérií, který jsem kdy četl a pořádně mě mrzí rozkol, kterej mezi autorama vzniknul, protože jsem si jistej, že pár skvělejch let v sobě měli.

Želvy, který jsou ninjové... S tímhle námětem vytvořit takovou věc. To mě poser. :D

[Rex Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 5 collects the final collaboration between Eastman and Liard (so far) on their signature creation The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Issues 56-63, the second half of the “City at War” storyline, which deals with the legacy of The Foot Clan and The Shredder, and seems to be a sort of last hurrah for the group.

The Turtles agree to hunt down the last of the Shredder’s elite guard who are loudly destroying all of the other factions of the Foot in New York City. The Japanese representative of the Foot recruits the Turtles, telling them that the Foot would forgive all past grievances and not hunt them were they to succeed in killing these men. Thus allowing the Turtles to forge their own destiny. Simultaneously Casey Jones, April O’Neil, and Splinter are traveling through their own journeys. Casey now has to deal with being a single mother. April is looking for some kind of direction without much success. While Splinter is on a dangerous quest for spiritual fulfillment. None of them go where they expect to.

[Joel Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peak ninja turtles right here.

[Soim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing ending to a top-tier arc that just makes me wish that the Mirage TMNT comics could have had a more faithful adaptation at some point.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple things that happened felt a bit too dark, but for the most part this was a good ending to the series.

[Clint the Cool Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Storyline, Good Conclusion

This ends the "City at War" saga. It's nice to see long-running stories in the Turtles universe. It happened so seldom with the original Mirage series, and when they finally did it, they did a good job. This story actually has some character building for a change. Recommended.

[Variaciones Enrojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edición española. Quinto y último tomo, ya que el sexto con contenido extra no fue editado en castellano.
Reseña general de Dragoniet para el foro Psicomics:
http://psicomicsyanimacion.foroargent...

Tortugas Ninja (Primer Volumen de Mirage), Tomos 1, 2 y 3 de Deux, Tomos 2, 3, 4 y 5 de Norma
Serio y oscura. Sin aparatos raros para juguetes ni las tortugas siendo tan extremas en sus personalidades. Aunque tiene trampa, porque los tomos de Norma llegan hasta el regreso de Destructor y como se refugian en la granja, ahí se saltean unos cuantos números y pasa a Regreso a Nueva York, cuando buscan la revancha. Y el tomo 4 se salta unos 20 números para, junto con el 5, narrar las dos sagas finales: Sombras de gris y Ciudad en guerra.
Así que quedan más de 30 números fuera, solo quedando los referentes a Destructor (quien es curioso lo poco que sale y el gran efecto que tiene sobre las tortugas).
También es curioso lo rápido que las tortugas pierden la nariz picuda que muestran en el primer episodio y la violencia extrema, siendo que ahora es el rasgo que las caracteriza sobre las otras versiones.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read, 05/2024: The original Mirage run of TMNT ends on a high, yet introspective note. Still my all time favorite comic.

The conclusion to the original run of TMNT is heartfelt and beautiful.

[cloverina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang it you three. You got me.

I'm back in love with these turtles.

It's no secret that you really lost me after the series went off the rails. I mean, I guess it wasn't really you, Lawson didn't do the art and Eastman only did art sometimes. But it IS your baby, and let's face it, it sucked really hard for a hot minute there.

Then, Return to NY hooked me again. I still firmly believe it's the best Mirage TMNT ever. It just wasn't enough to fully revive my appreciation for this series. In my mind, it became a poor beginning for a great team that was better left forgotten. When City At War finally rolled around, I was expecting to be blown away, but it felt like something only a true fan could fall in love with; and after that rough patch, I was only a bystander.

Then, by some miracle, you did it. You got me hooked on TMNT again. I don't know if it was the way you broke my heart over and over and made me genuinely care about characters I thought to be somewhat meaningless. I mean, Gabe was JUST introduced... But God, if I didn't love her.

I think Casey's whole deal is actually what really sealed the deal for me. Casey is a character that DOES matter to me, and they put real time and effort into the characters that surrounded him and giving him a beautiful story arc that really does mature him.

That doesn't mean I'm not totally into the turtle action and Splinter's awesome Rat King mental journey. It's all solid content, and each story together doesn't muddle the 22-page issues. It only strengthens them. Plus, they're illustrated by Jim Lawson, and I only ended up enjoying his art more and more as the series went on. Some great splash pages. He's the perfect fit for TMNT.

Now I can't help but look upon my whole reading experience positively. They really saved it at the end there. I was going to quit to read some Batman, but I just have to go on to Mirage Vol 2. Thanks for this whole arc, Eastman, Laird, and Lawson. I'm glad I got the chance to read where it all started. Perfect ending for a flawed (yet charming) series.

[Markus Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esse quinto volume é o último da série clássica onde os criadores originais trabalharam juntos. Tartarugas Ninja deve ser o caso de maior sucesso de quadrinhos independentes dos EUA, sem contar a Image. E mesmo contando a Image, todo o sucesso de Tartarugas Ninja em outras mídias é com licenciamento já tornam elas o maior sucesso. Com isso em mente, temos que lembrar que o Eastman é o Laird acabaram se desentendendo e ficando muito tempo sem trabalhar juntos. Mesmo nessa época eles deixaram de trabalhar juntos no título que criaram porque estavam cuidado de outras coisas relacionadas a marca. Esse volume mostra o fim do maior arco que eles criaram pro gibi, que tinha histórias fechadas ou pequenos arcos de 2 ou 3 edições. Em Cidades em Guerra eles mostram a derradeira luta com o Clã do Pé, com o legado do Destruidor, que havia morrido em edições anteriores (mais uma vez). Eles fazem um acordo com a nova líder do clã, pra que eles a ajudem a acabar com os dissidentes de Nova York e o clã sai da vida deles de uma vez por todas. Apesar das histórias voltarem as origens do título, algumas das passagens ficam confusas, em várias frentes. Tem a história das Tartarugas, do Splinter, da April, do Casey Jones e de um personagem que está internado e no final do arco sai do hospital, mas que não sabemos o motivo dele estar ali, e não devemos saber, já que provavelmente isso não será publicado nessa coleção da Pipoca & Nanquim. Nas tramas paralelas as coisas correm muito rápido, e fica estranho. A história das Tartarugas vai bem e os desenhos e a narrativa fazem valer a parte confusa.

[Gloria Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

City at War, contained in this and the previous collection volume, is one of the weirdest and most ambitious turtle stories I’ve encountered. It continues a lot of earlier trends I’ve talked about in the comic such as in my review of Return to New York but it’s also much longer and more experimental. Previous turtle comics have felt very influenced by other adult action comics like 2000 AD with some obvious Frank Miller in there, but this feels as influenced by Frank Miller as it is by Love and Rockets and other complexly structured emotional adult drama comics. This deals as much with April (who bears little resemblance to her more popular counterparts) and Casey splitting up and going their own ways in the west, completely separate from the Turtles. By splintering (pun acknowledged) much of the main cast, with the Turtles being the one exception (perhaps because outside of Raph and Leo, they feel like kind of one entity most of the time), the creators are able to tell very different stories, intertwining the distinct perspectives and lives of the characters and push them into their own unique new territory. I don’t think it necessarily comes together as something great and it doesn’t really scratch the TMNT itch for me, but still think it’s a really strange and interesting work that makes the best case for the comics as their own thing worth checking out.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

So ends the Eastman and Laird era of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Over time, it got a hell of a lot more grimdark. I've seen a lot of people say that this was the highpoint of the comics for them, and I'm happy for them that they were satisfied. Personally, this really isn't my cup of tea. It's not so much the overall tone as it is the way it bleeds into the characterization. The longer the series went, the more it became clear that Eastman and Laird's original intentions for these characters just… aren't my Turtles.

My Leo is loyal. My Donnie would never look down on anyone. My Raph has depths of compassion that make it hard to feel as deeply as he does sometimes. My Mikey is a font of enthusiasm and encouragement.

I'm glad these characters eventually evolved in the ways they did outside of these comics, and I understand now why everyone says the comics are so much darker and grittier than everything that came after them. I really didn't need all this misery porn with April and Casey to be happy for them.

Karai wearing Shredder's armor throughout this arc was badass, but she's so much more interesting in literally all the other versions of her. Some of the battle scenes in this were awesome, but it lacks… joy.

I'm glad I read these, I'm glad I know where this all came from… but I gotta say, I probably could've stopped reading around #11 and been happier for it.

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Check out my compilation review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on my blog, 24,000 Miles to the Moon! https://24000milestothemoon.com/2022/...

[Leodhas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed going through the original run, started off so badass. It definitely had its weaker points early on and throughout (mainly the time travel and sci fi stuff, never really thought it fit) but the characterisation stayed strong throughout and it's a blast seeing what the turtles get up to next. My favourite character has to be casey jones though, he gets so much development throughout the series and you really feel for him in the last few issues. Also paired with the fact he's such a badass even when compared to the TMNT.

The art is so damn cool with that gritty style that fits perfectly with the atmosphere and characters. The fights are always drawn so well especially Leo's battle with shredder and the big battle against the foot that the turtles and karai have in this volume, just perfect.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it's a case of diminishing returns, but after enjoying Vol. 4 of this series, I grabbed this book from the library and felt the result was so-so. There's little wrong with it; there's just nothing particularly special about it. It remains to be seen if the moral compromise made the the Turtles will come back to bite them. April and Casey come back together by happenstance, after their attempts to "move on" end predictably. The art has some effective storytelling and detail work, but the anatomy is stiff and ungainly. Again, it's all perfectly fine, but it felt drawn out at times - I felt this story could've unfolded in half the space, resulting in a punchier, more emotional journey.

[Cannon Qorson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This broke me.
This punched me in the gut. Oh my gosh. Casey.
This was great. Just wish Splinters story had been a bit different and agree with Kevin Eastman in his annotation that Casey yeeting the dog was jarring. So good though.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, what a great run. City at War is probably the best arc in this entire series and all of the moving parts from the first handful of volumes come together in a big and awesome way. It is honestly worth reading the entire run just to get to City at War.

[zackxdig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war with the foot is coming to an end. It’s a good way to wrap it all up. Just curious the vibe of splinter and donnie wanting to stay back. I for sure thought they were going to all move into the basement of April’s new building.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic conclusion. The final arc, City at War, was the best story in the whole run.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The City at War storyline was excellent, and a great wrap-up to Eastman and Laird's original run.

[Philip Mastandrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in one sitting while Windows were being installed. Very good. Especially liked ratking/Splinter stuff.

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching conclusion to end the original run.

[Steven Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one, and honestly the end of the last one, got a bit weird, but then end of this one seems to have sorted things out, we'll see how the next volume goes.

[Jason Kordyban · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great conclusion to the original black and white comic series.

[Hoch Hech · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomo final con la gran saga City At War pero que deja incompleta la colección, ya que en USA fueron siete tomos y en España sólo cinco.

[Guido · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fin de Ciudad en guerra y del Vol. I.

[Matthew Amuso]

I'd never read the City at War arc before, and it was way different than I expected--quiet, thoughtful, and contemplative--although still full of rad ninja action. Jim Lawson's art is really effective, alternately understated and detailed, with great use of negative space. And reading a story about growing up and maturity, featuring the adolescent characters that defined my childhood, is kind of head spinning.

I like toitles!

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great "ending" for the turtles. While not the actual end for the comic, this was pretty much the end of its original run. I enjoyed seeing the turtles, Casey, April, and Splinter's paths diverge before eventually coming back together by the end of City at War. They all matured and worked through their demons. Even the old and wise Splinter realized he had problems that he needed to work on. Karai is a great character, but I wish more time was devoted to her. One of my favorite aspects of this series is how even when gone, the shadow of the Shredder looms large over everyone, including the Foot. Fantastic series.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second half of Eastman and Laird's last Ninja Turtles comic story 'City at War.' The material is wonderfully dated and full of late 80s independent comics call outs and strange jargon from those days. It was a lot of fun to go back and see the original comics that have been out of circulation for quite a while now.