One of the best IP franchises in the world is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I have never enjoyed a show as much as the initial one. My cousins and I got swept up in that world that went beyond the animation on the screen to toys and eventually film. When we heard that they were coming to the big screen, we were in the theatres for the 1^st three. It’s been 40 years since their debut and IDW Publishing is celebrating with the comic one-shot, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary Celebration.

It has been a few decades since I was a rabid fan. The live action movies have felt more like cash grabs than actual stalwarts in the canon. The latest animated movie gave all the old and new fans hope that they will get our heroes right. There’s been recent lows and highs but overall, the fandom endures. In this one shot guided by co-creator Kevin Eastman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary Celebration features a slew of creators who pay tribute to the heroes in a half shell.

In “Mirage 1 Story,” we look at Raphael’s life as the Last Ronin through the words of Edgar Allen Poe. In “Monsters,” one boy is left traumatized by an encounter with a thug and one of the boys. In “Gang Wars,” one reporter reflects on the different news stories she has heard in 20 years about the Turtles, their friends and their enemies. In “Downtime,” the boys patrol the sewers and reflect on how much they have changed. In “Man Behind The Mask,” Raphael and April meet Casey Jones for the first time. In “What about Tomorrow,” the boys question their future. In “Splinter Forever,” Splinter reflects on his life while trapped by Shredder, only to free him and reaffirming his life choices. In “Kraang Among Us,” the boys have a dance off with a local dance crew who turns out to be Kraang Primordius. In “Farewell,” we are taken 20 years into the future, where the boys try to finagle with time travel. ”Father’s Day” sees Michaelangelo with is son visiting Splinter at his grave. In the final story ”Teen Spirit,” the boys are taken to a place between worlds called the Thin Place, where reality and dreams become entangled and the boys’ mettle get tested.

Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary Celebration is a testament of love to this epic franchise. The stories by the different creators are exciting and vary in both the plot, tone and style, showing who much you can do with a 40 year old franchise and celebrating the different eras. The art by the different creators are alluring and exciting, showing off the kinetic energy that TMNT brings to the page. Altogether, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 40th Anniversary Celebration is a must buy for every die hard TMNT fan.

Story: Kevin Eastman, Edgar Alan Poe, Jim Lawson, Tristan Jones, Gary Carlson, Chris Allan, Erik Burnham, Lloyd Goldfine, Ciro Nieli, Andy Suriano, Tom Waltz, Ronda Pattison
Art: Kevin Eastman, Jim Lawson, Paul Harmon, Frank Fosco, Chris Allan, Sarah Myer, Khary Randolph, Ciro Nieli, Andy Suriano, Michael Dialynas, Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II, David Petersen, Ken Mitchroney, Dan Duncan, Ronda Pattison, Sophie Campbell, Jodi Nishijima, Stan Sakai
Color: Steve Lavigne, Adam Guzowski, Luis Antonio Delgado, Emilio Lopez, Ronda Pattison, Emi Fujii
Letterer: Tom Napolitano, Jim Lawson, Chris Allan, Shawn Lee
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle