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Prepare for Cross-Over Fun with ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters’ #1

Prepare for Cross-Over Fun with ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters’ #1

TMNT-Ghostbusters-01_Cover-RI

Cross-overs have been a staple of the comic book business since before Superman met Bugs Bunny. For the publishers, the crossover is an easy way to sell books. For fans, it’s either a dream come true or an over hyped nightmare of biblical proportions. When a crossover works, it benefits the consumer to no end. IDW has had their fair share of success with their recent crossover series. From the over-top throwback Transformers Vs. GI Joe to the recently announced X-Files and Millennium, IDW is giving just what the fans want. This week, the company mashes together two of their more celebrated, and culturally loved properties, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #1.

TMNT writer Tom Waltz and Ghostbusters writer Erik Burnham join forces to craft the tale. When a new invention goes haywire, the Turtles are sent to a whole new type of New York City. One with a whole lot more ghosts… and Ghostbusters! The two teams will have to learn to get along quickly, because a new foe from the Turtles past has followed them and aims to conquer NYC.

The plot does a good job of setting up the meet even if it is a tad uninspired. If you have used your years of comic book reading to assume the two teams wouldn’t meet till the last page then give yourself a pat on the back. Aside from the obvious plot beats and the unnecessary amount of expositon, TMNTGB #1 is still a fun read. When it comes to writing TMNT and Ghostbusters, there is no one more suited than Waltz and Burnham. Their hold on the characters is unrivaled, and it shows in the dialogue.

The art, while pleasant on the eye does suffering from having too many cooks in the kitchen. Each artist on their own brings a great style, however the leap between them does not transition well. The action is fun and the always on Smith stands out with his excellent character designs. The colours tend to wash out the images however, particularly the opening pages, but the light rendering from the spectral madness is a treat to behold. Topped off with excellent letter work by Neil Uyetake and you have a pretty, though inconsistent, picture.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #1 is not a perfect book but it does the job. It leaves the reader interested enough to warrant a look at the second book. Hopefully the creative team can shift to just one artist, and the writers move past the exposition.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #1
Writer(s): Erik Burnham & Tom Waltz
Art: Charles Paul Wilson III, Cory Smith, Dan Schoening
Colours: Luis Antonio Delgado, Ronda Pattison
Letters: Neil Uyetake
Edits: Bobby Curnow
Publisher: IDW
Purchase: http://www.idwpublishing.com/product/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtlesghostbusters-1/

-Sean

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