By Kris Markl — The entire premise of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles teaming up to take down the Foot Clan sounds like the machinations of an 8-year-old mind circa 1994, enacted by the action figures themselves. But three comic book miniseries and a feature-length animated film have turned those nostalgia-fueled fever dreams to a reality. The combo on paper seems like a no-brainer: perhaps the most identifiable superhero in popular culture alongside a property that has stood the test of time and multiple reincarnations (quite literally). Do these crossovers live up to the hype though, or is it simply another case of blatant nostalgia bait?

All three comic series are written by Eisner Award-winner James Tynion IV (a prolific Batman writer) and illustrated by Freddie Williams II. The first series finds the turtles in Gotham due to some multiversal hijinx from Krang. The standard trope of heroic misunderstanding has the turtles squaring off against the Dark Knight until wisdom wins out and they eventually team up to square off against their true nemeses — Shredder and Ra’s Al Ghul. The two adversaries have aligned in an unlikely alliance, eventually using the same mutagen that morphed the turtles to transform the inmates of Arkham into a collective rogues gallery of mutant monstrosities.

The initial series also features the famous panel of Batman taking a distrustful Raphael to the scene of his parents murder — an image which has been trotted out in memes galore. The story of both this series and the second, which flips to Batman in New York, is right in line with what one might expect from an experienced Batman scribe — dark, gritty and very street-level focused. Characters like Bats, Raphael, and Splinter are extremely well-served in this dynamic while someone like the fun-loving Michelangelo struggles to find his footing at time, more or less reduced to pizza jokes and “Pony Racers” video game references.

The primary plot for the second series is that Donatello is experiencing self-esteem issues due to his lack of martial arts expertise in comparison to his brothers and longs for his time spent with Batman in the first series. Feeling down on his luck, he heads to Harold Lillja’s lab to tinker with a multiversal portal. A subsequent attack from the Foot Clan causes the machine to malfunction, causing Donatello to switch places with Bane, who will go on to seize control of the Foot Clan.

The third series finds the creative team fully letting loose with both the storyline and the art. Krang has gone crazy with his multiversal shenanigans and everything that we know and love about these two separate universes is a complete amalgamation. Young Bruce had four pet turtles, who are mutated immediately following the death of his parents. Splinter raises all five of them as brothers. The Joker is now a ninja with a splendidly creepy mask fighting under the name, The Laughing Man. And best part — a Mirage Studios era Raphael arrives detailing what has occurred and what they must do to set everything right once more. This series truly pays homage to comics as a medium, and it was by far the most enjoyable reading experience pf the three.

But perhaps the best Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover comes in the form of the 2019 animated film “Batman vs. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle”. Co-produced by Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon, the film lets both properties shine at their best. The story is almost entirely derived from the first comic miniseries with a few notable changes. There are no hints at dimensions or alternate universes; the audience is led to believe that the turtles took a road trip to Gotham City in the Turtle Van. Sadly, the TMNT supporting characters of Splinter, April and Casey make no appearance. While the latter two make sense, as they would have felt a tad redundant with the likes of Robin and Batgirl already present, Splinter’s absence was sorely missed.

However, the dialogue is laugh out loud funny — particularly from Mikey and Donatello. The tone of the film isn’t sacrificed by that either; there is still a sufficient amount of violence and believable stakes present. While some DCAU veterans return (Tara Strong as both Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy) new voice actors like Troy Baker take over as both Batman and The Joker. SNL cast member Kyle Mooney turns in a fantastic Mikey and the legend himself Tom Kenny makes an incredible Penguin.

All in all, the Batman and TMNT crossover stories are well worth the time and will give you many hours of enjoyment. Tonally, thematically and character-wise, the mash-up just makes sense. So grab a large pizza, your cape and cowl and enjoy! COWABUNGA DUDES!

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Freddie Williams II
Colorist: Jeremy Colwell
Letterer: Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics / IDW Publishing
NEW YORK CITY. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles face the battle of a lifetime, fighting both the fearsome Foot Clan and their leader the Shredder and the alien forces of General Krang...which is exactly Krang’s plan. Now a single dimensional warp can rid him of both of his greatest rivals at once.
GOTHAM CITY. From the Penguin to Killer Croc to Ra’s al Ghul and beyond, the caped crime-fighter called Batman already has his hands full protecting his city. Suddenly, a new enemy emerges—the Shredder and his ninja followers, transported to Gotham and unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. Now they’re on the hunt for the technology that will help them return home…and conquer Gotham City in the process with the help of Batman’s deadliest rogues.
But heroes come in all shapes, and the Dark Knight does not fight alone. As the Caped Crusader joins forces with Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Master Splinter, can the Bat, the Rat, and the Turtles take down the most vicious villains from two dimensions?
Buy It Here:

• Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 1

• Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 2

• Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 3

• Batman Vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Animated Movie

Where to start with TMNT comics in 2022

Kris is an educator by day and a podcaster by nights and weekends. He co-hosts a weekly nerd/pop culture podcast called The Nerd Byword and can also be heard as a contributor of mutant-centric madness on the glorious podcast X of Words, hosted by the one and only Ashley Alleyne.