Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters
Contributors: Erik Burnham, Tom Waltz, Dan Schoening (Artist)
Publication Date: May 6, 2015
Paul's Review
Synopsis: 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!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Review: I've been a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching the 80's/90's cartoon, seeing all of the live-action movies, and more recently I've started reading all of the comics I can get my hands on. I'm also likely to watch Ghostbusters whenever it's on TV, and I usually pull out the DVD at least once a year. They're both classic symbols of 80's pop culture, and I was so excited when I learned that they'd finally been put together!
I don't know a lot about the Ghostbusters mythology other than what's in the movies, but I'm super interested in the comics now that I know they exist. From just this glimpse at them, it seems like they'd be just as much fun as the original movie. I also liked all of the throwbacks and references to the movie. Some of them are subtle and others not so much, but any fan would be able to pick up on them easily. There are similar easter eggs for TMNT fans, which I also thoroughly enjoyed.
Obviously if the Turtles are working with the Ghostbusters, the villain has to be something supernatural. But I really liked how they picked a villain from the Turtles' world - I think it made this crossover feel more like a TMNT episode featuring the Ghostbusters instead of the other way around (not that there'd be anything wrong with Ghostbusters featuring the Turtles either). I just think this way allowed for more excitement. The Turtles don't understand this world, and the Ghostbusters don't really understand this villain, but together the two groups are able to figure it out.
I think my favorite part of the comics was watching Donnie interact with the Ghostbusters. He's totally in his element, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's another crossover later on just because Donnie wants to hang out with his new friends. I also loved how April was more involved in helping defeat the villain, even if it's from behind the scenes. She's not necessarily one to get out there and fight, but she has her own talents that definitely come in handy. And who doesn't love Casey Jones?
Overall, I think this was a really fun comic that would be great for fans of TMNT, Ghostbusters, or both! It's also pretty kid-friendly, although there are a few scenes that might not be appropriate for really young kids. The artwork is fantastic, and I really enjoyed the two different styles for the Turtles and the Ghostbusters. I will definitely be on the lookout for more crossovers like this one! 4/5.
--Ashley
