More than thirty years ago, Fred Wolf Films introduced American audiences to what has since become one of the most beloved television series of all time when it launched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Spanning 10 seasons, this series has become timeless, leading to movies, toys, DVD releases (including an entire series set), and in 2022 a new comic book series from comics publisher IDW dubbed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures. This coming Tuesday, Feb. 18, IDW will release that series’ fourth volume of tales in comics shops nationwide. Spanning 128 pages, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures Volume 4 culls another three issues from the series (Issues 9-11), which tell collectively, another fun new story from everyone’s favorite heroes on the half-shell. That overarching story is just one of the positives that comes in this collection. There is also a bonus tale added as an extra that readers are just as certain to enjoy. The artwork featured throughout the book rounds out the most important elements. When it is considered alongside the primary and bonus stories, the whole therein makes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures Volume 4 a great new entry in IDW’s ongoing series.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures Volume 4, the forthcoming latest anthology from IDW’s latest TMNT series, is another welcome addition to said franchise. Its appeal comes in no small part through its primary story. Spanning issues 9-11 of the series, the story finds Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael working to keep Shredder and Krang from trying to take over the world with the power of a magically enhanced sword. The turtles’ efforts result in both Shredder and Leonardo being accidentally sent back to feudal Japan at one point. Of course, the guys eventually defeat Shredder and Krang, but not without a minor side effect along the way. The side effect, as a matter of fact, ties into the book’s second story, which finds the “Green Machine’s” friend, April O’Neil being transported to an unknown land where she meets another classic TMNT character, Ace Duck, as he searches for a mystical jewel. This secondary story is especially engaging and entertaining because it is clearly a spoof of the beloved 1981 action adventure movie, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The direct references to that movie throughout this secondary story are sure to put a smile on any reader’s face, right down to April emulating Jones as she prepares to take the jewel from its stand. Throughout both stories, the writing also includes plenty of the cheesy jokes and fourth wall breaking that made the original TMNT cartoon series so fun (and still does to this day, too). All in all, the three issue story is a read that will delight children and readers who were themselves children when the original TMNT cartoon series originally aired.
The overarching main story featured in the fourth volume of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures is only one of the tales in this book that make it so endearing. The book also includes a third, bonus tale as an extra. Unlike those first two tales, this bonus entry lacks a title but that is beside the point. It reintroduces yet another classic TMNT character in the form of Mona Lisa. As a refresher for newer audiences, Mona Lisa was introduced in the eighth episode of the series’ fourth episode. In this episode, she was already mutated. Her back story is that she was mutated in an incident involving the evil pirate, Capt. Filch. The whole story is explained in the episode. It was from that one appearance in the series that she developed her own place in the bigger TMNT universe. Throughout each appearance, there is a romance of sorts between Mona Lisa and Raphael, and the bonus story here is no different. In the case of this story, her ongoing battle with Capt. Filch is ongoing even here as she is hunting some gangsters who are connected with Filch in a unique way. So the trio of Mona, Raph and Mikey go after the thugs, of course winning out in the end. Readers will be left to find out how they win for themselves. That fun bonus story and the overarching main story work collectively to build a strong foundation for TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures Volume 4.
Building on that foundation is the overall artwork featured throughout the book. From beginning to end, the artwork featured here will appeal greatly to readers because it stays so faithful to the artwork of the original animated series. There are some minor changes in look and style, but that is just the trademark of artists Dan Schoening (who handled the art in the first story, “The Sword of Eddiku”) and Sarah Myer (who handled the art in the second tale, “April Special). Jack Lawrence, who helmed the art for the bonus tale, is just as deserving of praise for his work taking audiences back to that wonderful place just as much through his artwork. Stayin on that note, Schoening’s cover art for the second part of “The Sword of Eddiku” adds even more appeal as it is a direct reference to the third of the original TMNT movies, which itself saw the Turtles go back in time to feudal Japan, interestingly enough. Considering this, one cannot help but think that movie had to have played some part in this part of the story, which finds Leo and the Shredder go back to that time and do battle.
The variant covers that are included as even more bonus content by various artists add even more to the welcome sense of nostalgia that children at heart will appreciate as they read this anthology. They largely bear their own look that throws back to the original animated series as the main art. This enhances the reading experience even more as it will show readers the love that said artists each have for that franchise, too. Keeping all of this in mind, the artwork featured throughout this book plays just as crucial a role in its engagement and entertainment as the book’s main content. All things considered the whole makes the fourth volume of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures comics a great early offering from the company here in 2025.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures Volume 4 is a great new nostalgic trip back in time for fans of that golden age of TMNT. That is due in large part to its featured primary story. Its own story separate from any from the original series, it has all of the action, adventure, comedy and heart of those episodes. The bonus story that accompanies that primary tale succeeds much in the same way even being much shorter. The book’s artwork puts the finishing touch to the presentation as it adds even more welcome nostalgia for readers. Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of the book. All things considered they make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures Volume Four another have for any longtime fans of everyone’s favorite heroes on the half shell.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures Volume 4 is scheduled for release Feb. 18 in comics shops nationwide. More information on this and other titles from IDW is available at:
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