I got my introduction to the concept of the comic book way back in 1988 or so, when my mom and grandfather introduced me to comic books with a stack of Silver Age DCs. But my REAL start into comics was with those earliest comics that my parents bought me. This week, I’m providing a brief look at what my earliest comics were.
In this third installment: Secret Origins and the Ninja Turtles!
I’m not sure what prompted this purchase, but I recall my dad buying this one for me. Maybe it was the “Secret Origins” title itself.
It wasn’t until recently that I realized this issue was by Grant Morrison…it was rather cool to realize I’d read some of his earlier work.
The JLA story particularly stuck out to me, from the point of view of the mountain they had their HQ in. The bit about how “The shining red one” went, then came again, and was gone was very eye opening at the time. I still hadn’t realized that the Flash character I was reading in the then-present (The Superman/Flash Race from Adventures of Superman) was not the same Flash from my Grandpa’s comics.
I think this issue may have been when I started to realize that there was something significant out there that made these comics different from what I’d read of Grandpa’s.
I’ll detail more of my earliest exposure to the TMNT in another blog soon. But A friend brought this comic to my attention at the mall, and I convinced Dad to buy it for me. I had now idea who the alien guy was, or what was going on story-wise beyond this single issue…but it fit right in with the cartoon at the time. The only REALLY weird thing was Krang affixed to Shredder’s head and the turtles having to “save” him.
Not long after #25, I came across this issue at a flea market my aunt was working at. I convinced Mom to let me get this issue, though again–didn’t know what was up with overall story stuff, didn’t pay much attention to numbering at the time except knowing each issue had progressively higher numbers.
Didn’t understand why Raphael had black tights on, but it was what it was…
I’m pretty sure this one was one that Dad bought me. In retrospect, quite the value–96 pages (3 issues’ content) for $3. At the time, I recognized the chapter breaks, though wasn’t entirely aware of what they meant. Eventually came to realize that this contained material that was originally 3 separate issues (the Mighty Mutanimals 3-issue mini-series).
The story–these characters fighting against an alien invasion–was epic stuff back then to my 10-11-year-old self.
I don’t quite recall if I got this issue off the rack at the mall or if I came across it later after discovering an actual comic shop…but I want to say this was my first “regular” issue of TMNTA, when I began specifically collecting TMNT comics.
This issue stuck out for me as really marking a difference in the cartoon and the comics for the Turtles. April had a boyfriend, Splinter seemed younger and much more involved in their lives, and the characters were abroad–not based in NYC. Come to think of it…I don’t recall if they really ever returned to NYC properly in this title. But that’s something for another blog.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: Grant Morrison, Mighty Mutanimals, Ninja Turtles, Secret Originas, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, TMNT Adventures | Leave a comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 