“Yesterday’s” Comic> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5

Are they even old enough to be in a bar?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5

Mirage Studios (October…maybe November, 1985)

This is from the first printing so the reprint’s back-up story isn’t in this release, nor was in the colorized Volume 2 trade from First Publishing that I own. Also, the Turtle fandom wiki has retroactively given this story the title “Teaming Up With Fugitoid”.

WRITERS/ARTISTS: Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird

LETTERER: Steve Lavigne

Continuing from Fugitoid, the Turtles arrive on the planet D’Hoonib in front of Honeycutt…and in front of the soldier’s guns. Together the group escape and the Turtles are shocked to learn they aren’t on Earth. The Utrom has built a device similar to Honeycutt’s transmatter device and now need to protect Honeycutt while finding a way home. At a bar the soldiers catch up to our heroes but so do the Triceratons! They manage to capture Honeycutt and the Turtles give chase, eventually leading to a bunker that is actually the Triceraton spaceship. Using the shootout with Federation soldiers as a cover the Turtles get on board just before it launches for the Triceraton’s space station city but the cargo hold they got into is lacking gravity…and an atmosphere!

What they got right: If you didn’t read the Fugitoid special, and I didn’t since it wasn’t included in the trade I have nor republished by IDW so last week was the first time I read it, the story will give you enough of a recap of events to follow along, including narration for the part Honeycutt doesn’t know about. There are some great alien designs and the story is moving along well. The Turtles don’t feel like bit players in their own comic while continuing Honeycutt’s story from the one-shot.

What they got wrong: Using narration for the part Honeycutt wasn’t there for, Blanque realizing he’s really Honeycutt and labeling him a “Fugitoid” so he’ll be captured and forced to make his device, rather than having a line of dialog, spoken or thought, by Blanque. One of the Triceratons mentions that Blanque knows about his status later so it seems pointless.

What I think overall: This was a really good issue. The story is going well and if I didn’t know what was coming (the trade has issues 4-6) I’d be excited to see what happens next. Luckily the next issue was also good, but we’ll get to that next time.