“Yesterday’s” Comic> Leonardo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

“For the last time I’m not putting on an orange track suit!”

Leonardo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Mirage Studios (December, 1986)

“What Goes Around…Comes Around!”

WRITERS/ARTISTS: Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird

CO-INKERS: Steve Bissette, Michael Dooney, & Ryan Brown

LETTERER: Steve Lavigne

There’s not a lot to summarize here. Splinter, April, and the Turtles prepare for Christmas by trimming the tree and getting a Christmas meal together. What they don’t know is that Leonardo is attacked by numerous Foot Soldiers, elites, and finally the Shredder himself, somehow not dead. Eventually the battle takes its toll on Leonardo, who finds himself flung through their apartment window, warning his brothers that the Shredder has returned.

What they got right: It’s the presentation that really works for this story. The final panel on the page is what’s happening at the apartment and the festive antics our heroes are getting into. The rest of the page shows Leonardo fighting or stalking the Foot with no dialog and only the occasional sound effect. It really works well, and feeds into the next issue of the main comic.

What they got wrong: The other three one-shots focus on the Turtles and even Donatello’s gives us some insight into the character. All we get here is Leonardo is a good fighter but the numbers are against him. It’s not a big revelation.

What I think overall: Leo deserved a comic of his own rather than a necessary tie-in to the next main issue. The story itself is at least worth it.