“Yesterday’s” Comic> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10

Mirage Studios (April, 1987)

“Silent Partner”

Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Michael Dooney, Steve Lavigne (credited as letter in the First comic reprints, according to the Comic Book Database; who did what isn’t listed in the original version)

Continuing from the Leonardo one-shot, the Turtles, Splinter, and April find themselves surrounded in April’s apartment by the Foot Clan. They must navigate the building while caring for the injured Donatello. Help comes in the form of Casey Jones when they reach the shop, where the Shredder is waiting with more Foot soldiers. Thanks to an unrepaired wall April’s father never got around to fixing our heroes barely manage to escape with their lives, but the apartment burns to the ground. Casey takes the gang to Northampton to help Leonardo recover, leaving New York City to the Foot!

What they got right: Both the first live-action movie (using Raphael instead of Leonardo) and the 2003 series used this event in their stories and it is the Turtles at their lowest point thus far. Casey is a good addition to the team, though apparently Raphael never mentioned him. There’s some good action and the Turtles are prepared for most of their enemies’ tricks as they try to escape the building.

What they got wrong: There’s really nothing I can complain about here outside of the difficulties in telling the Turtles apart sometimes. Giving them unique looks in later incarnations was to the benefit of the reader and it’s not like the Turtles used the ninja trick of looking similar to confuse opponents (you’d have to ask Gaijin Goombah about that) at any point anyway.

What I think overall: Like I said, there’s a good reason this story inspired both the first movie and my favorite version of the cartoons. The story works very well and holds up to today.