TMNT/Stranger Things # 1

 By Mark Rodriguez

Stranger Things is a popular series on Netflix taking place in the 80's with a lot of strange things going. Not only are there shady companies experimenting on kids to give them telekinetic powers like Eleven, but there's also a dark alternate world called the Upside Down where all sorts of creatures reside. Naturally they run into the Ninja Turtles in this crossover, but the interesting thing is that since this takes place in the 80's, the kids runs into the Mirage Turtles. Let's check it out.

We start in New York 1985 as people run the subway. A big rat runs by that grosses out one of the passengers. Another one says to get used to it since the place is going to hell. The bottom of the train near the passenger's feet has a fissure in it that seems to be from the Upside Down. 

Chapter 1- The Tourists opens with Mike, Will, Lucas, Max and Dustin checking out the sights in New York City along with the rest of their touring crew. Dustin is glad to be out of Hawkins after all the madness they've gone through and seems pretty impressed by everything, even the sewers. Lucas points out something more exciting, like the Empire State Building.

Mike is worried about Eleven who told them she would meet up them in the city in her own way. Dustin suggests grabbing a slice of pizza while they wait. Eleven shows up and hugs Mike. Mike asks how she got there and she said she took a different bus. Mike is surprised she took a Greyhound on her own and she says it's not her first time. Dustin asks the others where the rest of their party went. 

The crew hit the subway and noticed they missed the train with the rest of the tourists in it. They decide they can catch the next one so they don't get in trouble with their teacher Mr. Clarke. Will hears something and says it sounds familiar. Dustin says they're in New York so there should be no Upside Down or Demogorgons or anything. Lucas says they hear what sounds like Demodogs. Dustin laments that they're going to have to check it out. Mike says if they're present, they should do something.

Eleven uses her powers to make the ticket machine flip out. While everyone is distracted the kids run down the tracks. The kids walk down the tracks with a flashlight until they run into huge and deadly Demodogs. Eleven raises her hand to use her powers. Suddenly ninja weapons flash and the Demodogs are being attacked. Mike asks Eleven if she did something and she says no. Just then the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are seen taking the Demodogs down, right in front of the crew.

The Turtles finish off the last Demodog and tell the kids not to be scared. Raph says it's natural for them to be scared since they were being attacked by Mousers. Leo says he meant for the kids to not be scared of them. Mikey says Raph's not exactly friendly-looking. Raph says he doesn't expect a 'thank you' every time they rescue someone. Leo says he only cares that the kids know that they're here to help.

Donatello studies the creatures and says they're not exactly Mousers, or at least not the ones that they're familiar with. Just then more Demodogs show up and the Turtles get ready to fight. Eleven uses her powers to slam the monsters up against either side of the subway walls. Michealagelo says maybe the kids weren't scared after all.

Later on at the Turtles' Lair, the Turtles are impressed by the stories about psychic powers, monsters from another dimension and the fact that kids arrived all the way from Indiana. Lucas like the sewer lair and Leonardo says they live there because they have to. He says he felt better about it before finding out they had to share sewers with their monsters. Lucas asks about the Mousers. Splinter shows up and says they should focus on what they have in common. The kids are surprised to see a giant talking rat and Max says the fact that she's not losing her mind means she's spent too much time with the gang by now.

Leonardo introduces the kids to their father Master Splinter. Lucas thinks things got a lot of weirder. Dustin says they're lucky because weirdness is their thing. Raphael says that what they have in common are those monsters in the subway. Mike says they're Demogorgons, and Dustin asks Donatello if he's ever played Dungeons and Dragons. Will explains that the Demogorgons come from the Upside Down and they can cross over. Mike says they're hunters and predators and the Demodogs they saw can grow to get even bigger. He wonders how they got to New York and if they followed them. Lucas asks how they could follow them across state lines.

Mike says Eleven and the Demogorgons are in New York and it can't be a coincidence. Eleven laments that this is her fault. Dustin says this is why he didn't want to think about Hawkins, it seems they jeopardized the greatest city in the world. Will says they didn't follow them. He says the Upside Down doesn't turn on and off, it doesn't matter how far they go, it's always there. Mike says they will always be there as well. Leonardo says they now have help if they're up to it.

Lucas says the Turtles are Ninjas, who wouldn't want their help. Leonardo says they give a lot to the city, but it doesn't always come back. Michealangelo has hope. Raphael says whether it's New York or their town, people are people and some of them suck. Donatello says one such person that comes to mind is Baxter Stockman. He says he is their only lead since while these Mousers draw inspiration from the Demogorgons, they're programming is still from Baxter Stockman. However he's in jail after they recently defeated him. Max says if Baxter was smart enough to build these things, he could find a way to escape prison. Eleven says she can find him.

Leonardo lets Eleven borrow one of their red masks to use as a blindfold, and reminds her that she didn't earn it. He says they honed their bodies into the best weapons, everything wasn't handed to them the way her powers were. Donatello asks how this works and Dustin explains that Eleven's mind goes into The Void. If she knows what the person looks like in the real world, she can find them in The Void. She can track Baxter Stockman, the only problem is she doesn't always like what she finds in The Void.

In The Void, Eleven wanders through the emptiness and finds a note that lands by her feet. She picks it up and can see Baxter writing things on several sheets of paper on a desk. Eleven snaps out of it and tells them she saw Baxter and he's not in prison. Splinter asks her if she saw anything else. Eleven says he knows her, or at least knows she's coming. He wants her to find him, as we see that one of the notes say 12 Lavigne Street New York NY 10036. One of the Turtles ask about the remaining monsters, since they can snack on the commuters. Will remembers their teacher Mr. Clarke that was with them on the field trip.

Leonardo says they will split up into two teams. One will go after Stockman, while the other team hunts down the Demogorgons and Mousers. Dustin calls them the DemoMousers. Raphael will go after Baxter and tells Eleven to hand the bandana back. Donatello will come along for technical support and enlists Dustin and Max. It's decided that Leonardo and Michelangelo will hunt the monsters with Mike, Will and Lucas, while Donatello, Raphael, Eleven, Dustin and Max will go after Baxter. Raph asks how they will stay in contact and Dustin says they got them covered.

Splinter tells them that even though they part ways, they still share the same burden. He says they must rely on trust, if not in each other, then at least in the mission. Evil like this, whether man-made or from another dimension can not be allowed to spread. 

Eleven's team try to get the jump on Baxter, but he was already waiting for them with several armed guards. Baxter says he was hoping he could find her and took a shot in the dark. He's glad she's arrived, and even though she didn't come alone he says he can manage. He says her Papa told him a lot about her and he can't wait to see how much of it is true. The guards start attacking the kids and the Turtles.

My thoughts-

Now this is a very random crossover, though I suppose it was kind of foreshadowed by the TMNT/Stranger Things crossover action figures. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the Turtles that are included in the action figure two-packs just so happen to be the Mirage Turtles too. Seeing that they also released a Ninja Turtles/Street Fighter Two-Pack... I wonder if a Ninja Turtles/Cobra Kai crossover comic is in the works.

The story is good so far and I guess it does answer the question of whether or not the Upside Down exists in other areas outside of Hawkins, Indiana. I haven't see much of Stranger Things other than the first two seasons, but I know enough of Eleven's origins (at least as much as season 2 showed) and I know that Will spent all of season one trapped in the Upside Down, which gave him that connection. It's kinda funny to see these two 80's properties interact, especially since the Mirage Turtles actually was made in the 80's while Stranger Things is a modern-day show set in the 80's. Everybody loves the 80's. Now where's my Ninja Turtles and Robocop crossover? Someone get ALF on the line.

The characterization and interaction seems on point for the kids, as far as I can recall. I like the line Max said about 'hanging with them too long' since she was the newest member of the team as of season two. My only complaint is I keep confusing Mike with Will. They should have had outfits that looked a lot more different from each other, but I guess that's how they dress in the show. 

The Mirage Turtles are cool to see back in action. They seem to be in character, especially with Mikey being much more reserved and not the 'Cowabunga Pizza Party Dude' as in other incarnations. Given that the Mirage Turtles all wear red bandanas, it does get a bit difficult at times to tell who is who. I mean, they can't be holding their weapons up in every panel. It does lead the kids calling out their names a lot to the benefit of the reader. 

Since this comic takes place after they defeated Baxter the first time around, I do wonder if April will be involved somehow. I'm not sure how since Mirage April was just living her life rather than snooping around like her news reporter cartoon counterpart, but it would be nice to see her again. She did work with Baxter when he created the Mousers after all.

One detail I found interesting was the importance and sense of honor placed upon the red bandanas. I don't remember anything like this mentioned in the Mirage comics, but I could imagine Splinter giving them their bandanas the day they fully mastered their ninjitsu training as a sign of honor.

So the story so far, involves these bizzare fused versions of Demogorgons and Mousers, robots somehow combined with living monsters from hell. I really want to know how the hell Baxter accomplished that one. I'm also curious how Baxter knew about Eleven's 'Papa' and what role he has in all this. Papa is the man that did all the experiments on Eleven that gave her the powers she currently has. He is not actually her father, and he's always out there looking for a way to regain control over her and use her as a weapon. I can't wait to see how this story develops.

Now where is that Ninja Turtles and Cobra Kai crossover? Will Donatello have to 'Sweep The Leg'?