By Mark Rodriguez
Even though 2023 didn't have a proper Halloween Comicfest, it didn't stop the 80's Turtles from having their Halloween Special anyways. Let's check out this bonus one-shot.
The issue opens with some kids telling each other horror stories around the campfire until a monster villain 'Hook Hand Mitch' attacks them. This is a movie the Turtles are watching and Donatello wonders how the monster can run the chainsaw with hooks for hands. Leonardo wonders if the kids have a strategy. Splinter turns off the TV and says the kids have no strategy, only fear. He says fear can also cause people to rush into a mistake. Michealangelo appreciates the lesson but wants to see the rest of the movie. Splinter says he can use his imagination while going out on patrol. Raphael wonders if they have to go out that night since all the weirdos come out that night.
The Turtles go on patrol and Michealangelo is worried about the combination of it being a full moon on a Halloween night. The others tell him not to worry and Donatello says there aren't any real monsters out there. Michealangelo points out that they have dealt with aliens, ghosts and monsters during their adventures. He mentions Creepy Eddie and he just so happens to show up to terrorize the Turtles.
Creepy Eddie swallows the Turtles and spits them out in NightmareLand. Donatello wonders how he's here since they aren't attached to his dream machine from before. Eddie says the rules are different on Halloween and someone just has to say his name three times to summon him. Leonardo says none of them said his name three times (Mikey, Raph and Don mentioned him individually) and Eddie says it still counts, since deep down everybody is someone.
Just then Eddie's lawyer, Phil, shows up and tells him to keep the puns to a minimum. Raphael asks how puns are bad but kidnapping four turtles is alright. Eddie wants payback from their last encounter so he challenges them to get to the end of the yellow brick road by midnight or they'll be stuck in NightmareLand forever. Phil reminds them that the yellow brick road is public domain. Phil reminds Eddie that he can't harm the Turtles, and Eddie points out that their nightmares will.
Raphael asks if they blew up Creepy Eddie the last time. Donatello says he's an extradimensional being so he probably doesn't follow the rules of physics. The Turtles head down the yellow brick road to get this over with, and Eddie turns into a roller coaster car and scoops them up.
Creepy Eddie dumps the Turtles into a post-apocalyptic version of New York, though Raphael asks if there's a difference. The Turtles are attacked by a zombie pizza monster, and even when Leonardo slices it in half, it still comes after them. Raphael grabs a sewer lid and the Turtles make their escape. The sewer is more of the yellow brick road along a path with trees and such since the rules of logic don't apply. They are then stopped by a ghost.
Raphael asks for the toll or three questions, or whatever they will need to get past him and the ghost knocks him back. As the ghost swings his sword at Leonardo, the Turtle wonders if he's Shibano-Sama, the founder of the Foot Clan. Michealangelo says he thought Hamato Koji founded the Foot Clan. Raphael says he did during a retcon. Donatello says he must be something from their subconscious and isn't really there, but Leonardo points out he really can attack them.
Shibano-Sama says they're not listening so it just proves that they aren't worthy, He transforms into a monster and the Turtles make a run for it. Leonardo notices that they're being chased away from the yellow brick road and stops. Leonardo mentions what Master Splinter said about fear making them rush into a mistake. Leonardo says they don't actually have to fight the monster, but they can dodge his attacks and get past it. As they're back on the road, the monster stops chasing them. Raphael points out that the nightmare being related to 'not being worthy' is most likely tied to Leonardo.
Creepy Eddie appears as a tree and taunts the Turtles about their time running out. Raphael tells the readers that he hopes whoever came up with the idea to bring Creepy Eddie back trips into a patch of poison ivy.
As the Turtles run, they see a black and white classic version of Irma telling them that her friend May was kidnapped by the evil scientist Frankenturtle. Raphael says this is a delay tactic, but Michealangelo wonders if someone really does need help. Leonardo says they can't take the chance of not helping someone in need. The Turtles run towards the castle as we see the human version of Baxter Stockman (with an extra evil mustache) holding 'May' hostage. The Turtles bust in and Baxter sends out his henchmen.
Baxter's henchmen are monster versions of the kids from the horror movie, in the forms of a werewolf, vampire, mummy and Hook Hand Mitch himself. As the Turtles fight them off, Michealangelo wonders why they have to do what they always do if they're in a dream dimension. Donatello agrees and says they've been fighting against dream logic instead of using it. He then attacks one of the monsters with an energy charged kick.
Michealangelo uses his nunchucks to send out freezing winds that puts Hook Hand Mitch on ice. Leonardo turns his sword into a 'Garlikatana' and uses it against the vampire. Raphael just pulls a handle for a random trap door to get rid of the mummy. Baxter says this isn't the type of cameo he signed up for and gets away.
May asks if she can be of help them and Leonardo says they have to reach the end of the yellow brick road. May tells them that the road winds around the great lake and comes back to the back of the castle. If they head for the back door they can save themselves hours of travel. The Turtles head out but Creepy Eddie says it's already too late. Raphael says it's not after midnight yet. Eddie says it's after midnight somewhere and starts laughing.
Raphael asks if there's any way they can get out of this. Donatello says that Eddie gloats with puns, so he purposely says 'you'll never get away with this' type stuff to get Eddie to boast. Eddie drops bad puns, much to Raphael's dismay.
Phil shows up and tells Eddie that he warned him about the puns. Eddie makes excuses but Phil isn't buying it. Giant hands grab Eddie and drag him deeper into NightmareLand. Donatello asks Phil if he can send them home and he asks why he should do that. Donatello says Eddie would hate it if they got away and Phil agrees and sends them back. The Turtles are warped back home and Raphael asks how they got out of that one. Donatello remembers Phil telling Eddie to take it easy on the puns so he knew he'd get in trouble over it. Leonardo asks how that explains why Phil sent them home. Donatello says Phil realized that keeping the Turtles out of Eddie's reach would be a real 'pun-ishment'. The Turtles groan.
Meanwhile in Shredder and Krang's secret lair, that Halloween night, Krang is still struggling to melt the ore that Shredder stole. Nothing works, not even his Dimension X technology, and he wonders how Shredder's ancestors were able to forge the Ninja Sword to Nowhere before. Shredder lights a candle and decides to reach out to the spirit world for assistance. Krang says it's a bad idea and mentions the times Shredder tried to summon Shibano-Sama and the sword of Excalibur. Shredder says not to disrupt him during the ritual. Krang asks where he got another magic scroll and if they come in vending machines.
Shredder summons the original forger of the forever blade and the ritual works. The spirit appears and asks who called upon him. Shredder introduces himself as Oroku Saki, leader of the Foot Clan and demands he teaches him his secrets. The spirit knows that Shredder is a dishonorable thief and will not work with him. He then possesses all the items in the hideout and make them fly around. Krang is upset about the possessed items as his refrigerator sprouts legs and is literally running. The spirit tells Krang to go and catch it.
Shredder says the possessed items are immune to ninja weapons, but he has a gun. Shredder blasts all of the furniture and Krang says he still had yogurt in the fridge. Shredder boasts that the ghost's parlor tricks are no match for the Foot Clan. The spirit tries something less whimsical and summons a dark version of Leonardo.
Shredder blasts at the Turtle and he blocks the shots with his sword. Shredder fights against the Turtle but his attacks go right through him, while the apparition's attacks do send him flying back. Shredder falls through the table that had the metal ore and Krang asks where he can find another ninja to team up with on such short notice.
The Turtle raises his sword and Shredder blocks the strike with the ore. He notices that the ore changes to a golden color. The spirit notices that the ore could be shaped into the most powerful blade ever made. He still refuses to help Shredder and points out that he delayed him purposely until the summoning candle burns out. The spirit takes his leave and boasts that Shredder got nothing out of him. Krang tells Shredder all the spirits he summons seem to always follow a moral code.
Shredder and Krang take note that the ore has changed color and now the zero-matter scalpel works on it. Shredder can now forge a sword out of it and he plans to get revenge on that spirit. Krang says he can cackle about it later, right now he needs him to go to the store and get him more yogurt.
My thoughts-
Wow, this comic really had a lot of 'deep cuts'. Not only did we get to see Creepy Eddie again, but we also got the reference to the Shibano-Sama and Hamato Koji retcon from the show. For those that remember, Shredder first summoned Shibano-Sama in the episode 'Blast from the Past', in which Splinter got amnesia and the Turtles retell their origin story in what was pretty much a clip show. In this episode it's said that Shibano-Sama was the founder of the Foot Clan.
In the episode 'The Legend of Koji' however, we find out that the founder of the Foot Clan would be Hamato Koji based on the teachings of Shibano-Sama. Thinking back, I don't know why the show did that. I mean, they still referenced Shibano in the episode so it's not like the writers forgot about him. They could have just made the Turtles meet him while he was still alive.
Anyways, the main story was fun and while the art is slightly stylized, the Turtles are very expressive and full of energy.
The second story brought back the artist that draws the characters looking literally right out of the show. This one actually continues the story from the main series with Shredder trying to find a way to forge a sword from that ore he stole in the first issue. We also get a reference of the zero-matter scalpel that was mentioned in issue four. Shibano-Sama also gets another reference in this one. I also notice that Shredder and Krang seem to be in the Hall of Science, which was their hideout in the Red Sky seasons.
Overall great set of stories. I love the artwork in the first story. It makes me think that a more modern-day show could make the Turtles look like that since the animation budget would allow for more facial expressions and so forth. All the callbacks sure show that the IDW crew really did their homework when working on this series.
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