Batman and the Turtles face a crisis in Batman/TMNT III No. 1
By Alex Widen
Batman and the Ninja Turtles go for the hat trick! Will there be a crisis?
The dark knight detective and the heroes in a half shell may seem like distant strangers, but they’ve gotten chummier over the years. For every year since the end of 2015, DC Comics and IDW Publishing, as well as creators James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II, have united these two franchises. An animated direct-to-video film of the first series is about to hit media outlets, and readers are less than a year removed from their last union. Both franchises feature vigilantes themed around animals who fight garish criminals in urban landscapes, after all.
Image by DC Comics & IDW Publishing
In the first series, Shredder and the Turtles accidentally crossed into the DC Universe. In the second, Bane invaded the Ninja Turtles’ world and nearly conquered NYC. What next is there; a crisis on infinite earths? It certainly looks that way as Batman waxes poetically about a particularly spectacular storm which is effecting Gotham City as he continues on his patrol. He’s wearing a more ninja-esque version of his suit than usual, as the alien warlord Krang obsesses about a fugitive in the narration. Is this the road to a DC Comics-style crisis?
Image by DC Comics & IDW Publishing
Somewhere in Gotham City, a garish supervillain is robbing a museum. It must be a day that ends in “y.” Yet Harley Quinn isn’t relying on her hyenas alone. She is a member of the villainous “Smile Clan,” which include quite a few members who appear as merged versions from both worlds. Bebop and Rocksteady have been merged with Killer Croc and Clayface, respectively. Deadshot appears there for good measure, perhaps there to make up the numbers for the big fight scene.
Image by DC Comics & IDW Publishing