Batman and the Turtles face a crisis in Batman/TMNT III No. 1
By Alex Widen
Is This the Biggest Krang Ever?
Black and white, and grim and gritty, the “Mirage Raph” promises that “it only gets bigger and weirder from here.” And the next page proves that such a statement is no exaggeration. Much like the rest of the cast, another two of the characters from the Batman and Ninja Turtle universes are merged. In this case, it’s the Utrom warlord Krang and the Anti-Monitor! Does that mean he’s Anti-Krang, or Monitor Krang? It’s potentially an even bigger and bolder appearance by the evil “big brain” than the 1987 animated episode “Shredder & Splintered!”
Image by DC Comics & IDW Publishing
James Tynion IV and Freddie E. Williams II present a fascinating premise here. The first of the Batman/TMNT crossovers covered the basics. The biggest villain of the TMNT franchise invaded the DCU, as the heroes all met for the first time, briefly fought, then teamed up. It included “dream matches” like Batman vs. Shredder or the Ninja Turtles vs. Ra’s Al Ghul. The second crossover, while fun and well drawn, arguably suffered a “sophomore slump.” That time, Bane from the DCU entered the Turtles’ world and went about to conquer amid a mildly predictable subplot with Donatello.
Image by DC Comics & IDW Publishing
So how to do a third encounter which doesn’t risk being underwhelming or repetitive? Go crazy with imagination! While longtime DC Comics fans may find stories which tease a “crisis on infinite earths” to be a little played out, it isn’t without precedent. TMNT: Turtles Forever was a 2009 animated CW TV movie which had similar themes, despite being based entirely within a “Turtles multiverse.” Therefore, since the TMNT franchise had already paid homage to “crisis” on their own, why not do a story within an actual DC Comics series which involves such themes and tropes?
Image by DC Comics & IDW Publishing