FIRST LOOK: IDW give us a crossover we didn’t know we needed: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things

Cowabunga, dudes and dudettes! Sometimes a project comes along and, while you never knew you needed, when it arrives it makes so much sense that you just have to give the air a little punch.

Oddly enough, the last time this happened it involved IDW and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles too when they met the Ghostbusters and this time out, IDW and the TMNT knock it out of the crossover park again as the Turtles meet Eleven and the gang from Stranger Things!

Yes, this July the TMNT will be heading to Hawkins’ sewers to fight all sorts of monsters.

What happens when the kids from Hawkins visit the bustling, neon-tinged streets of New York City? Their world will be turned upside down all over again as they come across four totally radical reptiles in the ultimate 1980s nostalgia crossover, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things from IDW!

Written by Cameron Chittock (Mapmakers) with art by TMNT comic superstar Fero Pe, this first-ever comic book mash-up of Nickelodeon’s and Netflix’s beloved brands will hit stores as a four-issue comic book miniseries beginning in July.

Eleven, Max, Dustin, Mike, Will, and Lucas are looking forward to a nonthreatening, fun-filled trip to New York City. With the gang hundreds of miles from the otherworldly weirdness of their hometown, they’re sure to catch a break this time…or at least that’s what they think until they encounter a threat both bizarre and familiar. To face that threat, they must unite with a fearsome fighting team every bit as bizarre…but green!

“I’ve loved the Ninja Turtles for quite literally as long as I can remember, and part of the brilliant alchemy of Stranger Things is that, ever since that first binge, it’s felt like it’s always been there. That’s a testament to Eastman, Laird, and the Duffer brothers who tell stories that grab hold of you and don’t let go,” says Chittock.

“Bringing their creations together is a surreal thrill, and we’re striving to fill every issue with moments worthy of their lofty standards. I can’t wait for fans to join us in 1985 to find out what’s lurking underneath New York.”

“It feels incredible to be the artist of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things,” says Pe. “For the art on this project, I wanted to do something unique, inspired by the era when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were created and the setting of the Stranger Things series. It’s a style close to the first Turtles comics from Mirage. I hope that the fans of both worlds enjoy it very much!”

“We are thrilled to bring these icons of the ’80s together,” says IDW editor Jonathan Manning. “The TMNT were born in comics in the ’80s and inspired the generation of fans to whom Mike, Eleven, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max belong. You just know those kids have that treasured issue #1 lying around. Working with our partners at Dark Horse, we’re able to unite these characters, introducing new readers to classic Mirage Studios–era TMNT, continuing to build the world of Stranger Things in comics, and celebrating these legacy franchises.”

See, now I’m trying to remember if, when the Hawkins’ kids dressed up as Ghostbusters, they specifically mentioned that it was a movie rather than a real event in New York… man, now my brain is in over drive! I love the 8o!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things #1 will be available with multiple cover variants for fans and retailers to enjoy, including Cover A by series artist Fero Pe, Cover B by Jorge Corona (Batgirls), Cover C by Jenn Woodall (Sleeping Beauties), Cover D by Adam Gorham (Jughead: The Hunger), and rare retailer incentive variants, including those by Rafael Albuquerque (Detective Comics) and Daniel Warren Johnson (Murder Falcon).