It would appear that everyone is enjoying the new Batman/TMNT Adventures mini series from DC Comics and IDW, and it’s not difficult to understand its appeal. According to creators Matthew Manning and Jon Sommariva, their inspiration came from both Batman: The Animated Series and Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. During a recent interview with Comicosity, the two covered the topic of their latest work in great detail, even going so far as to discuss some of their plans for later issues. When asked about which characters we could expect to see in this mini series, Manning offered some quite interesting information.
Batman, Robin and Batgirl all make appearances in Batman/TMNT Adventures. Image Source: IDW, DC Comics.
“As far as heroes, our series is set firmly in the later part of the original B:TAS series, before it was redesigned to head over to the WB network. So that means this is the Dick Grayson version of Robin, a rather inexperienced Batgirl, and Batman with the iconic yellow oval. They’re all fighting alongside the newest incarnation of the animated Turtles, April, and even Splinter.”
“…It’s so much fun to see Michelangelo annoy Batman’s enemies with his particular brand of humor, or see Batman struggle against mutant creatures way more powerful than what he’s used to handling in Gotham. Plus, what could be more entertaining than putting the Shredder and the Joker in the same room together? Let’s just say that it doesn’t go well…”
As if it weren’t cool enough to hear that April, Splinter, Batgirl and Robin will be in this mini series, it’s absolutely incredible to hear that they have plans for both Shredder and Joker to meet. This clash of the villains sounds like a pretty awesome experience, and I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds as the next few issues are released. In addition to their comments about the characters we can expect to see, Jon Sommariva had the following to say about some of the reference material he has used to get his head in the right place before setting pen to paper:
“Mad Love (from Batman: The Animated Series) was one particular episode that I revisited and got my wife to watch with me. I’ve watched that classic Batman intro a bunch of times too. I had the theme music playing in my head constantly for about the first 2 weeks as I was getting into the swing of things. It still pops in there every time I am drawing scenes in Gotham or Batman himself and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t start humming it out loud. Same thing for the turtles, except it is mostly the 80s cartoon song that pops into my head.”
I think it’s safe to say that both Matthew Manning and Jon Sommariva have the right idea when it comes to their approach for Batman/TMNT Adventures. These two clearly love both Batman: The Animated Series and Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and it shows in the way that they talk about both properties. Thankfully, it’s also pretty clear from the work they’ve done on the first issue, which you can purchase right now. If you haven’t already given this new mini series a chance, it might be time to head on down to your nearest comic book shop and ask if they have any in stock!