That didn’t take long. Ahead of Mutant Mayhem releases in the U.S., Nickelodeon has already announced that a follow-up movie is in the works.
There was plenty of skepticism aimed at the latest incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Returning to animated form after Michael Bay’s two live-action flicks, Rogen’s reimagining didn’t wow audiences with its initial trailer. After the July 29th sneak preview, Mutant Mayhem is winning over critics and viewers, and it would seem Seth Rogen has a hit on his hands.
It just goes to show you, never count a good turtle down. Actually, it’s further proof that the TMNT concept is one of the most durable franchises in all pop culture. Every few years, the team gets a makeover and a new generation of kids falls in love with the heroes in a half shell.
That enduring appeal has made the early TMNT keys some of the most coveted ‘80s comics. The trouble is those original Mirage printings are so expensive, with the first print inching closer to a $200k price tag with each sale. Don’t think the other five printings will help your budget, either, as those fetch lofty values on their own. With prices so high, it’s made more collectors turn their attention to these other TMNT keys.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ADVENTURES #1
When Rogen revealed that his TMNT flick would more closely follow the 1980s cartoon series, speculators went on the hunt for this one. TMNT Adventures from 1988 was the comic adaptation of the beloved show, and this issue marked the debuts of the kid-friendly version of the characters.
It also saw the return of Shredder, who died in TMNT #1 four years earlier, as well as his partner in crime, Kang.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ADVENTURES ONGOING SERIES #1
While the ‘88 TMNT Adventures #1 is the go-to collectible at the moment, don’t look past the 1989 TMNT Adventures #1. This was the debut issue of the ongoing series, which also happened to be the team’s first ongoing series for Archie.
Clearly, the ‘88 issue will bring bigger values, but this could be a great addition for TMNT collectors looking to stretch their budgets.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #51
With a Mutant Mayhem sequel already in development, there is a good chance we could meet Jennika. After debuting in IDW’s TMNT #51 in 2015, she made history four years later. Thanks to an infusion of mutated turtle blood, Jennika was transformed into an anthropomorphic amphibian. Not long afterward, she would get her very own costume and become the first female Ninja Turtle. That could be on the agenda for the next movie which would make this issue red hot.
A HIT IN THE MAKING
As of the time of writing this post, Mutant Mayhem is days from its theatrical release, and Paramount/Nickelodeon is definitely thinking box office glory. With a sequel already in the works, this could be a larger franchise with spin-offs galore. Since the MCU popularized shared universes, we could be on the precipice of a TMNT Universe, and that would give collectors plenty of keys to track down.
