History ComicBook / TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage

The original incarnation of Eastman and Laird's ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', and the one that, for better or worse, lit the firecracker. The first issue appeared in May, 1984.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: After being driven out of New York by the Foot Clan in issue 10, the Turtles, Casey, and April escape to Northampton, Massachusetts- where Mirage Studios was located at the time.

The original incarnation of Eastman and Laird's ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', and the one that got the ball rolling. The first issue appeared in May, 1984.

* BadFuture: The future of the ''TMNT'' universe, glimpsed in occasional time-travel and FlashForward stories, is a depressing place. The world has been destroyed by climate change, society has collapsed, strange radioactive monsters now litter the earth, and the Turtles have become estranged from each other for unclear reasons, with the implication that they will never see each other again.

* BadFuture: The ''TMNT'' universe's future is a depressing place. The world has been destroyed by climate change, society has collapsed, strange radioactive monsters now litter the earth, and the Turtles have become estranged from each other for unclear reasons, with the implication that they will never see each other again.

* AnAssKickingChristmas: Both the ''Michaelangelo'' and ''Leonardo'' one-shots.

* BalefulPolymorph: In Rick Veitch's "The River", Raphael is forcibly devolved into a normal turtle.

* DownerEnding: The turtles' life story, if the tales set in the future are any indication.

* WeirdnessMagnet: This is true of every version of the TMNT, but--especially taking all the random back-up stories into account--the Mirage Turtles really cannot go five minutes without being attacked by aliens or sent to another dimension or whatnot.
* WesternTerrorists: The Committee to Rebuild American Patriotism, the antagonist group in an early issue of the original series.

* AnachronicOrder: ''Tales of the TMNT'' Vol. 2.

%%* ADayInTheLimelight

* ReverseCerebusSyndrome: The first issue is ''very'' dark and violent, featuring an origin story filled with murder, lust and revenge, and four identical turtles who scowl constantly, brutally cut down a gang of street thugs, and tell the Shredder to commit seppuku. Things get a lot less gritty from the second issue onwards, as the turtles gained more distinct personalities, a good amount of humor was introduced, and the antagonists moved away from street-level humans to sillier stuff like mad scientists and aliens, although things did tend to get serious again whenever the Foot clan returned. One of the funnier issues, #8, ironically co-starred the actual [[ComicBook/CerebusTheAardvark Cerebus]].

* {{Tulpa}}: [[spoiler: April O'Neil]], suprisingly.

* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: That's ''Eastman and Laird's'' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, thank you very much.

* ReverseCerebusSyndrome: The first issue is ''very'' dark and violent, featuring an origin story filled with murder, lust and revenge, and four identical turtles who scowl constantly, brutally cut down a gang of street thugs, and tell the Shredder to commit seppuku. Things get a lot less gritty from the second issue onwards, as the turtles gained more distinct personalities, a good amount of humor was introduced, and the antagonists moved away from street-level humans to sillier stuff like mad scientists and aliens, although things did tend to get serious again whenever the Foot clan returned. One of the funnier issues, #8, ironically co-starred the actual [[CerebusTheAardvark Cerebus]].

* EvilOverlord: Savanti Romero.

The original incarnation of Eastman and Laird's Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, and the one that got the ball rolling. The first issue appeared in May, 1984.

* StandardFemaleGrabArea: Played up to a ridiculous degree with April in issue #14 of Vol. 1. The villain of the issue grabs her by the upper arm, and this makes her so helpless that she doesn't even try to struggle or escape when she's gagged and then taken away.

* ADayInTheLimelight

* AlternateUniverse

* {{Crossover}}: Several, notably with [[ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo Miyamoto Usagi]], ComicBook/{{Cerebus}}, the WesternAnimation/WildWestCOWBoysOfMooMesa, The ComicBook/FlamingCarrot, and ComicBook/TheSavageDragon, among others.
** ''WesternAnimation/TurtlesForever''

* SdrawkcabName: When Baxter Stockman uses his Mousers to hold the city at ransom, the genius chooses the Retxab building as his first victim. Presumably also a ShoutOut to the Comicbook/FantasticFour's headquarters.

* CanonDiscontinuity: Volume 3.

* ChildSoldier: Oroku Saki began his training to avenge his brother's death at the age of seven. He took the identity of The Shredder, founded the New York branch of the Foot Clan and killed Hamato Yoshi at the age of twelve.
* CombatPragmatist: When sent across the galaxy during the TCRI storyline, our heroes have absolutely no problem grabbing rayguns and opening fire on both human troops and aliens.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The comic is very much this compared with basically every adaptation of it, particularly the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 '80s cartoon]].
** Lampshaded in the movie Turtles Forever where the '80s turtles and the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 '03 turtles]] were scared of the Mirage turtles.
** Since the comic is the first entry of the universe, it's easier to state that every other adaptation is LighterAndSofter in varying degrees, lest the comics fall victim to AdaptationDisplacement.

* ForTheEvulz: This is the reason why Baxter Stockman decided to use his Mousers for crime when he'd already made a legal fortune with them.
** Intersects with ItAmusedMe. He says he used them for crime "because it was fun!".

* PhysicalGod

* SdrawkcabName: When Baxter Stockman uses his Mousers to hold the city at ransom, the genius chooses the Retxab building as his first victim.
** Presumably also a ShoutOut to the Comicbook/FantasticFour's headquarters.

* TimeSkip: Volume 4 takes place roughly fifteen years after the previous canonical volume.

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<<|ComicBooks|>>

IDW (who has published other licensed {{Comic Book}}s) has gained the rights for publishing Ninja Turtles comics, which include reprinting this series, though Mirage retains the rights to publish up to 18 new issues a year. This has made finding it easier than it ever was, so check them out if you're interested.

! The Mirage comic books series provide examples of:

* BerzerkButton: Steal or damage Casey's car in any way and he'll go nuts.

* {{Crossover}}: Several, notably with [[ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo Miyamoto Usagi]], ComicBook/{{Cerebus}}, the WildWestCOWBoysOfMooMesa, The ComicBook/FlamingCarrot, and ComicBook/TheSavageDragon, among others.

[[quoteright:226:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tmnt01fullcolor.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:226: The original turtles.]]