Crisis in a Half Shell is coming.
Nobody draws a tougher, more badass Batman than Freddie Williams II, and nothing shows that more than a trove of character images released this week from DC Comics and IDW Publishing for the next chapter in the artist’s series with writer James Tynion IV, the epic crossover Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If you haven’t yet picked up the first two volumes, go out and get Volume One here and Volume Two here (then really dig into Williams’ work in the Director’s Cut here). Nobody draws a better Batman in these 80 years of cowls and capes than Williams, and nothing will take you back like this series to Kevin Eastman′s first images of those crime fighting turtles introduced 35 years ago.
Thirteen new images by Williams provide a tease into what’s to come next month as Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Crisis in a Half Shell–the title disclosed by Tynion on his Twitter feed Friday–arrives in comic book stores.
Yes, that’s Splinter as Alfred. And the Turtles become a league of Robins: Raphael as Red Hood/Jason Todd, Leonardo as Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Donatello as Red Robin/Tim Drake, and Michelangelo as Damian Wayne. And it doesn’t stop there. Williams merged Shredder with the Joker (complete with smiling minion goons, not as the Foot Clan, but the Smile Clan), Rocksteady into Clayface, Bebop into Killer Croc, and DC Comics super villain Anti-Monitor has been fused with TMNT supervillain Krang.
Take a look at these great character designs by Freddie Williams II:
Plus Williams created a “ninjafied” Deadshot and badass Harley Quinn (merged with Karai) to match his Batman re-design. Colors for the series are again provided by Jeremy Colwell. And look for a host of cover variants by multiple artists for the series’ six issues.
Who is behind these twisted machinations? Krang, of course, as he spins his own multiverse in the comics pages. Eastman will be contributing interior artwork to Tynion and Williams’ story. Will he be drawing one world and Williams the other? We can hardly wait to find out.
“The story for volume three is a blast, and I am having the time of my life illustrating it,” said Williams a few weeks ago in early publicity for this series.
“I couldn’t be more excited to return to New Gotham City and revisit the incredible adventures of Batman, and his faithful butler,” said Tynion Friday. And for those thinking this new look is something completely different from the first two volumes in the series, he added, “This story is a direct continuation from Vol. 1 & 2 and this whole story was set up in the first volume… Batman/TMNT III is legitimately one of the most fun, and easily the craziest comic book concept I’ve ever gotten to do… And the CRAZIEST, most exciting piece of the whole thing is still a secret.”
What better to merge the benchmark 80th and 35th anniversaries of such celebrated superheroes?
Look for the first issue of Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume III, just before Free Comic Book Day, arriving at Elite Comics and other fine comic book stores May 1, 2019.
C.J. Bunce
Editor
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