Rat King (Eastman & Laird)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
You'd think with his common presence in the TMNT franchise, the Rat King was a regular in the old Mirage comics, but no, he wasn't. Like Shredder, his appearances were sparse, first appearing in issue #5 of the Tales of the TMNT side-series, then appearing in the main comic during the City at War arc, where we eventually learned he died right after his first appearance. Nevertheless, he was an effectively creepy character whenever he appeared, and his inclusion in the NECA line is fully welcomed. The Rat King viewed himself not as a man, but rather as a monster, and the default head certainly has a monstrous look. The head is near-completely covered in yellow bandages, with his eyes and mouth exposed. The skin is kept mostly hidden, and the crazed expression makes him someone you don't...[See More]

First Turtles (Eastman & Laird)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.65 stars by RMaster007
As I've brought up already, this year is the 40th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and whilst a huge franchise spanning comics, film, animation, and video games, it started off as mere sketches done between friends. Playmates gave us a set of Turtles based off Peter Laird's original group drawing, but NECA went one step further and gave us a two-pack of both Kevin Eastman and Laird's "first" turtles. This was an SDCC exclusive available through both the show and NECA direct, so unless you got them then, eBay's your only option now. As a convention exclusive, NECA had to do something special with the packaging, hence why in addition to the usual Mirage line graphics and trapezoidal shape, there's also a slipcover. The front of the cover depicts Eastman's renditions of this...[See More]

Baxter Stockman
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
Unlike everything that followed after, the Mirage TMNT comics didn't have a huge cast of mutants and other non-human characters, but it still had some pretty interesting humans. One of the first human villains after Shredder's "demise" is the evil scientist Baxter Stockman. Despite his presence throughout the franchise, his role in the original comics was minimal. Over at NECA, Richard Force and David Giraud brought the original Baxter into action figure form. The default portrait is a sly grin, and it's very accurate to how he appears in the comic, but it can be swapped out for a more sinister look with a wider grin and visible forehead wrinkles. The hair has a lumpy texture, giving it a bit more definition, and the paint is good, though the alternate head has better work. At about 6...[See More]

Savanti Romero
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.65 stars by RMaster007
The TMNT universe has been home to all sorts of unique, unusual characters, including the original Mirage comics that were more serious and realistic. After the first few issues involving a tyrannical leader, a mad scientist, and common crooks, we had stories involving dinosaur aliens and time travel. The latest release in the NECA Mirage line is another character from said time travel story, the evil sorcerer Savanti Romero. Savanti has a rather inhuman look, with giant curved horns, pointed ears, red eyes, and a big jaw and nose. His beastly appearance was caused by Lord Simultaneous, and while nobody knows how he looked beforehand, Gurjeet Singh and Kushwara Studios did a good job bringing his design to plastic form. The head looks nearly spot-on to the comic, with clean paint lines...[See More]

Wanderer
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.60 stars by RMaster007
The original TMNT comic book had plenty of unique, interesting stories, but one of my personal favorites is issue #17: "Distractions." Penned by the kind-hearted turtle Michelangelo himself, this in-universe story depicts him as a lone warrior separated from his brothers, facing off against a crooked warlord and his army. Sounds a lot like The Last Ronin, doesn't it? Anyways, I loved the story, and was hoping NECA would did a figure of that specific Mikey. I guess dreams do come true. Like the Mirage turtles four-pack that came out earlier this year, Michelangelo the "Wanderer" was sculpted by Paul Harding. However, as the four-pack matched Jim Lawson's designs, the Wanderer was drawn by Eric Talbot, bearing a slightly different head shape. He's captured pretty well in plastic, with a...[See More]

Casey Jones
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.50 stars by RMaster007
Having already done the cartoon and movie versions of Casey Jones, it's no surprise that the Mirage version was next. Although he's been out for a while, I didn't pick it up until I hit up Best Buy recently in hopes of finding their exclusives. Better to get something than nothing. As with any incarnation of the character, Casey wears a hockey mask to conceal his identity. Actually, I think it's just to make him look cool. The mask has a blocky appearance, with a few scuffs here and there, letting you know he's been in a few fights. His wild, messy hair, rather than being solid black, has some brown wash to make it pop more. An unmasked portrait is included as well, with a gritted teeth expression fitting to the character. The figure is sculpted by Josh Sutton, with good attention paid...[See More]

Ultimate Foot Ninja
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.75 stars by RMaster007
The Foot Clan, countless numbers of faceless goons who live to serve the Shredder and do his bidding… and they make darn good toys as well. NECA has done a handful of Foot members across different incarnations of the TMNT franchise, and the latest comes from the Mirage comics that started it all. The packaging is similar to what the Mirage line usually gets, except since this is an "Ultimate" release, there's a front flap attached to it. The flap gets some great artwork by Kevin Eastman, and the reverse side of it gives us plenty of shots of the figure. Other than that, it's all the same, including a couple of annoying plastic ties to cut out. The Foot Ninja recycles the mold used for the first version made back in the late 2000s by Four Horsemen (but not released until 2016), but with...[See More]

Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4-Pack
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.80 stars by RMaster007
In 2008, NECA got the license to the original Mirage TMNT comics, and proceeded to put out a set of Turtle figures based off the first issue. Considered the pinnacle of Ninja Turtle toys, these figures have since become collectors' items, with the whole set often being worth above a thousand dollars. Now, with NECA doing Mirage again, they put out a whole new set of comic Turtles. The box for this set is much like the other four-packs, being a long box with an opening flap on the front, so you can see the figures inside. The art on the front, done by Kevin Eastman, depicts the Turtles facing off against the Shredder clones from the "Return to New York" arc, and it looks great. The inside also gives us a recreation of the final panel from it, where the brothers give a send-off to their...[See More]

Shredder (Battle Damaged)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.55 stars by RMaster007
The Mirage version of Shredder has had quite a history with NECA. Initially shelved due to Playmates' refusal to share the TMNT license, he saw release in 2016 as part of a con-exclusive set, and then received a new version released as part of the Lootcrate series, and then that one was repainted for that AutoT thing Walmart's doing. Now, he's finally got a widespread release, and it's more than just a repaint! Much of the figure is recycled from the initial sculpt by Four Horsemen Studios, including the helmet. The paint work on it is very similar to the Lootcrate Shredder, with the black "shine." The exposed skin through the mask is pitch black, with blank white eyes, adding another layer of menace to the Foot Clan leader. This version of him gets a second portrait, which swaps at the...[See More]

Splinter
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mirage Comics (Neca) - Basic Series
Rated 4.85 stars by RMaster007
The Mirage Turtles line has given us plenty of unique characters in figure form, such as Renet and the Shredder clones, but it's still making sure to incorporate the characters everyone knows. One of those characters is the Turtles' sensei/father figure, Splinter. Splinter's design stayed pretty consistent for most of the comic's run; the only difference between him in the first and second issues was that he had pupils in the first issue. The figure stays true to his regular design, with his head sporting no pupils, but a calm, stern look. The sculpt, I assume, was done by Tim Miller, with Geoff Trapp and Mike Puzzo on paint duties like always. Said paint has very nice black wash mixed in with the brown fur, giving him both a realistic and comic-accurate look. So far, Splinter is the...[See More]