TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures is back this month with a brand new adventure starring Seymour Gutz, the Mutagen Man. When his powers return, it’s a race between the Turtles and Shredder to find him. Read on to learn all about the wacky new installment in IDW’s tubular homage to the 1987 animated series.
Credit: IDW
The Story
We begin the issue when Seymour unexpectedly transforms back into the Mutagen Man in the middle of a fancy restaurant. This time though, his powers are causing him to transform anyone he touches into a mutant. After transforming a waiter and police officer, Seymour bolts from the restaurant. This zany incident garners the attention of the Turtles, who want to help Seymour, as well as Shredder who’s looking for any tool he can use to take over the world.
Though the issue follows a predictable trajectory similar to the Saturday morning cartoons the series is modeled after, there are a couple of surprises along the way, including an interesting cliffhanger to end the issue. Writer Erik Burnham does a good job capturing all of the different voices of the Turtles and their distinct personalities. There’s lots of good quips like Donatello mentioning they don’t like to fix the streets after they are damaged and Raphael sarcastically saying they used their Turtle-Sense to find Seymour. I think most importantly, it’s obvious the creators on this series are having fun cooking up loony tales that capture the essence of the cartoon they’re based on.
Credit: IDW
The Art
Artist Sarah Myer continues to render the book with care and appreciation for the source material. The issue is filled with small background details, like a tea cup falling off a mountain of papers in Professor McGuffin’s lab and Leonardo trying to catch it, to a forgotten pizza slice with mushrooms growing on it. I loved the little nod to Ace Duck, who starred in last year’s April Special, in the form of a rubber ducky falling out of a junk drawer. Myer has perfected the facial expressions and it’s always hilarious to look from turtle to turtle to see their reactions to what’s going on around them, or what each other are saying. With just a few lines, they’re able to change Splinter’s expression from serious to playful and convey exactly how they’re feeling without the need for any word balloons. Colorist Luis Antonio Delgado also makes some fun choices like making the mushrooms pink and blue, which also happens to be the colors of a mutated ice cream cat that makes an appearance. Perhaps it’s a hint at some kind of connection to Professor McGuffin and Seymour’s sudden power transformation.
Final Thoughts
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #30 delivers another lighthearted, nostalgia-fueled tale that perfectly channels the chaotic energy of the classic cartoon. It’s goofy, colorful, and full of personality, with enough clever dialogue and visual gags to keep long-time fans grinning from shell to shell. While the story doesn’t stray far from familiar Saturday morning formulas, the creative team’s affection for these characters shines through on every page. For readers looking to revisit the joy of mutant mayhem and Saturday morning fun, this issue is another totally radical entry in the series.
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