Cover art by Kevin Eastman, Mirage Studios (1985). Photos courtesy of Almost Anything Opelika.
Before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became household names, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird were building their world one comic at a time. Raphael: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #1, published by Mirage Studios in 1985, gave the team’s hotheaded member a story of his own. The original first printing came in an oversized format, with a cover by Eastman and 26 story pages created by Eastman and Laird.
The one-shot, titled “Me, Myself and I,” begins with Raphael losing his temper during a sparring session with Michelangelo. Sent outside to cool off, he encounters a masked vigilante carrying a bag of sports equipment. That vigilante is Casey Jones, making his first appearance in a story that quickly shows why he and Raphael would make such a compelling pair.
At first, they fight. Raphael sees Casey attacking street criminals and believes he has gone too far. The disagreement cuts close to home: Raph knows what it feels like to let anger take over, even as he tries to control it. Their confrontation gives the issue more than a memorable debut. It lets Raphael face someone who reflects a part of himself he would rather keep in check. Eventually, the two find reason to work together.
That combination of character and comic history makes the 1985 first printing especially appealing. It is an early Mirage Turtles book, Raphael’s solo spotlight, and the beginning of Casey Jones’s place in the TMNT world. For readers who know the characters from cartoons and movies, it is a chance to meet them in the rougher, black-and-white world where their friendship first took shape.
Raphael #1 remains a terrific reminder that some of the Turtles’ best relationships began with a fight.
Where to buy it
The 1985 first printing of Raphael: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #1 pictured here is listed by Almost Anything, 221 South 9th Street in downtown Opelika, which has specialized in comics and collectibles since 1992, at $139.99 as of Sept. 26. See it online at Almost Anything or call the store at 334-741-0808.
Almost Anything is an advertiser with the Opelika Daily News.
