A wise man once said that, to know what cricket is, you gotta know what a CRUMPET is. The class is Pain 101. Your instructor is Casey Jones! Your Major Spoilers Retro Review of Raphael, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #1 awaits!

RAPHAEL, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLE #1

Writer: Peter Laird
Penciler: Kevin Eastman
Inker: Kevin Eastman
Colorist: Tom Smith’s Scorpion Studios*
Letterer: Uncredited
Publisher: Mirage Comics
Cover Price: $1.50
Current Near-Mint Pricing: $380.00

*The original Mirage issue was presented in black-and-white, but due to problems of availability, today’s images are sourced from IDW’s 2020 remastered TMNT: Best of Raphael trade paperback.

Previously in Raphael, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: The debut of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1984 was one of the greatest accidental success stories of the Bronze Age of Comics. Based on a sketch by Kevin, young creators Eastman and Laird self-financed their own comic book, advertising it in the Comics Buyer’s Guide. For you young’ns, CBG was a weekly newspaper about events in the comic book industry, sort of like Major Spoilers on cheap newsprint. Sales were so good that they were able to do a second issue, then a third, and by ’85, each issue was highly sought-after, so much so that toys, cartoons, and movies of the Turtles quickly followed, all from a broad parody of comics in general, and Frank Miller’s Ronin more specifically. Our story opens in the sewer as the heroes in half-shells spar against one another, with fun-loving Michelangelo and angry Raphael trading brotherly punches. Things only start to go awry when Mikey actually outmaneuvers Raph, reminding him that pride goeth before a fall.
Experience TMNT fans know that, in these early days, all four of our boys wore identical red masks, with the color-coded masks and monogrammed belt buckles not appearing until the animated series in 1987. Raphael got to keep his red mask, befitting his somewhat ill-tempered personality, which is on full display in this issue. After almost assaulting Mikey with a pipe wrench, he flees into the night, filled with guilt for nearly killing his best friend. While our cool-but-crude hero worries that he’s losing his mind, another New Yorker is embracing his inner rage.
The 1980s were the decade of Charles Bronson’s Death Wish, of Travis Bickle, Harry Callahan, and Bernhard Goetz, the time when Wolverine eclipsed Nightcrawler as the fans’ favorite X-Man. The first appearance of Casey Jones reflects that, even giving him a disturbing gleeful giggle as he sets out into the night to deliver ball-bat justice. The art is also lively, giving us a pair of dim-witted muggers (visually based on creators Eastman and Laird themselves) whose attempts to steal a bag attract the attention of both Casey and the still-tortured Raphael.

The true beauty of this issue is in seeing what Raphael does when his brothers aren’t around. Rather than succumb to his own worst instincts, he embraces the teachings of his rat mentor, attempting to rein in Casey exactly like his brother Leonardo tried to rein in Raphael himself. It feels very old-school to have a protagonist take a stand against lethal force, but seeing that stance from the Turtles’ bad boy adds weight to the drama. Raphael’s ninja skills give him the upper hand at first, but their clash ends when Casey gets in a cheap shot with a nine-iron and makes his escape. Fortunately, all Raphael has to do is follow the anguished screams of pain to find Casey, once again bludgeoning would-be criminals for their hubris.

The fight goes better for Raphael, this time.

Their fight continues through the streets, with the red-masked Turtle actually being seen by multiple bystanders as he battles on, ending with both vigilantes bloodied and exhausted in Central Park. Casey explains that, in his own way, he just wanted to do some good in the streets. Once again remembering his training and subconsciously channeling his brother and leader, Raphael urges him to exercise restraint.
The final page of the (original) issue features Casey Jones and the Mutant Ninja Turtle leaping into action together to stop another mugging, with Raphael focusing on helping Casey with his rage issues, thereby mitigating his own. Later stories would show them teaming up regularly, but Raphael, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #1 is the proverbial beginning of a beautiful friendship, adding unexpected complexity to Raphael’s character and giving the TMNT their best foil in Casey, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. I’m honestly not even sure that they ever intended to bring Mr. Jones back, but this story makes him such a compelling character that, four decades later, it’s hard to imagine the Turtles’ world without him.

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