As the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have evolved over the past few decades, they’ve had a habit of stepping into their own version of the “monster mash” on more than a few occasions. Mikey, Leo, Donnie and Raph have not only battled all manor of supernatural beast, but they’ve also become them at times. In a tale that finds a quartet of reptiles mutated into humanoid form, few things are off-limits as the story sometimes becomes multi-dimensional. Have they really become monsters, or are they simply wearing costumes? Depends on the time, but years ago Playmates Toys issued some crossover figures in which The Universal Monsters were mashed-up with the Turtles themselves. Now, that general spirit is back with TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MONSTERS + MUTANTS, a recent four-episode arc of the hit Nickelodeon series (now in its final season), and with that comes some fantastic new action figures from the folks at Playmates!
We received a set of figures for review here at Rock Father HQ, and they were very well-received. Between The Rock Daughters™ and myself (my wife doesn’t count herself a Ninja Turtles fan), our love for these is mighty – and that’s only been amplified by the Halloween vibe, perfectly adding a spooky spin to things.
Here we have Werewolf Mikey, Frankendon, Mutant Mummy Leo and Vampire Raph. Additionally, both Raphael and Leonardo pull double-duty with Monster Hunter versions of each, decking them out in classic Van Helsing-inspired gear, right down to accents of garlic, silver bullets and wooden stakes.
While perfect for the Halloween season, the TMNT Monsters + Mutants collection is great fun for any time of the year, and will no-doubt become another sought-after series for kids and collectors alike. While Playmates continues to impress with new and creative action figures, this story arc has also spawned a companion Golden Book, and will come to DVD on December 12 as part of the TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE FINAL CHAPTERS collection. Look for the figures right now at your local Walmart store, and please note that those found on sites like Amazon and eBay will likely be through third-party sellers at a higher cost. MSRP for these 5.5″ figures is just $8.99 each.
Check out a full gallery of additional photos below:
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