Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: What To Watch, Play, and Read Next

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opened in theaters this weekend and is off to a stellar start worldwide. The Seth Rogen-produced and co-written film put a fresh spin on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which began life as Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's indie comics sensation. It then became a multimedia franchise that is now nearing its 40th anniversary. Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon have already announced plans for a second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie, most likely featuring a certain iconic villain mostly missing from the first film, as well as two seasons of a Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series on Paramount+ bridging the gap between the two movies.

But for those looking for more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles goodness as soon as they leave the movie theaters, parsing four decades of TMNT games, movies, TV shows, and comics can be a little intimidating. Where to help out and point you in the direction of your next favorite piece of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media in each of those categories. Grab your ninja weapon of choice and let's begin:

What show to watch: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Part of the charm of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is seeing the Turtles depicted as "actual teenagers" trying to figure out who they are, what they want, and what their place is in the world. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the TMNT television series that comes closest to matching that tone. It presents the Turtles as still raw and figuring out their team dynamic (Raphael leads the team instead of Leonardo). The show ran for two seasons (which are streaming on Paramount+) and culminated in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (streaming on Netflix).

Keep watching?: The 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, which launched the "Turtlemania" era, will soon be airing on Nickelodeon. The show's plots don't hold up very well, but the characterizations are character-defining (Donatello does machines, Michelangelo is a party due, etc.) and the zany humor is charming. If you want a series with more mature storytelling, try either the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, which is still the closest adaptation of Eastman and Laird's original comics, or the 2012 Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, which used CG animation. Both shows were recently re-released on Blu-ray and are streaming on Paramount+.

What movie to watch: Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated movie, which adapts a comic book with the same premise, is better than it has any right to be. The plot is pretty simple: Shredder and the Foot Clan are working with a mysterious partner and making moves in Gotham. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles head to Gotham to investigate and run afoul of Batman. A top-notch voice cast makes the interactions between the various characters genuinely funny, and the script wisely jettisons the comic's convoluted explanation for how the Ninja Turtles and the Batman Family are existing in the same universe and instead focuses on the essentials. The movie earns its PG-13 rating with surprisingly brutal violence accompanied by blood, meaning parents and older viewers might do well to make sure younger viewers are prepared for that. Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn't streaming anywhere but is available to rent on demand. It's also available on physical media, including a 4k UlHD Blu-ray release.

Movie marathon: You could always watch all of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies in order. Otherwise, the original live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie put a surprisingly dark and gritty spin on a franchise that was mostly known for being a toy-selling cartoon behemoth and it holds up well today. Its first sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze, is a movie goofy enough to be a fun time, with vibes closer to the 1987 cartoon, down to the unforgettable "Ninja Rap" needle drop. Both films are streaming on Paramount+ and Max. If you'd like to stick to animated movies, 2007's TMNT was the franchise's first attempt at 3D animation. It acts as a sequel to the original live-action trilogy but stands alone well enough, beginning with Shredder already defeated and the Ninja Turtles divided and directionless until a new threat emerges. The movie remains divisive to this day, and while I'm personally not a fan, its proponents swear by it, meaning it may be worth checking out on Paramount+ or Max.

What game to Play: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is, as our review suggests, a loving homage to classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time and, for my money, one of the best games of 2022. Shredder's Revenge perfectly modernizes the core gameplay of those TMNT arcade classics while updating the elements that haven't aged well or only ever worked when someone was plunking quarters into a machine. It has gorgeous retro graphics, a story mode, countless ways to customize your play experience, and an incredible soundtrack with talents like Mike Patton and Ghostface Killah contributing. The game is available to play on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and even PC, Linux, and, for Netflix users, mobile devices. On top of all of that, the upcoming Dimension Shellshock DLC will add a new game mode, new looks for all of the existing characters, and new playable characters, including longtime TMNT crossover ally Miyamoto Usagi from Usagi Yojimbo.

Continue?: If you'd rather play the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade games, then check out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The collection includes 13 games that Konami produced during the height of Turtlemania in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, complete with online multiplayer. With its extensive archives of promotional material and design documents, it's an impressively comprehensive collection that should please any old-school Turtles fan and gamer.

What comic to read: IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began in comics, and there are plenty of quality ones to choose from. If there's one we'd recommend for longtime fans and newcomers alike it's IDW Publishing's ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series and its spinoffs, which has been going since  2011. IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is set in a distinct universe separate from any other iteration, which allows it to take the best of every version of the Turtles and bring them together in a way that feels cohesive, with stories that have stakes and meaning. It's been one of my favorite comics to follow for years and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who likes long-form comics storytelling. The best way to read the series is via the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection series of volumes, which collect the entire main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series and all of its spinoffs and satellite series into their proper reading order. IDW has been reprinting the collection from the beginning in a more affordable paperback format, which makes it the perfect time to start reading. However, if even that sounds like too much of an investment, you can pick up the main series trade paperbacks to get the core story, beginning with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 1: Change is Constant. Alternatively, if you want to get caught up with the series more quickly, start with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol. 1 – From The Ashes, which begins collecting the series where Sophie Campbell took over as its main writer following a massive shift in the Ninja Turtles' status quo.

Further reading: If you'd prefer something self-contained, check out the hugely popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, which is set in a dark future and serves as an ending to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' story (sequel notwithstanding). It couldn't be further from Mutant Mayhem in terms of tone, but it is based on an original, unproduced idea that Eastman and Laird came up with during their original run, which makes it even more essential for diehard fans. If you want lighter fare, IDW's recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures tells new stories based on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. If you want more of the non-turtle mutants from Mutant Mayhem, look for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, collecting the surprisingly good Archie Comics Ninja Turtles series from the 1990s, which features those characters prominently. It's hard to find in print these days but is easily available in digital form. Finally, Eastman and Laird's original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics are excellent and it's almost a shame that they are sometimes overshadowed by the franchise that they spawned. Readers can find those comics in IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection series.

Did we miss anything? Let us know what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, movies, games, or shows you'd recommend! after seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem marks the latest movie in the long-running media franchise, and a new reboot for four turtle brothers.  Seth Rogen produced the movie and lends his voice to its huge ensemble cast. In the film, the titular heroes venture out into the real world after years of living isolated in the sewers. Though they try to be recognized as normal teenagers by their heroics, a crime syndicate with an army of mutants makes everything more difficult for them and threatens their plans for joining the society. The voice cast for the film includes Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem includes a slew of celebrities as well like Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Seth Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Ice Cube as Superfly, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opened in theaters on August 2nd.