TMNT Are Heading Into The Upside Down With Stranger Things Crossover

Contains spoilers for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things #1"

The "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and characters from "Stranger Things" are about to meet in an all-new crossover, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things #1," from IDW Publishing, where the two iconic franchises will collide.

"Stranger Things" crossing over with the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise might seem like an odd combination at first, but considering both franchise's roots in '80s pop culture, the two blend together quite well. Plus, it's not the first time "Stranger Things" has crossed over with another property. "Stranger Things" did an official comic crossover with "Dungeons & Dragons" in "Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons." Meanwhile, Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington were made playable characters in the horror video game "Dead by Daylight." Heck, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things" isn't even the first official crossover between the two franchises, with Playmates releasing action-figures featuring characters from the different worlds in 2022.

Now, in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things #1," the group, consisting of Mike, Will, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas, and Max, finds themselves taking on a common enemy alongside the heroes, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Leonardo of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." The unlikely pairing will face dangerous threats together throughout the four-issue miniseries. While the new comic won't be canon to the main "Stranger Things" universe, that doesn't mean the upcoming adventure won't be tons of fun. And it seems like the perfect holdover story to whet fans' appetite ahead of "Stranger Things" season five.

In a brand-new preview for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things" #1 by Cameron Chittock and Fero Pe from ComicBook.com, a closer look was provided at how the kids of "Stranger Things" meet the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

In the preview pages, it's revealed Mike, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Will are on a field trip in New York City. However, after they miss a train, they hear noises coming from inside the subway. Realizing they couldn't let a potential Demogorgon or Demodog run wild in New York, the kids investigate. After making their way through the subway tunnels, they quickly discover several monsters from the Upside Down have followed them. As Eleven prepares to use her powers, they are joined by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who take down the creatures with their iconic weapons.

IDW Publishing/ComicBook.com

The Turtles appear in classic red masks from the early adventures of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" comic and tell the kids not to be scared. The Turtles reveal they are there to protect and assist the children in the fight ahead.

The preview pages for the first issue of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things" crossover hint at a greater threat in the miniseries. When the kids and Turtles face off against the Demogorgons, they don't have their usual fleshy look. Instead, they appear to have been experimented on and become partly robots. Did longtime "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" mad scientist Baxter Stockman somehow get his hands on the Demogorgons and use tech to transform them into machines? It's not revealed in the preview, but considering the monster's new appearance, it certainly seems like a possibility. So, working together isn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing for the Hawkins kids and the Turtles, as their combined knowledge will seemingly help stop the evil forces at hand.

IDW Publishing/ComicBook.com

The comic will feature several covers starring the main heroes from each franchise, with Pe, Jorge Corona, Jenn Woodall, Adam Gorham, Rafael Albuquerque, Ivan Tao, and Daniel Warren Johnson all drawing pieces for the debut issue.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things" #1 from IDW Publishing arrives in comic book stores and online retailers on July 12, 2023.