So, I recently received my copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History. First thing, I did was open it up and start flipping through the pages. My mind was instantly flooded with memories from my childhood. When I finally got some free time, I sat down and began to read through the book and take in the vast amount 
of vintage images that were inside of it.
The book outlines the entire Turtles story, not just the characters but also the creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The book is as inclusive as it can be; from the first sketch of Michelangelo that was done more as a joke than as a legitimate attempt at creating a comic book character; all the way up to, and including, the 2014 big budget movie.
The book even contains some of the lesser known ventures of our Turtle friends that many would like to forget about; but us hardcore fans still embrace despite how cheesy they were. Things like: coming out of our shells, the third movie and the next mutation (that’s right, the one with the girl Turtle!). Visually, the book is STUNNING, with many glossy, high-resolution photos, original sketches and even pictures of many of the 
chintzy products that hit the market in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The remind us what a marketing power house these 4 teenagers were during that time (it gave me that feeling in my gut like I had when I was a kid walking through toys R us… “I want one of everything!”).
This book completely lives up to the title of “The Ultimate Visual History” but what’s as impressive as all the images is the incredibly in-depth, detailed history of the creation of the turtles and their development from a simple sketch to stars of numerous blockbuster movies. The pages within serves as a timeline for our 4 buddies who have grown and matured over the last 30 years, like most of us who grew up alongside them.
This is a book for the most hardcore fans who just can not get enough of the Turtles! I still have not gotten through the entire book but I can’t wait to finish it. The book also comes with many bonuses; an exact reproduction of the first comic book, a fold out poster that pays homage to the different eras in Turtle history, and numerous pull out reproduction documents, everything from Comic Con posters to Turtle fan club newsletters.
Every Turtles fan needs to have this book in their library!
~Jack Michelson
