The character interactions were dead-on, and the action was a lot of fun. That's all you need from a pointless crossover story. ( )

I've read a lot of superhero team ups in my life (and I do mean that in a different comic book publisher sort of way), but this one was the best. ( )

By and large, this is everything one could possibly want out of a crossover story of any kind. Nearly every single character gets to be cool, fun and memorable, and none of them ever act out of character (which is particularly key in a crossover). The story is simple but logical, providing a ticking clock and a clear mission, and the artwork is luscious and exciting.

Where it falters a lot, unfortunately, is in the final issue or so. The story at that point deteriorates to a large slugfest, there is a ton of additional Batman villain cameos that don't feel earner nor payed satisfyingly off (and after hinting that the Joker would have some major presence in the previous issue he's just as forgettable here as the rest of them -- not in itself a problem if it didn't retroactively make the set-up scene seem empty and pointless), and the introduction of Casey makes little sense at all. If Shredder and Al Ghul were left alone with him for long enough to steal the cannisters, why would they leave him alive? Finally and most problematically, towards the end of the story, the (so far rare and nigh-impossible to open) portals between the two worlds suddenly become convenient deux ex machinas to solve all problems that appear at the exact right moment.

But even with all those problems, this is honestly terrific. I'm at most a very casual fan of the Turtles, but Tynion nails their voices and feel, and meshes them beautifully into Batman's Gotham (I already knew that Tynion could write a great Bat, and he does so again here). I'm excitedly looking forward to the other two volumes. I just hope they have a better plot resolution than this one did. ( )