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casey jones 1
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IDW Publishing 9/17/25 reviews – Casey Jones 1 review

Jeffrey Lyles , , ,

Casey Jones 1 marks a strong further expansion of this new era of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line at IDW.

Casey is one of the more enduring TMNT characters for a few reasons. He’s got a tremendous design and gimmick and he’s a solid complementary ally to the Turtles.

Casey Jones 1 picks up the aftermath of Casey recovering from being shot by DA Hieronymus Hale. While he was recovering, April O’Neil helped nurse him back to health and occasionally would don the hockey mask and gear on patrol as well.

Writer Alex Paknadel kicks Casey Jones 1 off with Casey shaking off the still-lingering psychological trauma of being shot. If Casey gets his best therapy by beating up a few goons, so be it.

Casey’s return to the streets leads him to Central Park where a gang is harassing a mutant, whose drug dealing father has disappeared. While the police and other authority figures probably aren’t interested in racing to find him, maybe Casey is more willing?

This gang, who has ties with Casey, normally wouldn’t be a problem for Casey, but one of them has access to a special drug that significantly enhances his strength. Good thing Casey has some pals who are happy to lend a hand.

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Even with the aid of Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Donatello, the battle only ends in a stalemate thanks to this enhancement serum. Paknadel already showed a strong command of Casey’s voice, but the Turtles also sound just as consistent with their portrayals in this era of TMNT.

It makes sense for Casey Jones 1 to have an appearance from the Turtles, but hopefully Paknadel won’t feel the need to have them as recurring co-stars every issue. That doesn’t seem to be the case, but that would be a quick way to diminish some of the interest in the series that should focus on Casey.

casey jones 1 cover

Amancay Nahuelpan (Detective Comics, Green Arrow) delivers clean and easy to follow artwork. Nahuelpan stages some exciting fight choreography sequences as well, but it’s the emotion conveyed through the humans and mutants that really help to make the art shine in Casey Jones 1.

Colorist Luis Antonio Delgado weaves a solid mix of bright and darker hues, so the issue isn’t shrouded in shadows. Letterer Darran Robinson keeps the dialogue neatly arranged while working in some fun sound effect fonts to convey the impact of the fight scenes.

Casey Jones 1 makes a strong debut for a title that shouldn’t struggle to find and retain an audience. This matches the tone of the ongoing TMNT series while still allowing Casey to be the unpredictable wild card that originally connected him with fans.

Rating: 9 out of 10

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