Plot
Viking spirits are at war over Raphael's body. With Raph teetering on the edge of losing control entirely, Ray Stantz has to find a solution before the situation turns catastrophic. Meanwhile, the Collectors press their advantage, and Darius Dun maneuvers behind the scenes. The issue resolves the series' central supernatural conflict and closes with a deeply personal scene: Tang Shen, the Turtles' mother figure from feudal Japan, reaches out through the Garden Dimension for a long-awaited moment with her sons and Splinter.
This issue chapter is titled "Part Four: The Collectors."
Characters
Ghostbusters
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Allies
- Leonardo
- Michelangelo
- Donatello
- Raphael
- Ghostbusturtles
- Tang Shen
Antagonists
- The Collectors
- Darius Dun
- Gjenganger
- Vulture Ghosts
- Bronson
Equipment Appearances
The issue features a range of both Ghostbusters and TMNT-variant equipment, reflecting the crossover setting. Ghostbusters gear appearing includes the Proton Pack, Particle Thrower, Proton Pistol, Ecto Goggles, and the Experimental Mental Communications Device. The Remote Portal Access Band, which facilitates dimensional movement throughout the series, also appears. The Ghostbusturtles' versions of standard gear recur: the Ghostbusturtles' Pack, Ghostbusturtles' Ecto Goggles, and Ghostbusturtles' Containment Unit, the last of which is again drawn to visually reference the version seen in The Real Ghostbusters animated series. Additional equipment includes the P.K.E. Scanner Headset, Slime Spritzer, Trap-Gate, and a Proton Weapon. Substances appearing include Incapacitating Gel and Psychomagnotheric Slime.
Key Locations
- Bronson's Limbo
- Zoo Amsterdam
- Ghostbusturtles' Firehouse
- The Firehouse (primary Ghostbusters dimension)
- The Garden Dimension
Development
- August 22, 2017: A first look was published including Cover B, the retailer incentive cover, and a logline.
- September 25, 2017: Tadd Galusha posted a teaser image of Winston Zeddemore and Leonardo.
- October 3, 2017: Erik Burnham teased that the last page of Issue #4 would "make TMNT fans' eyes pop."
- October 31, 2017: During a "Turtles Tuesday" session, both Tom Waltz and Erik Burnham hinted that Issue #4 contains a deeply touching moment for the Turtles that Waltz had wanted to write for a long time but never had the opportunity to include in the main TMNT series.
- November 10, 2017: In an interview, Erik Burnham hinted at a significant twist in the issue.
- November 18, 2017: A cover, credits page, and five-page preview were published publicly.
- December 6, 2017: Luis Antonio Delgado posted unlettered versions of pages 2, 12, and 20.
Easter Eggs and Notable References
The issue continues the dense layer of franchise references established across the miniseries.
Cover A: The crowd of onlookers near the Firehouse on N. Moore Street contains alternate universe versions of several TMNT characters: Doctor El, Ray Fillet, Wingnut, Panda Khan, Ace Duck, Leatherhead (wearing Jack Marlin's hat), Dirtbag, Mondo Gecko, and April O'Neil.
Page 2: Winston alludes to the Collectors' Limbo, which was first seen in Issue #1 of this miniseries.
Page 3: Luis Antonio Delgado placed his recurring "#15" easter egg on the face of a building above the smoke, visible in panel 2 at the far left.
Page 5: The Collectors' price for being summoned by a ghost is revealed to be a piece of their own soul, mirroring the cost for a human who summons them.
Page 7: Darius Dun alludes to Splinter.
Page 8: Danny, one of the Ghostbusturtles, is chosen to address Michelangelo, mirroring the moment in the first Ghostbusters film when Ray was elected to talk to Gozer. Danny's last name is revealed to be Welker, a nod to Frank Welker, who voiced Ray Stantz in The Real Ghostbusters animated series. Danny's dialogue mirrors Ray's speech to Gozer in the film, a parallel that Peter Venkman recognizes in-story. Harold, another Ghostbusturtle, does not believe in aliens, echoing Egon Spengler's skepticism, which was first established in Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #11.
Page 10: Danny exclaims "Sweet Christmas," a famous exclamation associated with Marvel character Luke Cage.
Page 11: Danny reveals that the Ghostbusturtles' version of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was a Marshmallow Bunny. Peter Venkman also references Winston Zeddemore's night school law studies, first mentioned in Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #2.
Page 13: Ray Stantz alludes to Chi-You and recalls when Chi-You possessed Winston Zeddemore, an event from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Issue #4. A typo appears in Raphael's dialogue: "so you're" appears where "you're so" was intended.
Page 16: Raphael's reference to growing up alone connects to his backstory in the main TMNT ongoing comic, where he was homeless in New York City until he met Casey Jones and later reconnected with the other Turtles and Splinter.
Page 17: Several real-world items visible on a table carry layered references. The purple duffel bag is based on The Real Ghostbusters Slumber Mate from 1989. The yellow packet is a Hostess Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pie from 1990-1991, specifically the Leonardo variant. The white golf club bag is modeled after the bag used by Scott Simpson during the second round of the 1997 Motorola Western Open at Cog Hill Country Club; Bill Murray was Simpson's caddie for that round. A can of Blody, first advertised in The Real Ghostbusters episode "The Halloween Door," appears on a shelf in panel 4, along with an unused logo from development of the first Ghostbusters movie on a toolbox.
Page 18: Egon Spengler admits he would have preferred to be restored to life by science rather than by supernatural means; in Ghostbusters International #11, he was restored by the goddess Aibell. This is the first time the third floor hall of the Firehouse is depicted. Egon's watch is based on the Seiko Voice Note M516 4009 worn during production of the first Ghostbusters film, prominently visible in most press photos featuring Egon and Ray. Egon also alludes to the Interspatial Teleportation Unit. A poster from the first Ghostbusters film appears in a frame between Donatello and Egon in panel 4.
Page 20: Tang Shen, the Turtles' mother in feudal Japan, appears in the Garden Dimension. She has reached out to the Turtles and Splinter sparingly in the main TMNT ongoing; notably, when Donatello died, his spirit visited the Garden Dimension and spoke with her. Donatello again references his death in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64 and his subsequent mind transfer into the robot Metalhead.
Page 21: The "Next" page is corrected to read "Next Week" rather than the erroneous "Next Month" that had appeared in previous issues.
Continuity Notes
This issue closes the four-issue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters II miniseries. The Collectors and their Limbo were introduced in Issue #1, and the Viking-spirit possession of Raphael drove the arc of the second half of the series. Ray's callback to Chi-You ties back to the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters miniseries (2014), specifically Issue #4, where Chi-You possessed Winston. The Ghostbusturtles' Containment Unit's visual reference to The Real Ghostbusters design is a running gag throughout the sequel series. The Tang Shen scene was a specific story beat Tom Waltz had long wanted to include in TMNT continuity and found the crossover format an appropriate venue to finally execute.
