On the one hand, the continuity mesh-up as the TMNT and DC worlds have merged into one (the plot being the discovery of this and then the fight to reverse it) is initially fun and inventive, but on the other, it feels like it has more flash than substance and the gimmick got old for me very fast. But it does feel like a fitting third act (volume I saw the Turtles and Shredder come to Gotham, volume II saw Bane and Batman come to New York, and in volume III the two continuities have merged entirely), and to my surprise, I got genuinely emotional at several points as Batman gradually realised who he actually is. His reunion with Alfred and his recollection of his 'family' (his pseudo-adopted sidekicks and his son) both made me tear up, which is impressive for a gimmick crossover comic. The artwork is as lush and exciting as ever, now with the added cool of Kevin Eastman drawing his black and white original Turtles into the mix, and the characters continue to feel spot-on (well, perhaps Batman is a bit lighter than he 'should' be, but that's basically part of the story). I did feel the Joker's exit, and to a lesser extent Shredder's, were weirdly abrupt and anticlimactic after all the set-up the story spent on them, but neither of them were the main villain so I'm happy to forgive that.

All in all, these three books formed a fun, solid read I'd recommend to anyone who is a fan of either property with at least a passing interest in the other one. Though the more grounded feel of the first volume was more to my tastes than the more extreme situations conjured forth in II and III, and so the beginning third remains my favourite. ( )