Mirage’s 18 - Shell of the Dragon
Summary: Four stereotypes discuss their evil plan to rule all of Hong Kong...... ‘s restaurant industry, but one restaurant stands in their way: Chang’s. The four stereotypes try sending Chang’s a message, but four turtles and a kung fu stereotype stood in their way. Another message was sent, which means there’s going to be a showdown. Needing more muscle, the four stereotypes hire a buff stereotype. The showdown commences; people get shishkabobbed, double penetrated, and necks get snapped. And it all ends with a happily ever after... and probably life-long unpaid servitude.
Impression: This issue was a hard one to find, even on the internet. I actually really liked this one, which is weird because I also find it pretty offensive for Asians. This comic would definitely face some criticism for its political incorrectness. There’s definitely a lot of references to Hong Kong kung fu movies, which is what I love, but they also mix different Asian stereotypes. Overall, I would say this is a must-read for TMNT fans, as it has the turtles actually killing people, and the 2-page illustrations are amazing. I will say though, the dragon on the cover is very misleading.
Outro: Will Chang continue to represent health and deliciousness for Chinese restaurants? Were they actually in China or was this Chinatown? And isn’t hiring your enemies both degrading and a bad idea in general? Find out next time in Issue #19 of Mirage’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
