Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 1 #11 (Mirage Publishing 1987)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 1 #11 stands as a documented milestone in independent publishing history, released by Mirage Publishing in 1987 with a $1.50 cover price. This 40-page black-and-white issue carries forward the Northampton storyline, following Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and April O'Neill as they regroup and recover immediately after a direct confrontation with the Shredder. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird maintained complete creative oversight, producing the script, interior pen work, lettering, and the signature wraparound cover layout that established the early franchise visual standard.

Edition Specifications

• Publisher: Mirage Publishing (1987 original print run)
• Format: Standard comic dimensions, monochrome interiors, 40 pages
• Creators: Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird (full writing, art, and cover production)
• Featured Cast: The four Turtles, April O'Neill, Shredder
• Original Cover Price: $1.50

This issue belongs to the foundational Volume 1 sequence distributed between 1984 and 1988, preceding corporate acquisitions, color reprint campaigns, and mass-market syndication. Collectors assessing this 1987 edition typically check the binding gutter for stress cracking, inspect the uniformity of the cross-hatched ink shading across the 40 interior panels, and evaluate the wraparound cover fold lines. Historical circulation records place the Northhampton arcs at the commercial turning point that expanded readership beyond specialty shops, making issue #11 a structural record of the title's transition from underground graphic novel to nationally recognized intellectual property.