Every time I write a news item like this, I always feel just a tiny bit bummed that I usually don't have the time to consume and enjoy all of the pop culture I find myself writing about - there's just too much of it! A prime example I hope to read comes this November when IDW Publishing and DC Comics unleash their latest crossover - BATMAN and the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Now, the idea of the the two existing in the same universe isn't entirely far-fetched, but any potential continuity problems are taken care of by the plot itself, a synopsis for which has just-arrived...

Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment are blasting out of the sewers and onto the streets this month with their latest DVD release from the TMNT crew - TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: RETURN TO NYC! While the beginning of the show's third season found the Turtles mastering their skills in a more secluded, wooded locale, this new DVD finds Leo, Mikey, Raph and Don headed back to the big city to defend it from some new threats. Now, THE ROCK FATHER Magazine is gonna get one of you hooked up with a copy!

In many ways, the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES are like BATMAN. There's so many ways you can tell their stories - from the dark, hardcore origins of the mid-1980s, to the comedic stylings of the late 80s/early 90s, and the numerous variations on each that the 21st Century has brought us. While audiences in 2015 are enjoying the latest animated series on Nickelodeon, and looking forward to another live-action adventure on the big-screen next year, it was just 12 years ago that another animated run was taking place, and this week Paramount Pictures has released two new volumes of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (2003). THE SEARCH FOR SPLINTER and NYC SHOWDOWN! are both available now, and I've got your chance to win a pair, right here on THE ROCK FATHER Magazine!

One of the biggest surprises for my wife and I as parents has been just how popular the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES are with our girls (and the whole neighborhood). I'm totally into it (my wife, not so much), so I roll with it, and The Rock Daughters and I have some adventures with the TMNT crew on a pretty frequent basis. Fueling the adventures is the current run of Nickelodeon's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, which continues to impress with its mix of modern stylings, and odes to the classic TMNT lore of the past. Out on DVD June 9 is the latest collection of episodes, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: PULVERIZER POWER (previously a Walmart exclusive). If you'd like to win a copy, Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution have teamed-up with me to give you a chance to make that happen!

The folks over at Playmates Toys have some work to do. Last year, the girls and I were thrilled to add the TMNT "Turtle Assault Van" to our collection here at Rock Father HQ. Whatever you call it - The Party Wagon, the Battle Shell, the Shellraiser, or even the "Cowabunga Carl Party Van" - the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES have had many variations on the vehicle they use to get around, and at the end of last year's Michael Bay-produced live-action film, the Turtles got the "Assault Van." While it was only in one scene, it made for a cool toy - one that's still used daily (and often becomes an argument with the neighbor kids). For next year's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES sequel, the boys are going a little bit "bigger," and their new ride has appeared in pictures on Bay's website. Based on a garbage truck with the words "TARTARUGA BROTHERS" emblazoned on its side, the new TMNT truck looks to be borrowing a lot from the "New Battle Shell" from a decade ago, which featured a logo that said "Tortuga Bros. Moving." We're gonna need an action figure-scale version of this as soon as possible, ok?

It's been long time coming, but this weekend, fan-favorites Bebop and Rocksteady finally make their debut on Nickelodeon's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Voiced by J.B. Smoove and Fred Tatasciore, the duo arrives in "The Pig and the Rhino," in which "Donnie finishes a new batch of retro-mutagen, in hopes of saving Karai, while the Turtles find themselves hunted by Shredder’s new vengeful henchmen." In perfect timing with their on-screen return, THE ROCK DAUGHTERS (Adalyn and Finley) and myself recently got our hands on the newly-released Bebop and Rocksteady action figures from Playmates Toys, and now comes time to share a look. Originally released as a Walmart Exclusive (which I detailed here), the figures are now making their way to retailers everywhere and would make a fine addition to any TMNT collection.