Donatello Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ##1
Mirage Studios • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series: Donatello
Writer
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Interior Artist
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Cover Artist
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Publication Date
February 1986
Cover Variant
Regular Cover
Printing
First Printing
Comic Description
Donatello encounters the reclusive artist Kirby, who has a magical crystal that brings his drawings to life. They travel to a fantasy dimension where they must battle monsters created by Kirby's drawings.
Condition & Value
Condition Grade
Very Fine- (CGC 7.5)
Condition Details
Visible spine stress marks, minor corner blunting on the top right, and potential slight yellowing of the white cover stock. Some slight surface wear remains visible through the plastic bag.
Estimated Market Value
Raw: $30 - $50; Graded (CGC 7.5): $75 - $110
Recent Sales
High-grade 9.8 copies have sold for $400 - $600. 7.5 to 8.0 raw copies typically sell in the $45 range.
Grading Recommendation
Moderate. It is a key issue, but the condition appears to be mid-to-high grade rather than mint. A professional press and clean might bump the grade, but the cost of grading may outweigh the value gain unless it hits 9.0 or higher.
Notable Features
First appearance of Kirby (a tribute to Jack Kirby). First issue in the Ninja Turtles 'one-issue micro-series' format. Features early Mirage Studios artwork.
Authentication Notes
The $1.50 cover price and white/grey matte paper stock are consistent with the original 1986 Mirage first printing. The interior pages should be black and white on newsstand-style paper.