Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW, Comic, 2011-Ongoing)

[Zaysho]

Double posting because it's been over a month and nobody seems to post in here :,(

Oh yeah, and some news!
 

New mini-series has just been announced: "Turtles in Time!"

 

This summer, IDW will be launching a new mini-series, written by Paul Allor (who wrote the Fugitoid micro as well as the recent "Utrom Empire" story) and Erik Burnham (IDW TMNT fans know him for "Secret History of the Foot Clan") and illustrated by the one and only Ross Campbell (who just completed the "Northampton" storyline).

 

 

Coming this June (and with a title that is sure to give video game fans some nostalgia), the heroes in a half shell are going to venture through time and come face-to-face with samurai warriors, dinosaurs, and pirates in an effort to prevent a bleak future. Each issue will have a cover by artist David Peterson and the interiors will be done by Northampton artist Ross Campbell. Co-writer Erik Burnham explained why he's stoked to work on this title. “I love time travel stories, and I love seeing the Turtles outside of their comfort zone. So basically, this is the most fun I've had in the TMNT sandbox yet!” Paul Allor also shared why he's thrilled about this series. "I am so excited for this story! I'm blown away by the artists we have lined up, and I truly think readers are going to love this wild, rip-roaring journey through time."

 

Check that cover by the ever-awesome David Petersen!

 

 

I'm wondering if this will have any connection to the upcoming annual featuring Renet?

 

I've also got some thoughts on recent stories that I'll have to get around to posting later. At least until after I finish reading "Utrom Empire" that is.

[Dejimon11]

This better be based of the SNES version! I kid I kid. My comic shop doesn't seem to carry the latest issues or trades(except for the villians one) so I'm just saving up for some money to order the trades online in the meantime I'm keeping track on IDW's Cartoon Network stuff(where's mah Ed edd n eddy)

[Agie]

I've been collecting the trades, since I jumped in rather late. It's pretty awesome so far.

[Marcello]

Well, both Northhampton and Utrom Empire have ended. Sorry I haven't been posting. I keep wanting to, but then I get side tracked and forget. Then it's always so close to the release of the next issues, so I think, "I'll just wait for them to come out" xP

Anyway, Northhampton arc:

Wasn't a really action-packed arc, but that was great about it. It really was the cooldown after City Fall and mostly

dealt with Leo dealing with what happened to himself during that arc. April and Casey are now a couple, Raphael became friends with Alopex (And subsequently messed that up), Donnie was taking care of Splinter and trying to come up with a plan against the Technodrome and Mikey tried lifting everybody's spirits up. April's dad worked at Stockgen before he had his stroke and he worked on the Ooze. Oh and April got a haircut.

It was a nice arc. I liked seeing the stories focusing more on the relationships for a while. The scenes with Splinter's wife looked really nice. And did anyone else think the Donnie and Casey repairing the motorcycle scene was a homage to the first movie when they were fixing the van up together? I really liked that. The fight against Koya and the Foot was cool, too.

The ending is fairly exciting, as the Turtles are going on the offensive against Shredder. However Utrom Empire's ending has me thinking things will be going differently than they expect.

Utrom Empire:

Mostly just backstory for the Utroms and Krang. It was still good, though. The first issue had me a bit confused on the timeline. How old can Utroms get? Quanin is mentioned when they are creating the Triceratons on prehistoric Earth. Is that supposed to be the same guy or someone with the same name (And who he was named after)?

The present has Fugitoid trying to destroy himself and Stockman trying to kill the remainnig Utroms. Fugitoid stops him from committing genocide and saves the Utrom with Krang. In the end he's not able to destroy himself, but he does send out a message to the Turtles (And the Foot). He also lies to protect Stockman.

What's interesting is that the end seems to hint at the Turtles and the Foot teaming up to destroy the Technodrome.

And some solicits. Covers at the links. I'll be spoiler tagging for spoilers and space saving.

First, the main series.

Issue 33, Release: April 23 2014

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Mateus Santolouco (a) • Santolouco, Eastman ©

The Turtles return to New York to find a city in Shredder’s grip. The Turtles will have to use all of their skills and stealth to survive. But is Casey ready for a homecoming welcome from Hun?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:
• Fan-favorite artist Mateus Santolouco returns!
• Check the Collectibles & Novelties section for IDW’s TMNT Micro Fun Packs!!
• Variant Cover by Stephen Mooney!

http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/blog/2014/01/tmnt-33-idw/

Issue 34, Release: May 21 2014

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Mateus Santolouco (a) • Santolouco, Eastman ©
Trying to figure out a way to thwart Krang’s Earth-ravaging monstrosity, the Technodrome, Don seeks the help of his genius (but cranky) friend, Harold. Unfortunately Harold has his hands full with his newest invention— the robotic turtle Metalhead!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
• The first IDW appearance of the fan-favorite character Metalhead!
• Variant Cover by Xurxo Penalta!

http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/blog/2014/02/tmnt-34-idw/

Issue 35, Release: June 25 2014

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Mateus Santolouco (a) • Santolouco, Eastman ©

Raphael and Michelangelo pay a visit to Old Hob. Turns out the cat’s been busy trying to create new mutants while the Turtles have been away! Will Raph and Mike try to stop him? The choice becomes more difficult when Slash reveals a surprise!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

• A major turning point for fan-favorite characters Old Hob and Slash!
• Variant cover by Ken Garig!

http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/blog/2014/03/tmnt-35-idw/

And other stuff:

Annual 2014, Release: April 09 2014

Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz (w) • Eastman (a & c)

The Turtles are whisked away to another dimension by a stranger—Renet! Forced to fight for their survival in a tournament featuring the greatest warriors in the universe, the brothers will have to master new fighting techniques and forge new alliances. But with the deck stacked against them, their chance of survival is slim!

FC • 48 pages • $7.99

Bullet points:
• TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman’s most epic adventure yet!

http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/blog/2014/01/tmnt-annual-2014-idw/

30th Anniversary Special, Release: May 28, 2014

Tom Waltz, Gary Carlson, Jim Lawson, Various (w) • Kevin Eastman, Chris Allan, Dan Duncan, Various (a) • Eastman & Peter Laird ©
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first TMNT comics with this spectacular anthology of all-new tales from the comic creators who have most influenced the Turtles over the decades! The book will feature short stories from Kevin Eastman, as well as various writers and artists of the Mirage, Image and Archie TMNT! The perfect collection for Turtle fans old and new!
FC • 48 pages • $7.99
• Variant Cover by Simon Bisley!
• A brand-new cover from TMNT co-creators Eastman & Laird! Their first collaboration in years!
• Pin-ups by other comic industry stars and Turtle favorites!

http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/blog/2014/02/tmnt-30th-anniversary-special-idw/

Turtles in Time #1, Release June 25, 2014

Paul Allor (w) • Ross Campbell (a) • David Petersen ©

A brand new mini-series from Paul Allor, Erik Burnham and some of the best IDW TMNT artists ever! The Turtles become unstuck in time and go spinning into the past! First stop: the prehistoric age, where they are far from the most dangerous reptiles around! Will the Turtles be able to find their way home without damaging history?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

• No time period is safe in this epoch-spanning epic!

SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT

Paul Allor (w) • Ross Campbell (a & c)

For subscription customers only…a variant cover from Ross Campbell!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/blog/2014/03/tmnt-turtles-in-time-1-idw/

 

P.S. I've been trying to post this the whole week. XD I thought my shitty internet was just being shitty, but I found out that I screwed up some quote tags today.

 

P.P.S. I wonder how many people are going to come in here think this is the TMNT 2014 thread. Haha. Oh, well.

[Dejimon11]

This is something a fan made that Tom Walts loves it. It's a year old but its still pretty cool

[Zaysho]

Guys.
 

The Rat King is coming.

 

This isn't Santolouco's artwork, so it's not indicative of his design in the story itself, but Torres's art for the RI cover looks fantastic.

I oddly don't have much recollection or strong attachment to Rat King, personally. While I remember him first from the Fred Wolf series (by design, anyway, since he was in the video games too) and got re-exposed to him via the 4Kids series (which is a totally different version from the Mirage version), I don't think he stuck out to me in any meaningful way until I started reading the Mirage comics and seeing Nickelodeon's new version in the TV series. I'm starting to read the "City at War" storyline, which is the end of Mirage TMNT vol. 1, and his role as Splinter's spiritual guide so Splinter can gain enlightenment is pretty interesting.

I'm intrigued to see what Waltz does with him, but I'm always interested in how the IDW crew reinterpret these characters.

 

EDIT: Solicitation for IDW TMNT#36 now available.

 

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Mateus Santolouco (a) • Santolouco, Eastman ©

Leonardo and Splinter plan for the coming war with Shredder. As they meditate on what their true path must be, they are engulfed by darkness. And from that darkness emerges… the Rat King! Will his meddling with their minds lead to salvation or madness?

 

Looks like Leo will still be feeling some effects of Kitsune's brainwashing. Even though he regained control and finally recognized his family, Shredder may make an attempt to turn Leo again if only to further mess with Splinter.

Looks like a few plots are going to be running side-by-side this story: Don and April are going to start tackling the Technodrome problem, Raph and Mike are going to deal with Hob and Slash, Casey is going to try to settle accounts with Hun, and Leo and Splinter will be working to fight the Foot, with Rat King entering the mix.

 

 It sounds chaotic, but I seriously can't wait to see how this all comes together!

Edited April 26, 2014 by Zaysho

[Zaysho]

Bumping to try to get some discussion going on recent events:

 

So the Turtles are back in NY, preparing for their upcoming battle with Shredder. The current arc, so far, has a lot of stuff going on, and it's definitely exciting seeing each issue give spotlight to certain characters.

 

#33 Focused primarily on Hun and Casey, who have a lengthy discussion about Hun's gradual change from abusive drunk to trying to be a good dad for Casey. Of course, Casey isn't particularly happy that Hun chooses to stay loyal to Shredder, and passes on the offer to bring him into the fold, choosing his new, surrogate family (the Turtles) instead of the Foot. As Casey leaves, Hun decides to give up on everything from his old life and push forward on the path he's created for himself.

 

#34 has April and Donnie paying a visit to Harold to work on deciphering Honeycutt's notes so he can work on the Technodrome problem--a problem Splinter feels isn't worth thinking about, as he's now fixed on his vendetta with Shredder. Angel joints the two of them for the ride, and much to Harold's annoyance, starts poking around his lab, uncovering both Metalhead and special suit. Metalhead goes berserk when it sees April, due to Harold programming all of Stockgen's employee records into it (he created Metalhead for security after his run-in with Stockman in the Donatello Micro-Series). Angel manages to defeat Metalhead, donning the suit that makes use of all of his Harold's tech, including anti-grav gauntlets and invisibility. Angel then decides to take on the identity of "Nobody". Meanwhile, Hob and Slash kidnap a former Stockgen employee, Lindsey, for a job.

 

#35 Raph and Mikey go to see Hob and Slash, as Splinter feels it's necessary to reestablish contact with Hob. Raph isn't too happy about it, but Mikey is looking forward to seeing Slash and introducing him to pizza. When they arrive at Hob's place, they discover Lindsey tied to a chair and a new mutant, Pigeon Pete! Meanwhile, Casey visits his mother's grave only to get jumped by Hun and the Purple Dragons. Hun has decided that Casey is as good as dead to him since he won't join the Foot. A fight breaks out and Casey isn't doing too well until Nobody steps in and helps out. Back at Hob's place, Raph and Mikey talk to Hob about what his plans are and why he needs Lindsey. As proven with Pete, mutants aren't so easy to make (Pete's kind of an idiot), so Hob needs a scientist to help him make better mutants. He offers Lindsey the Splinter serum, which contains the Psychotropic Drug that was injected into Splinter and the Turtles, and she wants to use it on Slash to help him be "complete." Hob isn't happy about this as he feels Stockgen has done enough damage to Slash already and would rather wait for his mutant army before subjecting Slash to any more torture. Slash grabs the serum and injects into himself anyway, wanting to be a hero like Mikey. He goes into a berserker rage, briefly, before snapping to and becoming far more intelligent than he was previously. Back in the Turtles' lair, something, or someone, is watching Leo and Splinter as they meditate...

 

For an arc that basically takes place over the course of one night, there is a ton of stuff going on here!

 

This isn't a book that ever leaves plot threads dangling, no sir. There is definitely a slow burn in payoff, admittedly, but it's always worth the wait! While City Fall was pretty much focused entirely on the Turtles' conflict with Shredder and trying to get Leo back, the new arc deals with them trying to come up with a plan to tackle various issues that have been bubbling up since the end of "The Krang War." The Technodrome problem has been on Donnie's mind during their stay in Northampton, and he even got some notes from Honeycutt at the end of "Utrom Empire" (which comes right at the end of "Northampton"). After all, stopping Shredder doesn't mean anything if Krang terraforms the Earth and kills everyone anyway. Splinter, surprisingly, wants nothing more than to take the fight back to Shredder, knowing full well Shredder won't stop. What's cool is seeing that Leo and Donnie don't really disagree as strongly as they used to, and Leo does seem to question Splinter a little bit, possibly as a result of being brainwashed by Kitsune in the past and convinced that Splinter may not always be right through the visions she gave him.

 

I'm also really getting into the sub-plot with Casey and Hun and where things will go for each of them. Their respective Micro-Series gave us a lot to digest with each of them, and Hun's growth in particular has been rather surprising as the book goes on. Casey no longer wants to deal with him, and Hun no longer cares. I was surprised Shredder admitted upfront to stabbing Casey... and the fact that Hun believed what Shredder's twisted version of the truth and so continues to stay loyal to Shredder due to the promise of power that he couldn't have otherwise. It'll be interesting seeing how Casey develops considering what his life is like right now with everything that's happened since "City Fall."

 

And then of course we've got new developments with Hob and Slash, Hob trying to create his mutant army (and it seems that Splinter will want to team up with Hob to take care of the Foot) and Slash gaining his intelligence. I was really surprised to see Hob be genuinely concerned with Lindsey using the Splinter serum on Slash, feeling Slash has been through enough; on one level, like Raph says, Hob doesn't do anything unless it helps Hob, so it could mean that he doesn't want anything to happen to his main muscle, but it's also suggested he wants to protect any more mutants that were created as a result of Stockman or Shredder, as he really doesn't like how either have used mutants to do their dirty work. It adds another layer to him, and even though I'm sure the Turtles will be facing down Hob eventually (I'm sure his crusade will take things a little too far).

 

The highlight for me so far though? Nobody, baby! While I know IDW basically has access to almost every character Mirage created and owned (with a few exceptions), Nobody was totally out of left field for me. For those that don't know, Nobody was basically the Mirage TMNT answer to Batman. He was a cop by day, and a nutty vigilante by night who often took things too far (something Raph calls him out on during the "Shades of Gray" two-parter). He also had a few appearances in the 4Kids cartoon, in which he'd occasionally team up with the Turtles to deal with certain problems (he's a little more stable in the 4Kids series). Here, we see Angel taking on the mantle, which was a total surprise. I love how Waltz has managed to give her some equal footing to fight alongside the Turtles, and now that she's no longer with the Purple Dragons, it makes sense that she's going to want to take the fight back to Hun as well as look out for Casey. This was a really cool reimagining of a bit character, and I really like how it was introduced. Maybe we'll see her team up with Metal Head in a future issue!

 

Can't wait for next month to see the Rat King and what he plans to do with Leo and Splinter. He might be looking to take control of Splinter, whose anger toward Shredder is blinding him to the big picture, as well as making Leo relive his moments as Dark Leo.

 

EDIT:

 

Oh, and "Turtles in Time" #1 has dropped. Short version? Really fun, really brisk read. We briefly get to see Renet. The events seem to take place after the 2014 Annual, which has been delayed multiple times this year (because this is Eastman we're talking about). Kind of bummed about the delay, but since IDW is dancing around the fact by saying "don't worry! You're supposed to be confused!" and the mini-series is looking to offer something much lighter than the on-going, it's fine by me. Campbell's artwork ont he first part of the series is really, really good, and he manages to bring out the humor of Paul Allor's script. We also see a brief tie-in to "Utrom Empire" at the end of the first part with one of the Utroms looking at a captured Triceratops after their run-in with the Turtles (thinking they were intelligent lizard warriors living on a backwater planet).

 

Looking forward to the rest of it, and the eventual release of the Annual. I really want to see more of this new Renet and what the other artists will be bringing to the table for the remainder of the mini-series.

 

Have some solicits while I'm here:

 

TMNT#37

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Cory Smith (a) • Smith, Eastman ©

From the start, two villains have dominated the Turtles’ lives: Shredder and Krang. Now, for the first time, they come face-to-face with each other in the present day! Will they be able to overcome their differences and join forces? It’s a very special stand-alone issue that guarantees some major surprises!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
• Guest art from Cory Smith (TMNT Villain Micro-Series: Karai)!
• Variant Cover by Mike Henderson!

 

Looks like we know what Shredder's been up to...

 

TMNT#38

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Mateus Santolouco (a) • Santolouco, Eastman ©

Old Hob has perfected the art of making mutants! With the ranks of his mutant gang swelling, the Turtles will have to determine if they can truly trust Hob against the Foot. Throw in Alopex’s return to New York and the mutant mayhem will only get crazier!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
Introduces new mutants both classic and original!
Variant Cover by Brahm Revel!

 

More mutant mayhem on the way! Oh, and Alopex is back!

 

Turtles in Time #2

 

Erik Burnham (w) • Charles Paul Wilson III (a) • David Petersen ©

The Turtles’ journey through time continues, and the next stop is Feudal Japan! The Turtles will meet some familiar faces and be forced to make one of the most important decisions of their lives. Will stopping the Shredder mean the end of the Turtles as we know them?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Erik Burnham (w) • Charles Paul Wilson III (a & c)
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT
For subscription customers only…a variant cover from Charles Paul Wilson III!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
• From the creative team that brought you “TMNT Micro-Series: Splinter”!

 

Turtles in Time #3

 

Erik Burnham (w) • Ben Bates (a) • David Petersen ©
The Turtles hit the high seas when they are dropped in the middle of a pirate battle! Little do they know that the true leader of the pirates is an enemy they are all too familiar with. Getting out of the time period alive will all depend on the quick wits of the Turtles’ captain… Michelangelo?!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT
Erik Burnham (w) • Ben Bates (a & c)
For subscription customers only…a variant cover from Ben Bates!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
• The biggest adventure in all of time continues with art by Ben Bates (TMNT Villain Micro-Series: Bebop & Rocksteady)!

 

Turtles in Time #4

 

Paul Allor (w) • Dan Duncan (a) • David Petersen ©

The Turtles’ time-travelling adventure comes to its epic conclusion in the not-too-distant future! The Turtles are shocked to discover a Manhattan greatly changed from the home they know. Surprising enemies and allies await them, in addition to grave decisions. Will they be able to make it back home AND save the future?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
SUBSCRIPTION VARIANT
Paul Allor (w) • Dan Duncan (a & c)
For subscription customers only…a variant cover from Dan Duncan!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
The conclusion to the craziest Turtles adventure yet!

Edited June 21, 2014 by Zaysho

[Zaysho]

Wow, I forgot we actually lost some stuff in this thread, but oh well.

 

Just announced today, April & Casey will be getting their own mini-series this Summer, written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Irene Koh. We've always gotten little bits and pieces of them throughout the current run, and with the exception of the Micro-Series issues, the pair are almost exclusively supporting members (and they're a hell of a support team in this book), It should be interesting to see them in starring roles again like this. I wonder if this will be taking place concurrently, or some time after the big showdown meant for #50 (can't believe we're already there...).

[Marcello]

So... Anybody read the latest issue?

Donnie!!! [emoji31]Rocksteady and Bebop were brutal. Dang, smashing the poor guy's shell in [emoji46]

[DarkLight]

Donnie.....

 

I know he's probably not going to die (despite some news sources already jumping on that gun already) but wow, I can't see something like this being depicted nearly as graphic on the Nick show.

 

I never really cared about Bebop and Rocksteady as characters but, holy shit, this was a really good way to set them up as big threats moreso than before I think.

 

There was a leak on the FCBD issue a while back that sort of spoils this moment by showing Donatello greatly injured and Splinter saying he is currently between two worlds. His broken body and his soul in a machine. The latter half seems to imply his consciousness might be in Metalhead's body as he recovers.

 

EDIT: Here's the page in question in spoiler tags.

 

 

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Wow. As a Donnie fan, Donnie getting beaten so much really sucks. Hope he isn't out of the battle for long.

On another note, I wonder when IDW will bother to update the Turtles Comic app with the new GNs. The last GN listed on the app is Northampton

[Zaysho]

I'm still really, really shocked Nickelodeon approved this at all, but it definitely makes the road to #50 a hell of a lot more exciting.

Bebop and Rocksteady may be idiots, but they are certainly more dangerous than any other incarnation, and I think it says something about their threat level that the Turtles haven't had a true win against them yet, and I can imagine this could've happened if any of them had been cornered by the pair. I do have to laugh at news outlets jumping to the conclusion that Donatello's dead though. Like, seriously? They think a permanent change like that is something Nickelodeon will allow? There's no way they'd have even allowed this without a condition that he'd recover at all. It will be interesting to see what happens with his recovery.

 

I think DarkLight might be on to something with Donnie's soul being connected to Metalhead, at least for now, so I can't wait to see how things develop leading to the big milestone. Perhaps some callback to his and Honeycutt's discussion of reincarnation and the nature of a soul during the "Krang War"? Perhaps Donnie will be looking at some cybernetic upgrades similar to his Image appearance and eventually he'll be able to disguise it better so he can appear normal?

 

And let's not forget Stockman is working with Shredder now, and Splinter believes Karai could change the Foot back to its former glory, and all who knows what else.

Things are definitely ramping up, so I can't wait to see what happens.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Alright. The TMNT Comics App was finally updated with Volume 9 and 10 of TMNT which means I've caught up a bit. Just as a quick update, I now have in GN form...

 

#1-8 (Change is Constant & Enemies Old, Enemies New)

#21-40 (City Fall Parts 1 & 2, Northampton, Monsters, Mistfits, and Madmen, and New Mutant Order).

 

Since also, most of my opinion posts as a new reader got wiped out by the SSMB Fart of '15. I'll give my thoughts on each arc I've read so far. I'll be doing up to Enemies Old, Enemies New in this post and will be doing  City Fall to New Mutant Order tomorrow.

 

Change is Constant (#1-4)

 

As an introduction arc into the brand new TMNT series, the first arc is sort of meh in my opinion, and goes by very quickly. I do genuinely like the new twist put onto the series in this arc, such as having April know the turtles ever since her job at TCRI and her being a key reason for their escape and mutation, giving them a bond. I like the first new villain introduced-Old Hob, and I do like how they changed it up by having Raph be missing for the first year of their mutation and the rest of the Turtles losing hope that they can find Raph.

 

But, with that said, I do think it falls short in some areas as well. As I said, the arc feels like it ends very quickly, and a good chunk of the arc is dedicated to Raph & Casey crime-fighting and getting into fights while the other remaining turtles sort of talk about how they are losing hope, and that's where I feel it falls short. As a introduction arc to this brand new Turtles canon, while they introduce us to the new origins of these Turtles, we also don't get to see much time focusing on each character or their brotherly bond. The three turtles (Leo, Mikey, and Donnie) more or less spend the arc debating if they should keep searching for Raph and fighting over what to do. As I said, the arc is alright. It's good in some areas and meh in others.

 

Enemies Old, Enemies New (#5-8)

 

Now this arc was definitely a step up in my opinion. Here, we get some seriously good twists on the regular Turtles lore, along with some kick ass action scenes and more.

 

So what did I like? I liked the new twist that Splinter and the Turtles have been reincarnated into Turtles and a rat and I love how that conveys an even stronger family bond between The Turtles and Splinter. I also really liked the action scenes in this arc, alongside the plot, where the story gets thicker and The Turtles begins to see the gang war going on when they see one member of a gang up against a bunch of Foot. 

 

Then we get Stockman and Krang working together with Old Hob and of course, the final battle against the mousers inside the Turtles lair was awesome, finishing off with a serious cliffhanger where Old Hob manages to kidnap Splinter. This arc was a really good one.

 

[Zaysho]

I think something to keep in mind with "Change is Constant" is that the other three Turtles had been searching for Raph for a year with no luck, and it had gotten to the point where Donnie and Mikey were losing hope, but Leo kept believing simply because Splinter said so and that was enough for him. It sets up a lot of their personal developments as the series goes on, notably Leo's and Donnie's relationship, and how the group chooses to deal with various problems that they're thrown into and how their views change as the story goes on. I agree, the arc has some pacing problems, since it tries to cover a lot of ground without spoiling the big surprise about the Turtles' origin (and has at least one mislead--Splinter scarring one of the Foot ninja, who never appears again), but I think for an opener it's pretty strong and lays the groundwork for a lot of what we see as the series moves on. The Turtles get more brotherly moments and their dynamics are more closely explored shortly after.

 

What it doesn't prepare you for is that slow burn for payoff for various things (we don't really see a lot of what Krang is going to be doing until the second year of the book, for example, and there's some balancing issues between him and Shredder).

 

Glad you're enjoying the book though, man. Are you going to go back and read the stuff before "City Fall"?

 

Also, in other news the complete art for the final "Mutanimals" issue was posted by Bobby Curnow on the IDW forums, so I thought I'd share it here for people who'd want to see it. Spoilers, ahoy!

 

[Echidna Adventurer CC14]

The new Mutanimal was revealed by IDW staff on the Technodrome Forums to be Sally Pride, a new lioness mutant. Always nice to see a bit of girl power injected into a primarily male group.

[Zaysho]

The new Mutanimal was revealed by IDW staff on the Technodrome Forums to be Sally Pride, a new lioness mutant. Always nice to see a bit of girl power injected into a primarily male group.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Oh boy, did I forget about this thread.

 

To answer your question Zaysho, yes I do plan to get the back issues in Graphic Novel form (Which is what I've been doing with Change is Constant and Enemies Old, Enemies New. But I also want to keep up with the newer stuff as well as City Fall has really gotten me invested in with the Krang's invasion plan, and the fact that Donnie is getting so sick of his father's revenge plans that he's gone as far as to join up with Shredder.

 

Now back to my thoughts on arcs....

 

City Fall (Issues 21-28):

 

Alright. I'll just say it and get it out of the way. City Fall isn't just one of the best IDW Turtle stories so far. It is the best Turtles story I have seen yet. Everything in the comic that has been built up gets a payoff one way or another in this arc. From the Turtles' new origins and family bond to the gang war that had been going on in the city, Shredder gets a extremely devious plan in this arc, almost fatally killing Casey and taking advantage of Raph's temper to kidnap Leo and brainwash him into a loyal foot solder, willing to kill his own family.

 

The art throughout the arc is really good, with the one exception being the prologue issue (and even then, I don't really know if you can count it as that, it seems more like a filler issue to me due to the fact the story has almost nothing to do with City Fall until Splinter reveals a storm is approaching the city.) 

 

One of the things I really do like about this arc is how when things gets tough, it does show each of the characters personalities really well. Leo is so afraid that Splinter's teachings can end up killing them all due to the Slash incident, Raph goes into guilt and brooding mode as he goes on a anger filled rampage across NY trying to get information on the foot, while Donnie and Mikey are left to try hold everything together. That's not to mention how every character gets a great moment, from The Turtles' family bond moments and kick ass moments in fights, to Casey and Angel's battle against Hun, and the reveal of Bebop and Rocksteady, the arc is just a brilliant arc for Turtle fans all around.

 

Northampton (Issues 29-32)

 

After the events of City Fall, and with all of the Turtles beaten and broken, although succeeding in rescuing Leo from the foot, we get the Northhampton arc that is usually in all Turtles media and I can easily say that this has been my favourite version of the arc.

 

After the action of City Fall, Northampton is more or less totally character based and the characters personalities are what make this arc such an enjoyable one. Leo's mind has been more or less shattered after his previous brainwashing and he constantly switches between Foot mode and Leo mode, the foot mode getting easily pissed off at his brothers and telling Splinter he is not his father, and the Leo mode feeling like he's completely lost and he no longer recognizes his own brothers. This is one of the main arcs throughout the arc and it works really well. We get great character development between Leo's mother and himself, and him learning to pick himself back up after City Fall.

 

Donnie is busy tending to Splinter and helping him heal after the fight in Issue 28 and trying to convince everyone to focus on the Krang's invasion plan now that they have Leo back, only for Splinter to be too focused on Shredder and revenge that he gets flat out ignored. I do like Donnie's portion though because despite him and Leo's differences throughout the book, there is a pretty damn great moment where Donnie goes out to check on Leo and ultimately convinces him to come back to the farmhouse.

 

Raph gets a really good arc about trust when Alopex follows the Turtles to the farmhouse and Raph believes she is there to recapture Leo and is still working for the Foot, despite her claims that Alopex has renounced the Foot and wants to help against Shredder. This is hands down one of the best sub-plots throughout the arc as we get some really good development from Raph since he was one of the turtles hit hardest by the events of City Fall, other than Leo.

 

Mikey finally gets an sub-plot where he is trying to figure out a way to bring the Turtles back together and help them heal after City Fall, getting an entire issue of the arc showing him writing a letter to Woody about what's happening at the farmhouse and how he plans to bring everyone back together with a campfire. 

 

In between that, we get Casey and April officially becoming a couple in this arc, and Casey having to meet her parents, where we learn April's father worked for TCRI and that her mother has secrets about the place. 

 

It all finally comes together in one final battle scene in the last issue of the arc where Leo comes back for good, and helps protect his brothers from a Foot attack in the farmhouse, although some of the development tragically comes apart due to misunderstandings when the attack occurs but the final issue is a really great issue because it finally shows The Turtles come together as a family again and fight as a team again.

 

Overall, Northampton is a great arc.

[Zaysho]

PSA: Comixology is having another sale on IDW TMNT publications, and the deals are absolutely insane. The first ten trades (issues #1-40) are between $3-$4 a pop and select volumes from their other TMNT publications (including the first half of the first Micro-Series and the first half of the Villains Micro-series, Turtles in Time, Utrom Empire, select Mirage volumes, the first Archie volume and the first New Animated Adventures volume).

 

https://www.comixology.com/Discover-the-Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtles-Sale/page/6277?utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=s150421_TMNT_Sale&tid=s150421_TMNT_Sale

 

If EVER there was a good time to check out this series, NOW is pretty good.

 

I'm personally going to be picking up "Soul's Winter" since I've been wanting to read some of Zulli's TMNT stuff for a while now.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Alright, I have a question. Pretty soon, I'm planning on getting a few more TMNT GNs and I'd like your opinion. Which miniseries should I get? Utrom Empire, Turtles in Time, TMNT/Ghostbusters, or Secret History of the Foot?

 

With that, time for the next thoughts.

 

Volume 9: Monsters, Misfits, and Madmen (Issues 33-36)

 

This arc takes a bit more of a unique twist after the madness that was City Fall. City Fall introduced a lot of sub-plots, including Hun picking himself back up and trying to convince Casey to join him and the Foot, Leo and Splinter trying to fix their fractured relationship caused by Shredder's brainwashing of Leo, Donnie and Harold trying to come up with a plan for the incoming Krang Invasion, and Old Hob's mutant army plan. Basically, it's an arc designed to resolve the loose ends of City Fall and in general, get the Turtles back into the groove of things after Northampton. 

 

This arc, honestly is one of my favourites, and the reason why is the characters. The interactions are so good here, from Hun arriving to his regular bar and now attacking his former friends to Casey and Angel trying to desperately fend him off. Then we have the introduction of Metalhead, designed by Harold in order to protect him, with the machine going nuts and attempting to kill the four of them. Old Hob and Slash kidnap a scientist in order to figure out how to fix Slash's mutation and make him smart, and Splinter and Leo is attacked by The Rat King's brainwashing, attempting to have them kill each other.

 

The art and action in this series just keeps getting better. Ever since City Fall, IDW seems to have stuck with the same artist and it's a good thing because quite honestly, the way the artist draws the characters is some of the best designs of them I've seen in a long while, apart from the 2003 and 2012 series.

 

This volume overall is just great. It really is great, and it's the perfect starting point for anyone trying to get into the series.

[Zaysho]

Alright, I have a question. Pretty soon, I'm planning on getting a few more TMNT GNs and I'd like your opinion. Which miniseries should I get? Utrom Empire, Turtles in Time, TMNT/Ghostbusters, or Secret History of the Foot?

[Ryannumber1gamer]

My top recommendation is easily Secret History of the Foot, especially since it functions as a prelude to City Fall, and it's really interesting seeing how feudal Japan era weaves into the modern and the action sequences are so well done. Santolouco is a beast. I'd then say Utrom Empire, because it expands a lot of Krang's backstory first seen in the micro-series issue and really explains his deal, as well as being great supplementary material before the most recent arc where the Krang conflict gets its biggest payoff. After that I'd say Turtles in Time; it suffers from a bit of mood whiplash, but the second and fourth issues in particular give some good focus to Leo and Donnie, respectively, and expands a lot of what's been/what will be effecting them in the on-going storyline, though I think it's the least essential, I think it's worth a look, especially as a break from the heavier on-going plot(s). I can't really say about the Ghostbusters one because it's the only one I haven't read, unfortunately.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

For those who don't know, IDW has released a brand new app for their comics and even better. If you sign up for an account to this app before July 13th, you get a bunch of GNs free, including TMNT, MLP: FIM, Star Trek, GI Joe, and more.

 

The TMNT books are really good. The first volume of the ongoing series (Change is Constant), the first volume of TMNT B&W Ultimate Collection which has the original first seven issues and the Raph micro issue from the old TMNT Classics series), and THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE FOOT CLAN GN!

 

Also, for those who missed it, the TMNT FCBD is up on the app for free.

 

I am also getting the ongoing every month now instead of waiting for the GNs and I need to ask. Is the series ending on #50? One of the solicts for #45 mentioned the lead up to the final story arc as it builds up to Issue 50.

 

Issue 46 was also a really good issue, Interesting to see Donnie be some calm taking care of his own destroyed body, and Hun attempting to get Casey back once again.

[Marcello]

It's not ending. Just the finale to things that's been built up to so far.

Anyway anyone read Mutanimals 4?

I'm glad Lindsey is sticking around. I like the idea of there being one human Hob does care about.

Also nice to see a softer side of Hob after all this time. He really does care about his pals.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I'm just happy that one of the free GNs that IDW gave away was Secret History of the Foot Clan. Heard really great things about that arc and how it ties into City Fall.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Decided to get #44 to catch up.

Wow. Bebop and Rocksteady were absolutely brutal to Donnie. Considering he's my favourite turtle, it was honestly a little hard to keep reading, especially when they smash his shell, and more or less nearly kill him.

 

I have another question. Was the FCBD issue a reprint of #45 or is it a original recap issue?