The last known states of the Orginial Mirage TMNT, some thoughts on Turtles Forever

[blake_reitz]

We're at the end of an era. The previous 25 years of Ninja Turtles is going to step aside for a new generation due to the recent Nickelodeon sale (more thoughts on that and the Turtles Forever below the scans).



These scans are (as far as I know) the most recent chronologically in the original Mirage TMNT continuity. I'm a little sad that we may never know the conclusions to these story arcs, but I am forced to admit that the series has been treading for awhile. Mirage Studio's still has the rights to publish this series if the want (up to 18 issues a year), so we may yet find out what happens to the guys. I haven't heard any word on if the sale will affect the Future Turtles trade paperback and mini-series.

That's Don, by the way. He was traveling in the Amazon, got shrunk by aliens and placed in a terrarium with some other scientists and explorers and semi-sentient velociraptors. He is currently stuck at action figure size (how appropriate), and is working on a cure (also tooling around in a robot exo-suit that looks like Metalhead).



That's Raph. He was bit by a vampire, and instead of making him sparkle, it caused the mutagen in his system to re-activate, mutating him into a prehistoric beast. He's still sentient, but his normal rage issues are compounded by the whole being a prehistoric beast thing.

There's always a strange undercurrent in the TMNT comic books, where they get mutilated or mutated or changed in some odd fashion if the series goes on long enough. You can see this a little in the Future Turtles stories, a whole lot in the short-lived Image comics TMNT, and in vol. 4 of the Mirage TMNT. I may need to go make a mega-post exploring that.





"...he has his anger."

Leo's actually stuck in the Battle Nexus (imported fresh from the cartoon), and Mike's been shanghaied into a space adventure (he gets a lot of screen-time in vol. 4, to make up on all the time focusing on his brothers in previous volumes).


April just learned some disquieting history about herself, which I'll save for a later post. But, spoiler alert, it has something to do with this.




Some thoughts on Turtles Forever (a bit spoiler-ish):

I really liked it. It's one of the most "by fans, for fans" things I've ever seen, with a ton of cameos and easter eggs (we even get a glimpse of the "Turtle Multiverse", containing live action movie turtles, CGI movie turtles, super sentai turtles, baby turtles, future turtles, even some turtles I recognize only from concept art). I love Mikey's reaction to the 87' Turtles ("How can you not love these guys!") and Raph's similar reaction to the Mirage Turtles ("I love these guys!"). And it's nice to see that Splinter is Splinter, no matter what universe you're in.

The only thing I found a little disappointing was how little Casey and April factored into the story. Yeah, they showed up, then ran around with the turtles, then got caught in the white-out of un-creation without ever getting a chance to do anything (very "Crisis on Infinite Turtles", by the way. There was a nice effect where everything drained away until only the blue draft lines remained. Animal Man would be proud).

The last act was wonderful, with the black & white, grim & gritty 80's indie comic TMNT rendered into animation. I was giddy at the appearance of the old-school turtles, and there were some great lines exchanged. Everyone got a chance to shine in the big battle (even 87' Shredder gets a nice blink-and-you'll-miss-it-moment where he saves Karai from the "real" Shredder, her adoptive father), and the whole thing makes a fantastic capstone to the last 25 years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Personally, I can't wait to see what Nick brings to the table now that they own the keys.

Also, why is it the Technodrome is always just the right size to fit down a city street? I guess I can blame Dimension X size-changing technology.

Comments

[darkblade]

Kind of fitting that the (potentially) last comic story has one of them talking about how long they might live.

I liked the movie for the most part but it worshipped the ground upon which the 2003 cartoon walked. Both the original comic and the original cartoon got a crap load of take that jokes directed towards them but only the 2003 Shreder is at all compitent and only the 2003 turtles manage to walk the line between slap stick comedy and Frank Miller parody. I'd have predered it to be a bit more of a balanced portrayal.

[blake_reitz]

I find that interesting, because your words echo a friend of mine's comments (he liked it, but said that the new writers were just glorifying their own work). Personally I like the balance they struck, because it had a sort of "silver age/modern age" feel. Sure the 80s turtles were silly (and I say that with 87' TMNT as my favorite franchise growing up), but in their element they're more competent than the 03' TMNT!

It's the 80s turtles that take out the majority of the Foot Soldiers during their first assault on the Technodrome, and their anti-Technodrome gear is what saves the day (well that and the universal constant of Rocksteady and Bebop will spoil Shredder's plans every time).

As for the original comic, I thought the joke was on everyone else: No matter how cool you are or how many seasons you get, the original TMNT are the best ninjas!

[schala_kid]

Sure the 80s turtles were silly (and I say that with 87' TMNT as my favorite franchise growing up), but in their element they're more competent than the 03' TMNT!

Exactly, Like how they used everything around their environment in a fight (Donny caused a cave in to take out a bad guy, Mikey's use of a fire hydrant).

Also they broke the 4th wall, that alone makes them more awesome.

[q99]

The 87 Shredder *was* an incompetent and the comics one was a more minor character than the other two, so that made sense.

When it came to fighting each other/ninja stuff, the comic ones seemed to do the best. The past ones were always able to do that 'indirect takeout' stuff.

All of 'em had their moments.

[q99]

-Kind of fitting that the (potentially) last comic story has one of them talking about how long they might live.-

Oh yes, one major, important thing: They still have rights to do comics in the deal, Nick just bought everything else.

[darkblade]

Hence why I said potentially.

[box_in_the_box]

The Turtles have always been a weird beast.

I was quit from comics entirely when I first encountered them, all the way back in middle school, and while I wouldn't get back into comics proper until college, if it wasn't for the Turtles, I might not have gotten back at all.

When you actually stop to think about it, the Turtles should have failed. That whole territory of in-joke parody mixed with earnest seriousness is like the Uncanny Valley of fail.

And yet ...

I grew up with the Turtles. They were my gateway drug to a lot of other cool things, and even now, every Halloween, I feel incredibly old and as young as ever, all at the same time, because every time I see kids trick-or-treating, I will always still see a few dressed as Heroes in a Half-Shell.

There are very few characters who achieve true inter-generational pop culture transcendence, but like Batman, like Star Wars, like Star Trek, like Transformers, there are now multiple generations of fans who can say that the Turtles were a primary part of THEIR generation, because like all those other characters, the Turtles have mutated to meet each era of fans on their own terms, without feeling like mere holdovers from previous generations.

There's something surprisingly, profoundly moving about that.

[blake_reitz]

Right on.

[thatnickguy]

I think the thing that made it catch on was that, yes, it was an in-joke parody of Miller's style, but that didn't make the comic any less enjoyable. Most "parodies" are so in-your-face blatantly obvious that all you see is the parody instead of something new or good.

The Turtles were so unique that they just came out of nowhere. Once the cartoon hit, they just blasted off into their own unique property. And ironically, there were so many parodies and ripoffs that tried to cash in on the Turtles popularity. Some of them were surprisingly good (Biker Mice From Mars), others not so good (wasn't there some kind of Surfing Sharks one or something?).

Plus, all the ninja'ing helped bring about the next big thing after Turtles: Power Rangers, which ALSO brought about a lot of parodies.

I could probably go on, but you get the idea. It's a funny cycle, really.

[zordboy]

"Plus, all the ninja'ing helped bring about the next big thing after Turtles: Power Rangers, which ALSO brought about a lot of parodies."

It's funny you make that reference, 'cause for me, that was it. I loved the Turtles when I was 8, and then the Power Rangers when I was 12.

[cmdr_zoom]

Hell, they managed to start their own fad/bubble/movement in the industry, "the Great Black and White Glut." How many parodies can claim that?

[joysweeper]

The Street Sharks.

...I had a small book, the novelization of the first episode or their origin story or something. I loved that book, because the Street Sharks used to be human. And then they got painfully turned into shark mutants! There was this one detail about a wristwatch getting agonizingly tight. And I think something about it becoming hard to breathe.

I remember nothing else about the book - were they brothers? Something about a father? And "swimming through concrete" just sounded idiotic even then - and never saw anything else from that franchise, but the involuntary transformation that left them so clearly nonhuman and unable to change back, at least not then and there... that fascinated me. Still does.

[thatnickguy]

I thought Turtles Forever was a great way to send off the Turtles as we know it. With the sale of the property to Nickelodeon, it's hard to say what we're going to see next with them. And honestly, Forever had a little bit of everything, including a really nice touch at the very end with Eastman & Laird.

I loved the Mirage Turtles showing up, especially the "sellouts" line. It felt almost necessary to put in, given old school Turtles fans' reaction to the 80s cartoon.

The Turtles started as a parody of the dark Frank Miller stuff going on at the time and morphed into something entirely its own. As a fan of original properties (which was especially hard in those days), I have to tip my hat to its creators and thank them for everything they gave us.

Wellllll...except Venus deMilo, but even Laird hated her. =p

[blake_reitz]

I did notice that out of all the images of the Turtle Multiverse, there seemed to be no Next Mutation...

[darkblade]

There was one live action picture with five turtles. I didn't get a good look at it but I'm pretty sure that was Next Mutation.

[batzarmy]

I think we all did!

[greenmask]

I didn't.

A girl turtle. She may have had turtle boobs and she may have had a mask-plait, but whatever. She was a lady and that matters!

[darkblade]

I didn't but I was one of the few who liked the idea of the series.

[comicoz]

He was in the jungle with the Order Of The Stick??

[greenmask]

I'm a bit worried to watch Forever in case I hate it. Or don't love it. I want to love it!

Thanks for these scans. I haven't been keeping up with continuity, I think the last comic I read Raph was all super-mutated but for a different reason? Or wait, was it vampires.. there were vampires around. Huh. But anyhow, that was years ago. I keep meaning to go back, but I haven't the cash.

[filthysize]

Loved TURTLES FOREVER, as well. I can see how poking fun at the 87 and the original Turtles can seem "holier-than-thou", but honestly, it just makes sense. That's the whole reason why I love the 2003 series—it's the perfect middle-ground between the grim seriousness of the Eastman/Laird comics and the whimsy fun of the 87 'toon. So for the movie to portray them as the "straight" men is natural.

[kaleidoscope]

Ha, I love your line about Raph not sparkling as he was bit by a vampire.

I enjoyed "Turtles Forever", but it seemed that to me that the '03 Turtles didn't really work well enough with the '87 until they met the original Turtles. I loved the animation, as you said the black and white and gritty feel and look.

You know that usual cliche where the new scoffs at the old and it's not until the end that they realize the scoffing needs to stop? Yeah, I was waiting for the teasing to end but it kept dragging on. Oh well.

[savitar]

I loved Turtles Forever and thought it was the perfect way to end things now that the whole thing has been sold off.

Some people complain the 87 turtles got the end of the stick but as someone who grew up watching them I'm going to say this was just the way they were and would have gone. When the 87 turtles started out they were pretty capable but they slowly descended into what they were shown to be in Turtles Forever, that's just how they were. I remember watching when they debuted on CBS in prime time, the one where Baxter gets that computer AI friend that had a computer for a head and I utterly HATED how badly the series had gone campy by that point. Not like it was great before but it only got worse.

As noted before the 87 Turtles got to shine a lot, Don's invention to cross dimensions ended up saving the day more than once including his inventions. Ralph breaking the fourth way repeatedly was awesome and hey 87 April has great breast doesn't she?

When they brought in the original turtles, I mean how awesome was that! They certainly held their own and showed how badass they were, they were more so than the 2003 turtles if anything.

For the most part it seems like to me the only ones that complain about the Turtles Forever special were those that felt their childhood got put down but honestly those people are simply wrong and likely have no concept of the turtles except for that series. Those of us who kept up with them know better.

[majingojira]

Just want to say--

YOUR ICON!

[team_mummy]

I enjoyed Turtles Forever so much. I loved when the 80's TMNT breakdown and cry near the end, HAHAHA!
And got real choked up at the very end in the studio where the creators are like "I hope this thing sells."
REALLY loved seeing the "Prime" TMNT in action, it was so deliciously gritty and hard-ass. Ashamed to admit it, but all my 24 years of being a turtles fan and I've never owned any of those original comics. I'm working on it!

[darkblade]

It should be easier now if you have the cash and a decent comic store nearby since Mirage rereleased some of the older trades for the 25th aniversary.

[team_mummy]

I'll keep an eye out this week. Is this one of them?
I'm also ebay hunting for that huge Turtles Collected paperback.

[schala_kid]

Ok I haven't kept up much the latest Turtles but I found out about April and WTF?! I am now kind of wonder if they will go with her now that the comic series is ending (hopefully something happy and not angsty).

(even 87' Shredder gets a nice blink-and-you'll-miss-it-moment where he saves Karai from the "real" Shredder, her adoptive father)

Really? I missed that! I think I'll have to go watch it again now p:
You know I always thought Ch'rell had a soft spot for Karai but that she was dispensable for him, just look at the times she tried to reason with him or when she disobeyed him and it seriously looked like he is trying to kill her.

[darkblade]

He really wasn't himself by that point in the movie though. It never even occured to him that he wouldn't exist if he destroyed all the turtle;s worlds.

[schala_kid]

It's not just going by that but by the other times she has turned on him he has attacked her without remorse, or when he's fighting everyone and she's in the crossfire he doesn't even blink once.

But I do think he does care for her I mean he did picked her up, gave her a home and she's the only character he respects. Then there's the time when Raph went berserk on her and was beating her, he stepped between them and started beating the shit out of him. Also in Hun on the Run when Bishop captures her and threatens Shredder saying that he will kill Karai if he doesn't fork over some alien tech, Shredder gets angry and makes Hun go rescue Karai and at the same time tells him that his life "now depends on her life". He even keeps a painting of her in his palace. (Lol, at this point I think I am just contradicting myself.)

But when Karai has gone against him he won't hesitate to destroy her, Karai is important to the Shredder but whatever he wants is more important to him.