TMNT Adventures #61

[blake_reitz.insanejournal.com]

Special camping in the desert issue!



The turtles and co. are taking a little downtime after what what a particulars harrowing series of events (The death of the Mutanimals, the war with Null and the Gang of Four, evil space insectoid queen Malignia attacking, Slash sacrificing himself to save the world, rescuing a blinded Mikey from the coast guard, and escaping from a secret government base that might have been Area 51. It was a busy week). Future Raph and Don are currently suck in the present after their time travel device was destroyed. They're having a memorial for Slash.




Present Raph wants to know what happens with him and Ninjara. Future Raph gives no hints, other then "you'll love each other as long as time alows."




Wow. Huh. Anyways, future Leo and Mikey show up, making their first time jump to the present. Leo brings on of his students, April's great granddaughter Nobuko. The art takes a huge dip for a few pages. The future turtles talk about how their future hasn't changed, despite Slash stopping Maligna's invasion of Earth. Which means that MAN brought on the Greenhouse effect! Oh noes!

Splinter and Sleeping Owl (the guy in the red vest) meditate and demonstrate telepathy (which you apparently you can do if you meditate hard enough). Sleeping Owl decides to tell a story.






Everyone packs up and leaves. Next time we see the present turtles, more camping ensues!

Then we get a very strange epilogue.






(The bug in the lab coat gives of a very Morrison-ish vibe to me. Not in a derivative way, just in that it's something I can see him doing.)

Plus, the issue had a little send off for the Mighty Mutanimals.

Comments

[psychop_rex.insanejournal.com]

I like this - the spiritual side of the TMNT. It's particularly interesting how Raph reacts to death, given his previous comments about how, being turtles, he and his brothers are going to outlive all their friends, oh joy oh rapture. I also like how his immediate mental reaction to "What could be nicer?" is "Some whipped cream." I don't know whether he's being kinky or not, but I actually kinda hope he's not - it's nice to think of such a cynical character having an innocent pleasure like a love of whipped cream. (Of course, that may have something to do with the fact that I personally adore the stuff, but still.)
The 'Turtle Island' bit is interesting, too - my take on the epilogue is that it's a somewhat dark bit of eco-pessimism. First we get this origin story for the Earth, and it's all nice and mystical and happy - then we cut to the 'real' story. The turtle (the Earth) is dying, or at least ill, its guardians (the beaver and the water beetle, the forces of nature), can do nothing for it - and this hurts the Creator, whose marvelous creation now seems to resemble a cancerous growth. And the cause of the turtle's sickness, and the Creator's discomfort? Us, of course, who misuse and abuse the bounties of Turtle Island, and by doing so, abuse the turtle, the mother, Mother Earth. The Earth has become a cancer in the Creator's side, and we're making it that way. Deep, dude. And depressing. And deep.