Talk in the recent BAF thread lead me to this old thread, so rather than create a new one, I thought I'd just revive this one.
With the NECA line dead, my dream comic line died with it
A dream line, as stevebarns already said, would be Hot Toys doing a first movie based line, but the chances of that are pretty much nil (unless the reboot does TDK like numbers in 2013... so again pretty much no chance)
My "realistic" dream line would be for Playmates to do a Classics line like Mattel is doing with MOTU and Bandai are going to do for ThunderCats when it relaunches later this year.
Like the MOTUC line, this line (let's be completely unoriginal and call it TMNT Classics) would all be done in the same style and would feature characters from Mirage, Image, Archie, Original Toon, 2K3 Toon, Movies, even The Next Mutation and the TMNT4 concept art. Which is kinda like the original line really, as that featured characters from Mirage, OT, Archie and Movie and they all fit together pretty well. The only exception to this would be TMNT variants such as OT and 2K3 accurate versions of the TMNT. Though I must admit, I'd be tempted to say TNM figures wouldn't have the initials on the belt buckles or scuplted abbs!
Like MOTUC, the bios on the characters could be used to create a single narrative for the TMNT
Like with ThunderCats, Playmates have an ideal opportunity to launch this type of line alongside the Nick Toon based line in 2012. My original plan was 20 waves (and there was still plenty of characters left to keep going), but I've cut that down to 14 waves, taken out quite a few secondary characters (most Mutanimals, Ninja Tribunal/Acolytes, Next Mutation villains, minor OT+2K3 villains, etc) and added a few more TMNT and Shredder variants to anchor the waves as I felt this was more realistic.
So here's what I'd do;
Wave 1 - Fall 2012
Leonardo (Mirage Comics)
Raphael (Mirage Comics)
Michelangelo (Mirage Comics, with Klunk)
Donatello (Mirage Comics)
Splinter (Mirage Comics)
Shredder (Mirage Comics)
Foot Soldier (Mirage Comics)
Wave 2 - Spring 2013
Leonardo (Original Toon)
Raphael (Original Toon)
Michelangelo (Original Toon)
Donatello (Original Toon)
April O’Neil (Reporter, with Mousers) (blue costume variant)
Krang’s Android Body (Large Size Figure)
Bebop
Rocksteady
Foot Soldier (Robot)
There would be a break in summer 2013 for a wave of Movie Classics based on the first movie to coincide with the new movie. If likeness rights for April, Casey and Tatsu were available these would be all new, if not then I'd just re-release the old Movie Star TMNT, Splinter, Foot Soldier and do a new Movie Star Shredder in the old style.
Wave 3 - Fall/Winter 2013
Casey Jones (Original Toon/Early Mirage Comics)
Ninjara
Elite Guard
Baxter Stockman (Fly)
General Tragg
Over the summer break it would be accessed if it was viable for the line to continue (in store or in smaller numbers/higher price online like MOTUC). If not then there would be an Original Toon variant of Shredder released with Wave 3. This would allow fans a relatively complete set of core Early Mirage Comics/Original Toon characters (plus Ninjara).
Wave 4 - Spring 2014
Leonardo (2K3 Variant - coloured bandanas and different skin tones)
Donatello (2K3 Variant - coloured bandanas and different skin tones)
Radical
Metalhead (Original Toon, not Mirage)
Triceraton Warrior
Wave 5 - Summer 2014
Michelangelo (2K3 Variant - coloured bandanas and different skin tones)
Raphael (2K3 Variant - coloured bandanas and different skin tones)
Fugitoid
Armaggon
Rahzar
Wave 6 - Fall 2014
Splinter (TMNT Movie)
Utrom
Shredder (Original Toon)
Tokka
Pimiko
Wave 7 - Winter 2014
Leonardo (The Next Mutation)
Venus de Milo
Leatherhead
Dragon Lord
Hun
Wave 8 - Spring 2015
Raphael (The Next Mutation)
Casey Jones (2K3/TMNT Movie)
Renet (Mirage, from “Masks”)
Shredder (2K3/Mirage Oroku Yoshi)
Verminator-X
Wave 9 - Summer 2015
Michelangelo (The Next Mutation)
Cyborg Donatello (Image Comics)
Usagi Yojimbo
Karai
Agent Bishop
Wave 10 - Fall 2015
Raphael as Shredder (Image Comics)
Donatello (The Next Mutation)
Hamato Yoshi
Granitor
Ultimate Ninja
Wave 11 - Winter 2015
Leonardo (TMNT IV: The Next Mutation Concept)
Irma
The Ancient One
Drako
Complete Carnage
Wave 12 - Spring 2016
Raphael (TMNT IV: The Next Mutation Concept)
“Dark Shadows” Shadow
Tengu Shredder (Revived Design)
Rat King
Vam Mi
Wave 13 - Summer 2016
Michelangelo (TMNT IV: The Next Mutation Concept)
Zog
Lady Shredder
Savanti Romero
Rank Warrior
Wave 14 - Fall 2016
Donatello (TMNT IV: The Next Mutation Concept)
April O’Neil (TMNT Movie)
Shredder (2K3 - Rogue in the House)
Slash
Fan Choice - OT/Archie character
Obviously if the line had to be cut short the waves would be re-adjusted as much as possible to get the more important characters out before it ended. On the other hand, if the line is successful then there's plenty of core character variants to anchor more waves (Archie accurate TMNT, Fast Forward, Archie Future TMNT, classic line variants, etc) and more than enough secondary and tertiary characters to fill double the number of waves.