TMNT #81 Preview and Discussion

[AlZarkovski]

Full preview coming soon. First look:

Spoiler:

[Utrommaniac]

This is all a very serious scene and all, but from the depiction of the music notes, all I can imagine is that one cover of My Heart Will Go On played badly on a recorder.



(Now...if someone actually would depict what that music sounds like, that would be a real treat . I guess anything would sound good after the situation that's just happened)

[ChosenOne]

I'm excited about this arc. For such an integral and celebrated part of the TMNT mythos, IDW Rat King - while nicely written and depicted - hasn't yet had his turn as a real villain in the comic, so this should be good. I hope he does something to mess with Splinter's head, too.

Those first few pages remind me of a similar story in one of those UK TMNT comics that used to be published as backup stories to Archie issues in my country when I was kid, I think it had something to do with the Pied Piper and he eventually mind-controlled Splinter. Ah, the memories!

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

I'm excited about this arc. For such an integral and celebrated part of the TMNT mythos, IDW Rat King - while nicely written and depicted - hasn't yet had his turn as a real villain in the comic, so this should be good. I hope he does something to mess with Splinter's head, too.

I'll second that. He's been a villain in #36 (and sorta kinda barely in the April/Casey mini-series)... but other than that, he just sort of lurks. Time to shine, Rat King. Give us nightmares.

[Utrommaniac]

His lurking around and being cryptic makes me think of that one bit in Freakazoid.

"[Maniacal laugh] You want to see something strange and mystical?"
"NO!!!"

And now he's actually doing something.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I don't begrudge him the lurking. I'm just eager to see him step up and wreak some real havoc.

His antics at the Pantheon reunion were quite entertaining. I wonder how his brand of chaos will work in the NYC rubble and aftermath...

[bushido]

Full preview here.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

If RK is actually leading people to commit suicide, I'm all in. IDW TMNT needs some dark... RK's been trading banter, now it's time for him to get real.

[Utrommaniac]

Welp...I had a feeling that was going to be the situation. But wow.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Welp...I had a feeling that was going to be the situation. But wow.

Yes,but "why" is my question? Is it just as simple as he can and its chaos, like the Joker approach or is there more of a goal that he has in mind. I mean he has been sitting on the sideline for how many centuries?

[Utrommaniac]

I dunno, I would say sending multitudes of people to drown is a pretty good way to cause some chaos.

Especially so close to a city that's already in ruins, and now you add Ocean Corpses to the mix. That's part of why The Plague spread the way it did. Besides the rats, of course.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

So I guess each villain gets a major "holy crap" moment.

Shredder killed little kids; Krang was gonna wipe out an entire planet; Bebop and Rocksteady killed Donatello; Bishop curb-stomped his wheelchair-bound father; and Rat King lures hundreds to drown themselves.

Awesome.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

So I guess each villain gets a major "holy crap" moment.

Shredder killed little kids; Krang was gonna wipe out an entire planet; Bebop and Rocksteady killed Donatello; Bishop curb-stomped his wheelchair-bound father; and Rat King lures hundreds to drown themselves.

Awesome.

What did Cyclons do or Klingons? J.K.

Hob will get his at the resolution of the Slash as Agent Bishop's mind controlled slave plot.

Splinter got his ordering Darius Dunnn's death so its not exclusive to villains.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Leatherhead slaughtered Utroms and devoured Krang! I forgot about that one...

[Allio]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

Yes,but "why" is my question? Is it just as simple as he can and its chaos, like the Joker approach or is there more of a goal that he has in mind. I mean he has been sitting on the sideline for how many centuries?

we know he has killed a bunch of children at least considering he is the pied piper. He has probably killed alot of people. It's probably his fault that Hypno got his pokedex entry.

[Utrommaniac]

To be fair, Krang has probably wiped out multiple planets. We know of two for sure. It's a little ironic, since it's a very Quanin-like move - and Ma'riell at the very least hoped that he would keep it together enough to not do that.

He's got the highest body count, with the Rat King coming in second probably. It's probably degrees on "what the fvckery" where they differ.

[ProphetofGanja]

I'm freaking hyped, people! Bring on the Rat King!

[Utrommaniac]

Wow! Wow, a lot happened here a mile a minute here!

Spoiler:

New York citizens breaking into violence! Gangs getting their hands on alien weaponry! The Rat King just sending people to their doom for fun! Things going so topsy turvy that Casey and Hun are making amends a little bit! The Foot-EPF Truce continuing! Implications that when the EPF eventually attack Burnow Island, it will be for the Triceratons! The "jumping in front of the moon" frame!

Pretty cool issue all things considered; lots of ways to build from here.


Something just seems kind of weird about the potential that they'd go to Burnow for the Triceratons. I guess that means they're considering the Utroms "mostly harmless". Even though they have a giant golf ball of destruction that should obviously be the reason for the terraformed the air around the island, even without a lot of evidence for it. And created the Triceratons, which the EPF knows somehow.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Great issue. Loved the Hun/Casey stuff, the Stockman stuff...

The final page.

I still have some editorial/writing problems with a couple of things, though.

#1. I don't believe that Splinter would ever be okay with allying himself with Bishop, who has a mind-controlled mutant turtle in his thrall. And nothing in the writing has given any hint as to why Splinter would put up with this.

That's like wearing a shirt that says "I'm going to bed Bob's wife Lizzie" to Bob and Lizzie's anniversary party. At the very least, in very bad taste... and it's probably a good indication of what the guy is going to try to do very, very soon.

#2. Burnow Island. This still remains a thorn in my side. Why, oh why, is Burnow Island not higher up on the EPF's priority list? Okay, so Bishop doesn't actually know Krang was an alien. But did nobody get any surveillance images of the Technodrome being built? That surely doesn't look like Earth tech. Did nobody get any sensor readings of the terraforming incident?

I get not every story can be explored right now. But... this is the worst example of putting off an important task that I've ever seen. Bishop needs to write his doctoral thesis by the end of the week, and he's doing the laundry and weeding the garden and clipping the dog's nails. Sheesh.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Great issue. Loved the Hun/Casey stuff, the Stockman stuff...

The final page.

I still have some editorial/writing problems with a couple of things, though.

#1. I don't believe that Splinter would ever be okay with allying himself with Bishop, who has a mind-controlled mutant turtle in his thrall. And nothing in the writing has given any hint as to why Splinter would put up with this.

That's like wearing a shirt that says "I'm going to bed Bob's wife Lizzie" to Bob and Lizzie's anniversary party. At the very least, in very bad taste... and it's probably a good indication of what the guy is going to try to do very, very soon.

#2. Burnow Island. This still remains a thorn in my side. Why, oh why, is Burnow Island not higher up on the EPF's priority list? Okay, so Bishop doesn't actually know Krang was an alien. But did nobody get any surveillance images of the Technodrome being built? That surely doesn't look like Earth tech. Did nobody get any sensor readings of the terraforming incident?

I get not every story can be explored right now. But... this is the worst example of putting off an important task that I've ever seen. Bishop needs to write his doctoral thesis by the end of the week, and he's doing the laundry and weeding the garden and clipping the dog's nails. Sheesh.

I see it like this as far as Splinter allying himself with Agent Bishop, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". That was the mentality that the U.S. had in regards to Stalin lead Soviet Union during World War II. Yes, Joseph Stalin is a threat who stands against our way of life and constitutional freedoms,but there is a greater threat that hurts both the U.S. and Soviet Union. Team up and remove the mutual threat then deal with each other right after. Splinter would recognize that Agent Bishop stands against the personal liberty that Splinter stands for with his mind control over Slash. Its just Splinter needed Agent Bishop just as the U.S. needed the Soviet Union who also had beef with Germany. Once the threat is removed as I said Splinter might immediately turn his attention to eliminating Agent Bishop's threat in a cold war. Perhaps the history comparison can help with Splinter's reasoning. History does repeat itself after all, just ask Hitler as he did it twice and did not learn from it. What Splinter does from this point its up to Kevin and Tom,but I can understand "why" up to the end of the Triceraton incident. I do hope Splinter calls Agent Bishop out for starting the whole invasion in the first place with his shoot first ask questions later method. That is a hot topic in current events today.