TMNT #30 Preview/Discussion

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by BabyTurtles

I think Ross Makes the turtles look 14

I like it~

I could buy that, but don't tell me they look 17/18 they don't they look pre-pubesent.

[Rooish]

Interesting points about the Turtles looking very young and cute and even effeminate...

Except for Raph, they have no muscle at all. It's a little silly, seeing as they are trained to fight. But yeah, Leo with his leggings especially looks a little girly. Also, it's odd seeing him SO much smaller than Don. I can sort of tolerate Don being taller and thinner, but Ross draws him quite a bit broader-chested than Leo. Its kind of odd.

I still like it better than Santolouco's ugly look for Don and Mikey. I'm sort of nitpicking Ross. But yeah he makes everyone look warm and fuzzy.

Also, wasn't it a little silly of Mikey to start a fire where April's parents could see? Typical Mikey.

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Man, that's a really good observation and one I've wanted to talk about at length for a while. I think I'll write an article about it at my site.

But yeah, since the very beginning, the "teenage" in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" has been the least valued segment of the title. The characters very seldom look, act or are treated like teenagers. More like miniature adults regardless of age. Even Eastman and Laird discarded any notions of treating them as teenagers by the third issue of the comic, with April regarding them as peers and offering to fetch them beers from the kitchen (and by issue #5 they were hanging out at bars).

If anything, the "Teenage" part of the title is more an artifact from when the comic was a one-shot parody of contemporary Marvel/DC trends.

It's actually to the point now that when the Turtles are depicted looking or acting like teenagers... we think it's "weird". Which is sort of funny.

So I decided to write that article: What Happened to the "Teenage" in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"?

If anything, the more I thought about it, the more I've come to appreciate the Nick cartoon and New Animated Adventures comics. The idea that an adaptation that treats the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as teenagers seems "weird" or "different" is just totally bizarre. You kind of wonder why they weren't depicted this way decades ago.

[Veg]

Originally Posted by spookycookies

My favorite part of this issue had to be Mikey's bonfire, what a great callback.

Callback to what?

[DarkLightDragon]

Got this issue yesterday. Good read.

Liked all the interactions. Love seeing Leo finally coming around. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, even in death, a mother's love for her family is eternal, and Tang Shen perfectly embodies that with her comforting and wise words to both him and Splinter. Also liked even Raph finally giving Alopex a chance with the "Have a dog and come sit with us where it's warmer" gesture. And no, I didn't take it as some form of shipping or the start of one.

Though one thing I'm kind of wondering about, and correct me if I'm wrong since I've kind of been missing out most of CityFall but, is it explained how Koya managed to find them in Northampton, or will that been mentioned next issue?

[Tazi]

Originally Posted by DarkLightDragon

Though one thing I'm kind of wondering about, and correct me if I'm wrong since I've kind of been missing out most of CityFall but, is it explained how Koya managed to find them in Northampton, or will that been mentioned next issue?

It wasn't yet, but you can see Koya in bird form in CF, catching a rat, and delivering it to Shredder. Quiet a foreshadowing, huh?

[DarkLightDragon]

Originally Posted by Tazi

It wasn't yet, but you can see Koya in bird form in CF, catching a rat, and delivering it to Shredder. Quiet a foreshadowing, huh?

Yeah, I recall that. Knew Koya was the hawk when he (or is it she? Kind of a gender-neutral name) was revealed.

[Tazi]

Me, and a few other actually speculated that the new mutant in Northampton will be Koya even before we seen her. I mean, she had almost a full page for her, and got a name, it was kinda suspicious even before the solicits and all, it was likely that she gonna get some role later.

Oh and he is a she.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by Rooish

Interesting points about the Turtles looking very young and cute and even effeminate...

Except for Raph, they have no muscle at all. It's a little silly, seeing as they are trained to fight. But yeah, Leo with his leggings especially looks a little girly. Also, it's odd seeing him SO much smaller than Don. I can sort of tolerate Don being taller and thinner, but Ross draws him quite a bit broader-chested than Leo. Its kind of odd.

I still like it better than Santolouco's ugly look for Don and Mikey. I'm sort of nitpicking Ross. But yeah he makes everyone look warm and fuzzy.

Also, wasn't it a little silly of Mikey to start a fire where April's parents could see? Typical Mikey.

Thank you!!! exactly!!!

Originally Posted by Veg

Callback to what?

First movie????

[Rhio2k]

Originally Posted by DarkLightDragon

is it explained how Koya managed to find them in Northampton, or will that been mentioned next issue?

Didn't anyone here find it odd how an arrow from a high-power bow only penetrated like 2 inches into Alopex's arm (and what about the fact that Karai chose not to aim for her torso, which was a fatal and EASIER target? No, she wanted Alopex to be mostly unhindered by the arrow and ambulatory enough to lead the Foot to the turtles, or at least to be found later and re-captured)? I'm thinking it was used to carry a small tracking device on the head, which is still in the wound, which has yet to close. (Alopex really should tend to it instead of moping around. She acts like she doesn't care if it gets infected or not).

[Turns]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

Ross makes them look 12-13 or prepubescent or even feminine.

Very true, I love Campbell's art but his turtles have a tendency to look more akin to toddlers than teenagers.

Another great issue but I wasn't impressed by any of the covers unfortunately.

[LittleBlueHero]

I just need to comment again on how much I love these last two covers.

And yes I thought the bonfire was a nice look back at how the Turtles came together in the first film.

Clearly Alopex will get accused of leading the foot to them by Raph, and how she reacts will shape her fate and the remaining time she spends with the Turtles.

My personal hope is that we get an issue that is focused on Casey and April at some point in the series maybe they take a night out and really talk about whats going on, just to get to know them a bit better as a couple.

[SwiftNinjaFox]

*cautiously pokes head in*

Finally decided I'd post on these forums (hello all).

Still kicking myself for not jumping back on board TMNT when IDW series launched. Paying for it in back issue hunting on the first 12 issues now, of course.

But anywhos, picking up my copy of issue 30 tomorrow (been out of town), but with 29 and the preview in 30 I saw here, figured I'd throw this out there...

Am I the only one that was hoping there'd be more to develop between Leo and Alopex? I'm not talking a romantic angle, but just a relationship of respect and friendship? Her turning against Shredder is essentially steeped in a sense of anger and revenge over her loss of family and she snapped when he had her old home destroyed.

Now she's seeing Leo pull away from his family because of what Shredder did. At the end of 29, I couldn't help but think of her being the catalyst to push Leo back towards his real family.

Or maybe I just want Leo and Alopex to be closer so there's more reason for Leo/Raph conflict. I do enjoy seeing those two as foils to one another when there's more underlying the differences than just their personalities.

[FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza]

#30 was alright, nothing too crazy. Good story.
I agree with what has been said, I been a fan of Campbell's work for awhile (I own his manga from Tokyopop), but I wasn't too crazy about his work in this issue.
The Turtles looked too "cute" and Alopex looked way too... "furry", also.

I dont know if it's just me, but I'm getting kinda tired of the Alopex character. Could just be the writing or because of where we are in the story.

[thebrownranger]

Originally Posted by FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza

The Turtles looked too "cute" and Alopex looked way too... "furry", also.

Tbh, I've never been a fan of Campbell's work in TMNT. It's hard for me to take them seriously b/c as stated above, they look "cute" and they look too young for me. And I seriously hope IDW doesn't start flirting with the idea of Raph or Leo starting a "relationship" with Alopex. Seems a bit cheesy to me.

Overall I liked this issue, especially where Mikey is narrating when Donnie's taking care of Splinter's leg and April's mom explains what happened at Stockgen in the past.

[Joey Kamikaze]

I'm liking these issues... if SHotFC and #21 were the prelude to City Fall, this arc feels like the epilogue.

Actually, I'm thinking of going back and doing another re-read from the beginning and blogging on the various story arcs thus far... I need an excuse to update my site. I haven't done a re-read since Krang War, and all my past re-reads have made me appreciate just how far this book has come since #1. The series needed this breather.

Remember during the first year when people were complaining things were moving too slowly?

[HaNotsri]

I actually think Ross Campbell's art is some of the best I've seen on IDW's run on TMNT.

[Powder]

Pretty much everything I said last time applies to my views on this issue too. Plus I love that in and of itself it was a nod to Vol. 1 # 11, and that it had a sort of tribute to the first film in it as well. Really turning out to be the best arc so far IMO.