TMNT #114 Preview and Discussion

[spookycookies]

I will say I did feel like 114 was an improvement. I really liked Donatello in this and his thoughts on revenge. I am thinking that we may see the team split into teams of 3 to take on each pair of super mutants.

My only question is that it seems like Renet would know who Jennika was if she knew Lita as an adult...

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by spookycookies

I am thinking that we may see the team split into teams of 3 to take on each pair of super mutants.

While Clan Hamato can fight Bebop and Rocksteady to - at the very least - a standstill, there's no way I can see that they'll win against Tokka and Rahzar without steering each pair against the other and letting them tire out during the ensuing brawl. That puts civilians at risk, of course, but it's damn better than the notion of taking Tokka and Rahzar back to the dojo (really? with the kids?). And I do wonder if we're gonna get yet another homage to the movie (the donut counts, right?) by having them wander into the Kennel Klub and fight on the dance floor...

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by spookycookies

My only question is that it seems like Renet would know who Jennika was if she knew Lita as an adult...

There are a few possible explainations:

1. Jennika is straight up dead and Renet simply never met her.
2. Jennika got cured and Renet simply don't recognise the turtle form.
3. Lita's timeline has already been averted and Renet just isn't familiar with anything regarding that outcome.
4. Lita could be from a timeline that already split off and is totally irrelevant.
5. Lita's story could just be full of lies to begin with.

One or a combination of some similar explainations could be a factor here. I said it before and I'll say it again, Lita's story can't be the actual future, it would be writer's equivalent of shooting oneself in the foot with a double barreled shotgun. Nobody sets the future of a serialised story in stone.

[lonewarrior20]

those little weasels get me right in the heart. speaking of little it worries me that lita said she forgot how little tokka and rahzar were. you really are getting ready to introduce kaiju to the tmnt universe aren't you sophie?

[CyberCubed]

This issue was pretty good overall and felt like some direction for the series is back again, for now at least. I really liked the art during the Jennika/Karai scenes, especially the dark shading on the eyes. It was great there, as well as the scene where Jennika asked Don if he wanted to kill Rocksteady/Bebop for smashing his shell. Really shows how great art can elevate a scene.

Rahzar/Tokka are huge, and we know they'll get even bigger when they mature from infants. I have no idea how that's going to go. Seems kinda limiting story wise since having huge 12-15 foot tall mutants around isn't an easy thing to write especially during a fight. I loved seeing them though.

And yeah, Mike noticed Tokka is another Turtle...with both Jennika and Lita with them, and previously his friend Slash. There's waaaay too many turtles in this series now.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by lonewarrior20

those little weasels get me right in the heart. speaking of little it worries me that lita said she forgot how little tokka and rahzar were. you really are getting ready to introduce kaiju to the tmnt universe aren't you sophie?

A little something from the 2012 cartoon. This is the TMNT "Ultimate" universe after all!

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

And yeah, Mike noticed Tokka is another Turtle...with both Jennika and Lita with them, and previously his friend Slash. There's waaaay too many turtles in this series now.

Don't forget the (dead) Slash clones and the second Lita!

[CyberCubed]

Bebop/Rocksteady in the mutant band future has now officially happened. I forgot which issue showed a fast forward of that but now it's done. I also forget isn't their dinosaur just a regular dinosaur and not a mutant? Why was it wearing clothes and seeming intelligent? It wasn't exposed to mutagen, right?

Also now that Karai/Koya/Bludgeon are all in the hospital hopefully some change happens here. Karai just going back to leading the Foot again and seeing the 100th fight with Koya/Bludgeon had run its course even way before issue 100. I hope there's some change coming up here.

Of course in nearly every TMNT universe Karai becomes an ally of the Turtles permanently, but I think the IDW version may be too far gone for that to happen. What she did to Jennika and the deaths in City at War can't really be brushed aside.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Bebop/Rocksteady in the mutant band future has now officially happened. I forgot which issue showed a fast forward of that but now it's done. I also forget isn't their dinosaur just a regular dinosaur and not a mutant? Why was it wearing clothes and seeming intelligent? It wasn't exposed to mutagen, right?

(...)

Of course in nearly every TMNT universe Karai becomes an ally of the Turtles permanently, but I think the IDW version may be too far gone for that to happen. What she did to Jennika and the deaths in City at War can't really be brushed aside.

The flashforward was in the Donatello Macro, along with several other bits of foreshadowing. As for their dinosaur, yes, it was just a regular dinosaur like Pepperoni, but unlike her, it was exposed to mutagen from repeatedly biting Bebop and Rocksteady and seems to have mutated somewhat, though to what extent isn't clear. Apparently it managed to hold and operate firearms, at the very least, but then again we don't know if that's not something a regular dromaeosaurid would be able to learn anyway.

Unless Karai is the surprise lead singer for Jennika's band that's mentioned in an upcoming solicitation...?

[hypered1]

Loved the donut reference back to the second film.

[Allio]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

And yeah, Mike noticed Tokka is another Turtle...with both Jennika and Lita with them, and previously his friend Slash. There's waaaay too many turtles in this series now.

Personally I don’t get this. It’s like saying that Kyuranger has too many rangers (being 12). And even then the grouping of the turtles seems clean cut.

Main turtles: Leo, Raph, Mike, Don, Jen

Extra turtles: Lita and Slash

Other: Tokka

Then again I can also understand this. The show Kamen Rider Ryuki was a huge turn off for a lot of people when it first came out because of it’s number of Riders (13) when the highest amount of riders of 30 years at that point was 3.

[lonewarrior20]

i find it ironic that mona just missed out on future lita. if she thought donnie's explanation on his family was something she couldn't deal with what the heck would she have thought of time travel especially if big head renet would have popped up then.

[benea]

holy guachamole the guys are in deep shell. and its not like raph to say retreat from any threat. i find rennet absolutely annoying and inexperienced. if jennika killed karai there will be no foot clan and who would be the main enemy then? raph was right to stop jennika. the weasles are cool. as for the shark dude, i think hes pretending to be nice. but anyway, glad some action is finally happening after a while. keep it at the action. its the main tmnt theme in all the franchises.

[Mutant Ninja Anole]

Mikey offered them a donut.

[lonewarrior20]

So, are sheena and Amy crazy enough to try and take on bebop and rocksteady since they know a little martial Arts? Then again the girls don't know who their dealing with. I don't think the kennel clubs going to be standing in the morning.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by lonewarrior20

So, are sheena and Amy crazy enough to try and take on bebop and rocksteady since they know a little martial Arts? Then again the girls don't know who their dealing with. I don't think the kennel clubs going to be standing in the morning.

Considering their heads would probably break like a watermelon if Rocksteady stepped on them, it is hardly a good idea.

[lonewarrior20]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Considering their heads would probably break like a watermelon if Rocksteady stepped on them, it is hardly a good idea.

True but we also havn't really seen what the bands like if their mad. Amy might just take a bite out of rhino hide for taking her guitar.

[MikeandRaph87]

I don't understand why Mona Lisa is going off on Michelangelo who needs to help tame and rein in Razhar and Tokka because he is too busy. The idea of protesting Hob is important? It will not change a thing. He is a villain, who is responsible for this mess. Mona's characterization is becoming laughable.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

Mona's characterization is becoming laughable.

Very generous of you to erroneously imply it wasn't always so. She even looks unbearably, eye-rollingly stuck-up and holier-than-thou.

[Mutant Ninja Anole]

I don't know, Hob's been showing chinks in his armor lately, and a real, honest to goodness mass mutant march down the street might have more impact than you think. Mass protests have destabilized countries in real life, and Hob does not have the resources to put down a huge mob of angry people in the streets. Seeing people rise up against him may bring him to a point of not wanting to deal with his role as would be leader. Though I question whether we'll see a real 'warts and all' portrayal of a street protest where things have a chance to turn very, very ugly.

With Mona overall, I'm weirdly okay with her portrayal of college activist girl, though I'm probably overoptimistic about the direction for her. She just seems like a lot of typical left wing activist college students from fairly well off backgrounds attempting to speak for the little person, and the idea of someone like that having to face homelessness, rejection from her family, the removal of most of the 'privilege' she enjoyed up to that point, etc. is actually very interesting to me. It's sort of what I actually enjoyed about the 'self help' meeting session, was that I felt we were getting into the way people who were down on their luck already might have been more accommodating of a situation like Hob's mutant bomb because it 'leveled the playing field' even if that functionally seems to put everyone in a bad position. Mona might see herself as an ally of those less fortunate but several of them might get a kick out of seeing her struggle to deal with the loss of things they never had to begin with. It's a chance for surprisingly mature character growth.

Admittedly that may not be what all of you want in a comic about Ninja Turtles And it also assumes the comic handles those themes well. Which, I mean, that's optimistic you know, but whatever.

What I'm saying is I don't mind Mona being a tad stuck up and self important if that's a developed character trait.

[lonewarrior20]

just had one of my crazy thoughts. jay saves the day by either stopping tokka and rahzar or bebop and rocksteady with his dangerous touch.