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Old 10-16-2017, 10:13 AM   #1
PizzaPower1985
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Question Are IDW introducing too many characters?

Okay, so I haven't been on here in ages but have been following IDW TMNT religiously and while I still think Tom Waltz and Co. are an ingenious bunch (this is the best TMNT incarnation IMO) I wonder if by the early 60s in terms of issue #, are there too many characters in the series now?

I personally think the IDW team has done a masterful job at introducing the Mutanimals and the story is still very engaging... but the TMNT may be starting to feel like guest stars in their own book. What do you guys think? Is it just me?

Either way I hope the series continues well past issue #100.

What say you guys?
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Old 10-16-2017, 10:40 AM   #2
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Not really; in any other comic, it could be an problem. However, Tom and Kevin have done a good job at creating certain groups and story-lines where only certain characters should appear
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Old 10-16-2017, 10:43 AM   #3
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I've heard that description a lot, and I personally disagree. Very strongly in fact. If the Mutanimals were dominating most of the stories, for instance, then that would be a reasonable complaint. But they don't.

I also feel like it really takes time to develop "extra" characters. Kitusne's Big Plan wasn't revealed for six years. The Mutanimals took their time, and it took Hob developing into his own (cat)man for that to happen. And after it might make sense for him to 'disappear' for a while. I even forgot that he used to work for Stockman on some occasions .

Ch'rell was even introduced last year and still hasn't been barrelled out like the Chekhov's Gunman that he is. It looks like he's set up to come into the story with fire and brimstone, but it's not time for that yet. Because there are other things for the main characters to do.

For all the new characters that come along, they take their time. Because what the turtles are doing is a little more important to the story than what they're doing, even when their paths cross.
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Old 10-16-2017, 10:51 AM   #4
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Thumbs up

^^^

Thanks. I started this thread because I wasn't sure how I felt about the "too many characters" argument. I'd like to see what more folks think too. Let's hope more chime in.
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Old 10-16-2017, 10:57 AM   #5
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While IDW has introduced a lot of characters, I think they've managed to balance their use fairly well. It helps that there's never less than 3 titles a month with which to spread them all out, so the expanded cast rotates in and out at a mostly consistent basis.

I don't think that the Turtles are so much guest stars in their own book, I think the matter is more that they're relatively static characters. They can't develop in the same way as original characters or secondary characters like Hob and the Mutanimals, so their personalities and routines can feel a little stale in comparison to some of the more dynamic personalities. But it is a double-edged sword, though.

Even if Viacom allowed the writers to evolve the Turtles past their gimmick or theme song-based personality types, you'd eventually end up with characters that were either unrecognizable as who they are, or boring because they've overcome the flaws that made them colorful. It's a tightrope walk that eventually hits any long-running licensed comic and is ultimately the reason why original or supporting characters are so important; they get to do the developing that the core characters can't.

To be critical, though, I think that maybe the Turtles have been too reactionary, lately. Bad stuff finds them and they react to it; they don't display a lot of initiative. Admittedly, this goes back to the Mirage comic and tends to be how they're most commonly portrayed, but it gets a little dull when they're reduced to passive participants in adventures that find them, rather than exercising any control of their lives or narratives.

I mean, Hob and Krang and Bishop and Null and Kitsune and Rat King and even Splinter are all out there working angles, moving things along and getting crap DONE. The Turtles have just been along for the ride, lately.
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Old 10-16-2017, 11:30 AM   #6
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While I don't agree, this is kinda why I feel old characters should have their arcs wrapped up. Like how Darius was literally killed off, or how Shredder is dead (for now, anyway, we know he'll be revived).

After issue 50, Karai for example had no screentime in the book until her Universe 4-parter. She was just completely absent in every issue from #51 till now. For such an important character like Karai, I feel like we should have caught up on her a lot earlier in Japan. After her Universe arc ends we also don't know how long it'll be till she shows up in the main series again. I was actually eager to see how she'd react to Splinter controlling the Foot Clan, but I guess we'll have to wait for that.

There are other characters IDW waited a long time to do things with, like Leatherhead, or the Triceratons or Bishop that we're only just now exploring. All these characters were hinted/name dropped/had cameos very early before they got any focus. There's also others like Ch'rell that were introduced but still sitting "on the bench" waiting to be used. I don't mind previews to characters early on, but when we're waiting nearly 2 years later for a character to do something, it feels a bit odd.

In a way IDW has introduced a lot of main characters, not to mention all the new Patheon characters we've just seen and haven't been explored yet, or how some Mutanimals like Mutagen Man are just kinda there, but I guess all will be explored in due time.
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Old 10-16-2017, 05:36 PM   #7
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I don't think there are too many in general (maybe too many mutants, however), but sometimes I feel there are too many in certain scenes/issues, if that makes sense. On occasion it does feel like they're guest stars, but not to an extent that I felt necessary to bring up previously.

Spengs makes some good points, as well.
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Old 10-16-2017, 05:39 PM   #8
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I think the comic is packed, but I don't think it's too many characters, though.
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Old 10-16-2017, 05:59 PM   #9
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Well there are a LOT of recurring characters and villains now if you add everyone up.

Baxter, Bebop/Rocksteady, Hun, Karai, Koya/Bludgeon, Rat King/Kitsune and the whole Pantheon, Old Hob and all the Mutanimals (which is about 7 more characters in itself like Slash, Mondo Gecko, Mutagen Man, Pigeon Pete, Herman, Sally and Man Ray), Lindsey, Leatherhead, Bishop, Null, Krang, Hakk-R, Jennika, Fugitoid, Neutrinos, Metalhead who now has his own mind, etc.

This is not even counting the minor characters or characters who have been done away with that we might not see again, like Jammerhead/Street Phantoms, etc.
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Old 10-19-2017, 09:04 AM   #10
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I wonder if the Mutanimals will ever eventually leave the series and just occasionally show up as guest stars. We have to assume that IDW's run is going to be short-lived (probably less than 200 issues though I hope not) and I would like to see more focus put on the turtles and less on Hob's brotherhood of mutants style arcs. If there is going to be a human vs mutate war, like Hob suspects I can't wait. Maybe after the Mutanimals will disappear or disband or something. It's not that I don't like them, its just that this is not their book!
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Old 10-19-2017, 11:43 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by PizzaPower1985 View Post
I wonder if the Mutanimals will ever eventually leave the series and just occasionally show up as guest stars. We have to assume that IDW's run is going to be short-lived (probably less than 200 issues though I hope not) and I would like to see more focus put on the turtles and less on Hob's brotherhood of mutants style arcs. If there is going to be a human vs mutate war, like Hob suspects I can't wait. Maybe after the Mutanimals will disappear or disband or something. It's not that I don't like them, its just that this is not their book!
It's ironic you say that; but with what they've been building towards since the 50th milestone, I'm half expecting a civil divide to happen with the Mutanimals (those that follow Hob's beliefs and those who don't).

I just don't want them to go the way of the Archie Mutanimals... that's just too awful to think of (considering the Gang of Four have just been introduced in the IDW-verse)!
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Old 10-19-2017, 11:47 AM   #12
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IDW TMNT is probably going to last at least 10 years. We started in 2011, we'll reach issue #100 by...2019, I think? I didn't do the math but somewhere around there.
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Old 10-19-2017, 12:15 PM   #13
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It's ironic you say that; but with what they've been building towards since the 50th milestone, I'm half expecting a civil divide to happen with the Mutanimals (those that follow Hob's beliefs and those who don't).
I too want this to happen, but to be fair, considering Bishop's actions and the EPF experimentation on some of them, the vast majority if not the entire team will now be in full support of Hob's ideals.

I have no idea how this and everything else on the plate can be wrapped up before #100, but the unforeseen road getting there will be half the fun!
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Old 10-19-2017, 12:23 PM   #14
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I too want this to happen, but to be fair, considering Bishop's actions and the EPF experimentation on some of them, the vast majority if not the entire team will now be in full support of Hob's ideals.

I have no idea how this and everything else on the plate can be wrapped up before #100, but the unforeseen road getting there will be half the fun!
Yeah, nobody's splitting from the Mutanimals in the current status quo. Only Slash was enough of a foolish idealist (thanks, Michelangelo) to do go off on his own.

Everyone else saw how that worked out.
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Old 10-19-2017, 12:45 PM   #15
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There's also whatever they do with Null, plus I totally forgot Dreadmon was introduced in one of the Universe issues.
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Old 10-19-2017, 12:48 PM   #16
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There's also whatever they do with Null, plus I totally forgot Dreadmon was introduced in one of the Universe issues.
Dreadmon is a part of the Null subplot, which we know ties into the Mutanimals and Bishop. I'm guessing there will be a major arc before the run-up to #100 where that whole conflict comes to a head. It's either that, or another Mutanimals mini.
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Old 10-19-2017, 12:56 PM   #17
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Well considering the Triceraton arc is 5 issues it will bring us up to issue 80.

After that there's only 20 issues till the big 100. So you're right, unless we get new mini's or Universe covers Null/Mutanimals, there's going to be quite a tight squeeze till number 100. I expect the Pantheon plot to take up most of the main series issues around that point and some stuff with Bishop, let alone if there are any breather issues.
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Old 10-19-2017, 01:04 PM   #18
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Well considering the Triceraton arc is 5 issues it will bring us up to issue 80.

After that there's only 20 issues till the big 100. So you're right, unless we get new mini's or Universe covers Null/Mutanimals, there's going to be quite a tight squeeze till number 100. I expect the Pantheon plot to take up most of the main series issues around that point and some stuff with Bishop, let alone if there are any breather issues.
Yeah, but we can expect 10 of those 20 issues to be Pantheon/Foot related. Vengeance and City Fall were both tons of issues compared to previous story arcs.

So that's two or three story arcs in between the Triceratons and the Pantheon. And you KNOW Bishop isn't going to be wrapped up very quickly.

Based on this reasoning, I don't expect Null to come to a head until after #100.
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Old 10-21-2017, 03:26 PM   #19
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one of my favorite arcs in a while has been issues 1 through 4 of Tmnt Universe.
there was plenty of time spent with the Turtles, lots of action, but also some very good dialog.
we got a few good moments with April, plenty with Baxter, and even got to know Zodi. but the main stars of the story were the Ninja Turtles.
Sometimes they don't get enough focus in their own series for my personal taste. i love the series, but at times i do find that annoying.
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Old 10-21-2017, 03:32 PM   #20
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Oh man, I completely forgot about Zodi till you mentioned her. I think that proves this topic, there's now a lot of new characters or mutants introduced that only have one or two appearances so far and are difficult to remember. And now we have Ocho tagging along with Karai too, which is another character in the pile.

I mean it's easy to remember the major characters, Mutanimals, and the main villains, but a lot of these side characters are getting lost in the shuffle. That's one of the reasons I wouldn't mind a "bloodbath" of sorts around issue 100, just to clean out the main cast a bit.
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