TMNTU #7 preview & discussion

[MikeandRaph87]

I thought I was the only one who thought about The Prestige explanation of teleportation used in #20.

So what exactly is the state of Metalhead? He is sentient but was not before Metalhead was used as a shell for Donatello. That is because Donatello was in him.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I wonder where Metalhead will go from here. Assuming he's not destroyed or shut-down in the next issue, will he just go off on his own and become a recurring character? Definitely don't see him staying at the lair now.

That's what I'm wondering. Is Donnie really going to kill himself? Unplug a copy of his own soul?

Deep stuff.

[myconius]

the more i read and re-read this issue Metalhead feels less of a soul living in a machine, but more of an imprint of memories/data.

if he truly had a soul then he'd have compassion for other living creatures, which clearly he does not.

he's something right out of a sci-fi/horror monster movie.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by myconius

the more i read and re-read this issue Metalhead feels less of a soul living in a machine, but more of an imprint of memories/data.

if he truly had a soul then he'd have compassion for other living creatures, which clearly he does not.

he's something right out of a sci-fi/horror monster movie.

so half the guys in prisons don't have souls lol. Interesting idea but i don't agree entirely.

I agree with your conclusion, but not the reasoning.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by myconius

the more i read and re-read this issue Metalhead feels less of a soul living in a machine, but more of an imprint of memories/data.

if he truly had a soul then he'd have compassion for other living creatures, which clearly he does not.

he's something right out of a sci-fi/horror monster movie.

I started to get that vibe at the end of the issue. When his eyes glowed red and he decided the logical choice was to eliminate the competition, I had flashbacks to the "His Silicon Soul" episode of Batman: The Animated Series, which also limited the A.I. to imprinted memories... mostly. As for Metal-Don, it's still hard for me to take a settled opinion. He really did seem excited at the sight of pizza.

[myconius]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

so half the guys in prisons don't have souls lol. Interesting idea but i don't agree entirely.

I agree with your conclusion, but not the reasoning.

this is supposed to be an imprint of Donatello's soul in the machine.

when Donnie first woke from his near death experience, he didn't go on a killing spree.

Metalhead only thinks he's Donnie but seems more just an advanced artificial intelligence with imprinted memories.


as for half the people in prison . . . .
they don't have the excuse of being a sentient flow of consciousness waking up inside a robotic body. OR maybe they DO????

[myconius]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

I started to get that vibe at the end of the issue. When his eyes glowed red and he decided the logical choice was to eliminate the competition, I had flashbacks to the "His Silicon Soul" episode of Batman: The Animated Series, which also limited the A.I. to imprinted memories... mostly. As for Metal-Don, it's still hard for me to take a settled opinion. He really did seem excited at the sight of pizza.

very excellent point!

i'll have to dig out the Btas DVD and re-watch that episode.

[spookycookies]

I think it was telling that Metal-Don shares exact personality traits as Donatello like favorite pizza toppings etc, but cannot recall specific past events. I think those gaps in memory are going to be a big part of making these 2 characters more unique down the road. I gotta say this was a good month for deep and interesting storytelling in TMNT...

[DrSpengler]

Here's my full summary and review of TMNT Universe #7 at TMNT Entity.

This was a very talky, reference-heavy issue (certainly saving all the action for Part 2), but it helped to sell Metalhead's evolution as a character. Dug all the references to events that helped shape Donnie's personal philosophies, from his talk with Fugitoid about the soul to that time he met himself in the future. It's certainly a well-researched story.

[myconius]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Here's my full summary and review of TMNT Universe #7 at TMNT Entity.

This was a very talky, reference-heavy issue (certainly saving all the action for Part 2), but it helped to sell Metalhead's evolution as a character. Dug all the references to events that helped shape Donnie's personal philosophies, from his talk with Fugitoid about the soul to that time he met himself in the future. It's certainly a well-researched story.

i really felt the same way that Adam Gorham's art style had a similarity to the look of the turtles in the first two live-action TMNT films.

it was very reminiscent to the Henson model's, but he added his own personal touches which was nice.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by funatic

If I were to try to get Peter Laird to start reading the IDW series, this is the first issue I'd show him: introspective, heavy on the sci-fi, and highlighting his favorite turtle... Though as soon as he saw Rocksteady name-dropped I think he'd call it quits

Originally Posted by neatoman

He gets a wig.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/...20080929144549

A bit off subject, but it is curious that Laird never warmed to the Playmates/Fred Wolf version of Metalhead. While I understand that the superhero Metalhead of Mirage comics likely preceded the development of the more familiar character, a robo-turtle seems like the concept that Peter Laird would find delightful. Laird has long had an affinity for drawing robots and mechanical contraptions with all the subtle details. His favorite character is probably Fugitoid. And Donatello, who seems to get stuck with fixing M.H. so often, is probably his favorite Turtle. Despite Laird's well-documented distaste of almost all things Fred Wolf, I would think Metalhead would have been the exception.

[spookycookies]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

A bit off subject, but it is curious that Laird never warmed to the Playmates/Fred Wolf version of Metalhead. While I understand that the superhero Metalhead of Mirage comics likely preceded the development of the more familiar character, a robo-turtle seems like the concept that Peter Laird would find delightful. Laird has long had an affinity for drawing robots and mechanical contraptions with all the subtle details. His favorite character is probably Fugitoid. And Donatello, who seems to get stuck with fixing M.H. so often, is probably his favorite Turtle. Despite Laird's well-documented distaste of almost all things Fred Wolf, I would think Metalhead would have been the exception.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Laird the one who didn't like there being too many other turtle characters since they would make the main 4 less unique? I'm not sure where I heard that but it makes sense to have come from him as far as I know.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by spookycookies

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Laird the one who didn't like there being too many other turtle characters since they would make the main 4 less unique? I'm not sure where I heard that but it makes sense to have come from him as far as I know.

I don't know about that,but that is his stance as to why he rather not go beyond Leatherhead as the only other mutant aside from the four turtles and Splinter. Aside from the six he likes monstrous mutants not Grounchuck,Dirtbag, Razhar, Tokaa, The Punk Frogs, etc. as the same humanoid animal with human level intellect if you get what i am trying to say.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by spookycookies

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Laird the one who didn't like there being too many other turtle characters since they would make the main 4 less unique? I'm not sure where I heard that but it makes sense to have come from him as far as I know.

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

I don't know about that,but that is his stance as to why he rather not go beyond Leatherhead as the only other mutant aside from the four turtles and Splinter. Aside from the six he likes monstrous mutants not Grounchuck,Dirtbag, Razhar, Tokaa, The Punk Frogs, etc. as the same humanoid animal with human level intellect if you get what i am trying to say.

Yeah, I remember Laird's comment being in reference to a perceived overabundance of mutants in the Fred Wolf toon. He thought all the mutants made the TMNT less unique. Maybe it was recorded on a 4Kids dvd as a special feature interview?

[CyberCubed]

You don't have to look for an old interview for that, he also said it many times on the letters pages for Volume 4 and on his blog over the last couple of years.

It's also why PL flat out told the 4kids writers not to use any of the old mutants in the 2k3 series. Given how much control he had over that series as you can see by him reworking the scripts and telling them what to do, it would have never flown.

The Evil Turtlebot is practically the 4kids version of Metalhead anyway, so I don't see what the difference is.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

You don't have to look for an old interview for that, he also said it many times on the letters pages for Volume 4 and on his blog over the last couple of years.

I'm glad you remember it. Got a specific citation to put my obsessive-compulsive-inclined brain at ease?

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

You don't have to look for an old interview for that, he also said it many times on the letters pages for Volume 4 and on his blog over the last couple of years.

It's also why PL flat out told the 4kids writers not to use any of the old mutants in the 2k3 series. Given how much control he had over that series as you can see by him reworking the scripts and telling them what to do, it would have never flown.

The Evil Turtlebot is practically the 4kids version of Metalhead anyway, so I don't see what the difference is.

The week after What a Croc aired I emailed Dan Berger to ask if that was Metalhead, the robot turtle. Dan thought so himself and went to Peter about it. He replied back it was a coincidence and had no intention of being Metalhead only a somewhat similar character.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

The week after What a Croc aired I emailed Dan Berger to ask if that was Metalhead, the robot turtle. Dan thought so himself and went to Peter about it. He replied back it was a coincidence and had no intention of being Metalhead only a somewhat similar character.

Heh. That sounds like classic Laird to me!

[DrSpengler]

I think "Evil Robot Turtle" is a generic enough idea that the three incarnations created thus far (Mecha Turtle, Metalhead, Turtlebot/Turtlenator) could have been dreamed up independently.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

I think "Evil Robot Turtle" is a generic enough idea that the three incarnations created thus far (Mecha Turtle, Metalhead, Turtlebot/Turtlenator) could have been dreamed up independently.

I dunno, that color scheme and overall design aesthetic seems mighty familiar...

http://www.retrorobotreview.com/robo...ust-metalhead/

That original Metalhead action figure was great, especially with the translucent head that gave him the appearance of glowing red eyes!