Are IDW introducing too many characters?

[PizzaPower1985]

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?

[2K3]

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

[Utrommaniac]

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.

[PizzaPower1985]

^^^

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.

[DrSpengler]

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.

[CyberCubed]

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.

[Powder]

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.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

I think the comic is packed, but I don't think it's too many characters, though.

[staypuftweepel]

Yes, there’s way too many now. I haven’t really been enjoying Armageddon Game and the over abundance of new characters is part of the problem. It’s got the Mortal Kombat Annihilation (film) problem where they keep throwing as many new characters as they can in to the story and they move along so quickly it seems like there was no point in them being there at all. The Turtles roles are significantly reduced and out of the first 5 issues only Donatello’s arc stands out.

My biggest problem with the series is 5 issues in and it’s all been set up with not much of anything happening. I have 6 but haven’t read it yet. I think the alliance comics have been pretty pointless too.

[CyberCubed]

Its been a problem prior to issue 100 as well. Bringing Shredder and Krang "back to life" also complicated things, and it took them way too long to give Ch'rell something to do. Rat King and Null have essentially been stagnant for over 50+ issues for the most part.

[TheLabRat]

Another problem is how would they kill these villains, or remove them from the story in a way they can't come back? I can't expect The Turtles willing to kill these villains, since even Leo refuse to kill a demon. Most turtles can't even beat some minor vilains, like Gang of Four. These villains are either killed by other characters or be consumed by their own evil doings.

[Andrew NDB]

Leo won't kill a demon?

[ChosenOne]

More like an alien in this iteration but yeah, the Gang of Four schooling the Turtles was utter BS. Maybe if they'd kept them at a range it would've looked better.

[Dangv]

Yes.

Just the turtles alone. How many are there now? 12?

I can't keep up with the story, characters and spin-off/side releases anymore.

I gave up a while ago, keep trying to get back into it but there's too much going on. At the same time it feels like nothing is really happening (if that makes sense). I lost interest and hope this event will kill off many of these useless characters and things will go back to normal.

[CyberCubed]

There's more side characters than anything else.

[Jeff]

For a 40 year old franchise and a 12-year-long comic run that has about 300 issues in the main title, minis/one-shots/etc, there are not too many characters. I think the issue sometimes is focusing on certain characters (Rat King/Old Hob, for example) for too many issues takes away the possibility of highlighting some of the other characters that haven't had space to grow.

[CyberCubed]

The issue is more that there's too many characters in the story at once or the same time. We literally got a new character like Carmen introduced not too long ago, and already she's a background character because they have no time to do anything with her. We've had villain plots like Ch'rell and Null dangling for years because there was never enough time to do anything with them.

It seems every new "arc" they introduce like 5+ new characters but also keep all the old ones around, so naturally it gets crowded and half the characters wind up doing nothing anyway.

[TheLabRat]

Originally Posted by Jeff

For a 40 year old franchise and a 12-year-long comic run that has about 300 issues in the main title, minis/one-shots/etc, there are not too many characters. I think the issue sometimes is focusing on certain characters (Rat King/Old Hob, for example) for too many issues takes away the possibility of highlighting some of the other characters that haven't had space to grow.

Old Hob's story development is still poorly written. He said it was all in his plan make mutants no longer dependent on Mutanimals. I'm just confused. It's like the writers want us pretend to believe that Hob is a super mastermind.