January 2021 Solicitations

[Diorm]

Originally Posted by Zog The Magnificent

Y'all could stand some positivity.

I'm a positive kind of person for this stuff and I was getting used to how good it was before #100. It's not only on this forum, but a lot of other people though it was getting boring, even on facebook.

You can build up a story to something bigger, but not to the detriment of making it more boring. How can you keep your sells like that?
"Ho yeah it's 10 really slow moving issues, but dont worry! It's gonna pay off in the end! Keep buying!" Really?

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Diorm

I'm a positive kind of person for this stuff and I was getting used to how good it was before #100.

That's because the last handful of arcs before #100 took place at seemingly breakneck speed. There was a big climactic finish scheduled and a whole lot of stuff to fit in before that, to the point that several ancillary issues were released to help tell the tale the ongoing alone couldn't and two issues of said ongoing were double the size. And ironically enough, some of the stuff in that home stretch, most prominently Jennika's mutation, could've used some decompression. We barely even saw her adapt to her new situation, the bandana thing was rushed... It was handled okay but could've been better if there had been more time. Now we have the opposite, things have slowed down to a seeming crawl, but I ask you: are they really any slower now than they were for the first two years of the comic? Or is the difference more felt because those two years covered familiar ground, introduced familiar characters, and right now we're at the point where very, very few TMNT iterations ever get, which is a post-Shredder/Krang world?

(Well, not really 'cause they both turned out alive, but you get my point.)

These things have a rhythm. An ebb and a flow. It's like breathing. What happens if you're constantly exhaling and never remember to inhale? You'll die. Same goes for a story. Patience, middle-aged grasshoppers.

[Powder]

Pacing is the last thing anyone's concerned about. People literally begged for a downtime arc, myself included. After all the "negativity", how is that your takeaway?

[Leo656]

The "OK Boomer" sh*t from the "positive" people doesn't make me wanna take anything they say seriously in the least, either.

C'mon.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Powder

Pacing is the last thing anyone's concerned about. People literally begged for a downtime arc, myself included. After all the "negativity", how is that your takeaway?

So what's the problem? That we're currently in the middle of a status quo that was Hob's plan all along, even if it's not going exactly as he planned? We've known something like this was coming since the handful of issues after Northampton.

Originally Posted by Leo656

The "OK Boomer" sh*t from the "positive" people doesn't make me wanna take anything they say seriously in the least, either.

C'mon.

I'm middle-aged myself, in case you're wondering, and I was going for a humorous sign-off there. See? Negativity.

That's "C'mon, man" to you, mister!

[Diorm]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

and right now we're at the point where very, very few TMNT iterations ever get, which is a post-Shredder/Krang world?

See, that's suppose to be interesting. Never before seen stuff! But it wasnt interesting enough for a lot of people. Then, as I can see, they're trying again to do their own take on something we already saw, this time from Archie comics.

And then again that's not true. A lot of iterations got to a post-shredder/krang world. That's usually where it ended. Maybe because what they did after was not good enough? I'unno.

Edit: Mirage was a post-Shredder since the first issue so scratch that.

[CyberCubed]

I do like the idea of mutant town in theory but all the humans adjusted to their life as animal people far too quickly. Probably would have been better to make it a no-mans land kind of thing where everyone was fighting for survival with Old Hob and other gangs fighting all the time

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Diorm

See, that's suppose to be interesting. Never before seen stuff! But it wasnt interesting enough for a lot of people. Then, as I can see, they're trying again to do their own take on something we already saw, this time from Archie comics.

And then again that's not true. A lot of iterations got to a post-shredder/krang world. That's usually where it ended. Maybe because what they did after was not good enough? I'unno.

So... Damned if they do (cover familiar ground with a twist), damned if they don't (cover new ground that might put off old fans)?

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I do like the idea of mutant town in theory but all the humans adjusted to their life as animal people far too quickly. Probably would have been better to make it a no-mans land kind of thing where everyone was fighting for survival with Old Hob and other gangs fighting all the time

I really, really wish all those other gangs Hob mentioned in #110 were in play. Heck, they might still be in the future and we're slowly being introduced to them. That would make things a bit more interesting, but there's always the risk of feeling like City at War Lite.

[Diorm]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I do like the idea of mutant town in theory but all the humans adjusted to their life as animal people far too quickly. Probably would have been better to make it a no-mans land kind of thing where everyone was fighting for survival with Old Hob and other gangs fighting all the time

I sure hope it's not the Batman "No man's land" you are referring to. That event was waaaay too long for nothing.

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

So... Damned if they do (cover familiar ground with a twist), damned if they don't (cover new ground that might put off old fans)?

Nah. They just need to do new stuff that's good.
I know! crazy right?

[skylord]

The biggest problem I see here is that fans seem to want TMNT to be exactly what it's been for most of its existence. When it leans into something that isn't action or heavy plot focus there's a lot of weird complaining about shippers, sjws, tumblr, deviantart, furries etc.

Feels like I took a portal back to 2016. really empty sounding complaints that boil down to tired buzzwords. Just because the comic has turned to focusing on slower character beats overall doesn't mean it's done being action oriented entirely. We know Sophie's run is going to end eventually and whether or not her style is your thing, there are people who will enjoy it.

Not saying you have to like it, but as a relative outsider, joining this community seems like a chore. I'm sure many new fans have peeked in here and left asap. Much of the criticism here seems more vitriolic than constructive.

[Diorm]

Originally Posted by skylord

Not saying you have to like it, but as a relative outsider, joining this community seems like a chore. I'm sure many new fans have peeked in here and left asap. Much of the criticism here seems more vitriolic than constructive.

Oh that it is. That's why I'm not really vocal usally. I just let other peoples talk for me. But when I do speak, it looks like I'm a negative prick like the others.
I just want my Ninja turtles to do ninja stuff with a good plot. That's not what I was getting lately.
It's like, using Batman, but instead of him doing detective stuff and beating bad guys with a good plot, it's every members of the stupid bat familly talking about their feelings... oh wait.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Diorm

Oh that it is. That's why I'm not really vocal usally. I just let other peoples talk for me. But when I do speak, it looks like I'm a negative prick like the others.
I just want my Ninja turtles to do ninja stuff with a good plot. That's not what I was getting lately.
It's like, using Batman, but instead of him doing detective stuff and beating bad guys with a good plot, it's every members of the stupid bat familly talking about their feelings... oh wait.

That was bound to happen. The four of them lived in isolation for a long time, away from the world, always hiding from it. Now they're in a circumstance where not only is their father figure gone, but they can actually step outside and live like normal people among their equals for the first time in their lives. The Turtles are growing up in front of our eyes by shedding their isolationist, pessimistic view of the world and embracing this new society of mutants with all its problems and quirks. They're branching out into the world, making new connections, meeting new people, romantic interests even... These Turtles won't be Teenage for much longer. I find that fascinating. And with all those new connections come new reasons to fight, to protect and defend their new loved ones. Their students at the dojo. Martial arts (ninja stuff) are still at the forefront of the story, they never stopped being. We've just been seeing the groundwork laid out for what's to come in that regard, and #110 already started to deliver.

Originally Posted by Diorm

Nah. They just need to do new stuff that's good.
I know! crazy right?

You mean like giving the Turtles a dojo to run with actual students and Saki as their ally?

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

I'm middle-aged myself, in case you're wondering, and I was going for a humorous sign-off there. See? Negativity.

That's "C'mon, man" to you, mister!

I'm sorry. Given the general tone of discourse around here I'm always forced to assume the median age of the forum is about 17. Y'know, given how "mature" people often are about their difference of opinion and whatnot.

[martinitolove]

Now issue # 113 sounds to be most interesting so far since # 100. We have Oroku Saki, time travel (hope to see the big bosomed wonder again), a fresh take on the newly established by Sophie characters and two additional hench mutants for Karai. I hope for either Tokka & Rahzar, or Fishface & Rahzar - anyway Rahzar should be finally in!

I'll love to see more art of Sophie! I remember this from a while ago. Hope they'll make it finally into the IDW universe!



PS: Tokka could be one of the surviving Slash clones

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I'm sorry. Given the general tone of discourse around here I'm always forced to assume the median age of the forum is about 17. Y'know, given how "mature" people often are about their difference of opinion and whatnot.

Well, I tried to keep things respectful in this case and readily apologize myself if I failed to do so or even was perceived that way by you or anyone else. The problem with the Internet is that it doesn't convey one's tone very well through writing. Mine was 2/3 frustrated with the negativity, 1/3 humorous (as usual).

Originally Posted by martinitolove

Now issue # 113 sounds to be most interesting so far since # 100. We have Oroku Saki, time travel (hope to see the big bosomed wonder again), a fresh take on the newly established by Sophie characters and two additional hench mutants for Karai. I hope for either Tokka & Rahzar, or Fishface & Rahzar - anyway Rahzar should be finally in!

I'll love to see more art of Sophie! I remember this from a while ago. Hope they'll make it finally into the IDW universe!

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca88...n6T9F1kkn1EcZY

PS: Tokka could be one of the surviving Slash clones

What's one more turtle at this point? I say throw 'em in!

You know what would be cool? If Tokka were another clone of Slash and Rahzar were a clone of Splinter. I find it hard to believe Bishop didn't get his hands on Splinter's DNA through some sort of trickery.

[Ninjinister]

Originally Posted by Powder

You say build-up, I say Deviantart.

Almost literally every professional artist for the last 10 years have DeviantArt accounts. YOU have a DeviantArt account. How is this supposed to be an insult?

[skylord]

Deviantart is for chumps. Get a furaffinity already

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Ninjinister

YOU have a DeviantArt account. How is this supposed to be an insult?

You know good & well what I mean. Shipping, OC's, weird stuff that goes against what came before, etc. It was a dismissive blanket term to use, I'll grant you that.

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

So what's the problem?

I love "taking a breather" in comics & other works of media, especially with TMNT. Standalone stories that are introspective & character driven are the very foundation of TMNT, as they were Mirage's greatest strength & what makes the characters so relatable. But back then, the themes surrounding their age & identity were more broad, & poignant, whereas now it's channeled through petty interpersonal beefs, hitting the city for punk shows, falling for college girls, etc. That's not the "teen" part anyone should ever hone in on. The Mirage turtles ate hummus pockets, walked around in the nude, & were cooler than cool without having to fit anyone's mold. Now, with the outfits, motorcycle bullies, heart-throbs, it's trying a bit too hard, & feels like a John Hughes movie, with the heavy handed self-discovery & smoochy stuff.

It's very self indulgent in that it feels like Campbell's idealization rather than what the organic direction was or would have otherwise been. As a fan work, I'd be all for it, but not as the continuation of this series, whose identity was, as far as I'm concerned, very different from where we are now. I'm a big fan of Sophie's art work, always have been, but I think their creative control on a whole is a bit too much. I can't see much of what once was, in this, anymore. From what I've seen of other series' she worked on, it's a pattern. Maybe I'm wrong.

I've probably been or will be unintentionally disrespectful along the way, & if I've offended her in the process, I'm sorry. She knows I've long been a supporter, we used to chit-chat a bit, & I even made my own cringey fan comic years ago directly inspired by her style & Northampton arc. It's just tough to feel a complete disconnect with something I've held dear, knowing that if I voice my opinion, not only will the official staff see it & feel contempt, but that my view points will also be seen as baseless "negativity" & thrown in the bin as some kind of alt-right derivative. That goes for anything, nowadays, I guess.

As for a more general, bullet-point style breakdown of what puts me off, here goes:

-Radical design changes
-Tons of OC's out of no-where
-Too much importance assigned to said OC's
-For example adding ANOTHER new, female turtle, who is apparently now about to be some sort of bad-ass time traveling savior, going by January solicits
-Melodramatic, drawn out dialogue
-Lots & lots of crying
-Most of the cast getting paired up with a love interest (shipping)
-Overall very soft & "furry" feel
-Emphasis on female empowerment
-Goth concert shenanigans
-Too many mutants, taking away what makes the TMNT unique (this was already a problem but now it's ridiculous)
-Issues that low-key parallel the modern American social/political climate (would rather escape this stuff than be reminded)
-TMNT going about in 'public', leading 'normal' lives

Originally Posted by skylord

The biggest problem I see here is that fans seem to want TMNT to be exactly what it's been for most of its existence. When it leans into something that isn't action or heavy plot focus there's a lot of weird complaining about shippers, sjws, tumblr, deviantart, furries etc.

Feels like I took a portal back to 2016. really empty sounding complaints that boil down to tired buzzwords. Just because the comic has turned to focusing on slower character beats overall doesn't mean it's done being action oriented entirely. We know Sophie's run is going to end eventually and whether or not her style is your thing, there are people who will enjoy it.

Not saying you have to like it, but as a relative outsider, joining this community seems like a chore. I'm sure many new fans have peeked in here and left asap. Much of the criticism here seems more vitriolic than constructive.

While that may be the case for some, it's not for me. I've been rocking this Rise avatar for like two years, c'mon, 'nuff said. I champion that, The Next Mutation, Super-Mutant Legend, & Soul's Winter more than most people do. I love change, just not this change.

Generally speaking, I prefer self-containment over serialization, hangouts over action, so the shift from action to character building doesn't bother me at all. It's a TMNT mainstay, everyone knows that. Other than one guy, I've not really seen people make a fuss about the lack of "ninja stuff" but rather the same things I'm bugged by.

Complaints about fan-work tropes & brush-ups with identity politics have never really come up until this arc, don't act like that's a recurring theme when the combat stops. It's people like you, saying that any opinion you deem unkind is purely 'buzzwords' or 'vitriolic' or when it isn't, that prompts actual vitriol to come out, though I think even the harshest opinions have thus far been presented civilly, barring the exception of TommyT, who was banned months ago.

Also, I find it really interesting that you roll your eyes at us & dismiss these viewpoints when you haven't touched the book in Heaven knows how long & lack the proper context. Plus, you're not without bias, as you yourself are a self-confessed furry.

Originally Posted by skylord

Edit: Also not saying the current arc doesn't have problems (I haven't even read it yet!)

Originally Posted by skylord

I've got a problem with furries but that's because I am one.

[skylord]

Woah wall of text there buddy. I actually have been fine with how you've personally voiced criticism in the past.

Some users have been vitriolic and throwing around tired buzzwords but I didn't get that vibe from you so sorry if you feel personally attacked.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Powder

I love "taking a breather" in comics & other works of media, (...)

Fair points, all of them. I respect your perspective and don't think you're coming across as unpolite or disrespectful (frankly, I don't think any of us who've engaged in this discussion today are), but that's just my perspective. Others might feel different. I even agree with one or two of the issues you pointed out, if I'm being honest. I just want to point out one inconsistency: you can't say you preferred the organic approach to things from the first 100 issues and then turn around and criticize the sudden swell in the number of mutant characters, because this was always the most organic development of all. We knew Hob wanted an army. We saw him amassing mutagen. We saw the bomb go off before #100. The fact that Mutant Town has spun out of his control - if it ever was in his control - is beside that particular point. That and the Turtles going out in "public", living "normal" lives, came about completely organically.