Favorite TMNT Comic Book Moments

[The Shelf]

I've scoured the comic book topics looking for something like this, and I was amazed that I couldn't find one, although I could have overlooked it. Tell us your favorite TMNT comic book moments. Describe the situation, give us the issue number if you can remember it, and tell us why you like it so much. It can include moments from absolutely any comic that has the turtles in it: TMNT Volumes 1, 2, 3, & 4; Tales Volumes 1 & 2; the Archie series; the Dreamwave series; Turtle Soup; etc. Absolutely any turtles comic that had a memorable moment for you.

I have several myself, but I'll start off with just this one for now...

In TMNT V4 #9, there is a sequence where Don walks through town, chats with a little girl, goes into the sewers, chats with Baxter, and then proceeds to blow him up. I love that scene because it contrasts Don's peaceful nature (when he talks with the girl) with how cold he can be to an old enemy who messes with a loved one (April). When he sits down with Baxter to convince him to help them heal April, he does so calmly and patiently. Once he realizes Baxter isn't going to help him, he picks up a gun, blows up Baxter, and says, "Goodbye, Baxter... Rot in hell," and walks off into the distance. Not to mention, he kept Baxter locked up down there for about fifteen years! That's hardcore. You have to wonder, though, if he did it out of his respect for life or if he merely wanted to keep Baxter around to study him and learn from him as he suggested in that scene.

I think that single scene sums up a lot of what Don's character is all about. Caring, respectful, and loving, yet analytical to the extreme, sometimes even appearing stone cold.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

FAVORITE

Image Volume III, #13, where Raphael is hiding in the wrecked Foot Clan warehouse headquarters. The entire Clan Ruling Council has just been massacred by Big Tony's mafia gunmen, and Raph is in this pitch-black hallway.

Then, he sees the Shredder's silhouette rise up out of the shadows. Raph immediately attacks, kicking the figure and snarling, "Damn you, Oroku Saki! How many times do we have to kill you!?" ... only to find that he's attacked an empty suit of armor.

No major insights into Raph's character, but that has been my alltime favorite scene.

RUNNER-UP

Mirage Volume I, #6, where the four Turtles are about to fight the Triceraton gladiators in the arena. Raph mutters something like "Friggin' hornheads. I'll kill 'em all!"

Leo tells him, "No, you won't. We're a team. And as a team, let's go kick some ass!"

It shows that Leo is the leader, and more in control... but he's just as deadly a weapon as his hotheaded brother.

[Time Mistress]

Oooh! Good topic! But oh too many to choose from.

Most shocking moments

Leonardo #1/Vol. 1 #10

Leo comes crashing through the window. "The Shredder...he's back..." Followed by hordes of Foot ninja soon after.

Do I really need to explain this one?

Vol. 1 # 28 Sons of the Silent Age

April's realization of the Turltes being the last and only ones of their kind.

The pannel layout for this page is amazing. Just the way April put it all together just as Raph gives her that accusing/haunting stare. Then, "Hold me Casey. Just hold me tight."


Most touching/tear jerking

The River Pt. 1 Vol. 1 #24

April: "No baby, not this time."

Raph has been "devolved" back to a normal petshop turtle. As his brothers leave to search for the Bloodsucker who did this to Raph, they each give a tearfull farewell to the brother who must stay behind. You can tell Raph wants to go with them so badly. It's heartbreaking for the four of them, wondering if they will ever be the team they were meant to be ever again.

City at War #63?

Splinter calls April daughter


Favorite Mike moments

Vol. 1 #11
Mike in the barn while Leo is recovering in Northhampton

Shows a frustrated, angry side of Mike we don't always see


Vol 2. #17

Mike slays the dragon and rescues the princess, but it's all just a story he's writing. I love the grim and gritty way Talbot draws Mike in the fight, but also for the first time we see Mike the writer which is a part of Mike's personality I just love. And Klunk is just so cute as well on that last page.

Tales Vol. 2 #9

Splinter compares his youngest son to a flower on the riverbank (lily or lotus?) and says he is uniquely following two paths that of the warrior and something more innocent as well.


Favorite Raph moments

Raphael #1

Raph tries to club Mike with a pipe and his horrifed reaction when he comes to his senses. This is a classic angsty Raph must deal with his anger scene.

City at War

Raph's fight with Leo and their later reconcilation. Raph kicks Leo's butt and heads back to NY to kill Shredder on his own. But Raph gets in too deep. Leo saves Raph's life. Raph acknowlodges he can't fight the enemy all on his own and tells Leo to basically go kick Shredder's butt for all of them and kill him once and for all. Classic Leo/Raph confrontations and brotherly reconciliation at it's best.

The River Pt. 3 Vol. 1

Raphael restored! Petshop Raph defeats the Bloodsucker and the team of brothers is once again whole! Veitch's narration here for the whole battle is extremely poetic as well, steeped in thematic mysticisml. Leo's decision to let Raph do this on his own because Raph would want it that way is also a very telling moment of just how well Leo knows his brother.

Funniest

Mike crashes through the window of an unsupecting couple during a fight with the Foot. Vol. 1 #4

Raph tries Zup Kuck in the D'Hoonib bar. Vol. 1 #5

The Utroms teleport the Turtles into April's bathtub. Vol. 1 #7

Raph trims the Christmas tree with butterfly swords. Vol. 1 #10

Raph stows away in the luggage compartment on Shadow's trip to Paris. As well as the moment Shadow realizes her uncle is in Paris.

Shadow: "What are you doing here?"
Raph: "Bleeding."
Tales Vol. 2 #12

[odupianist]

Mike crashes through the window of an unsupecting couple during a fight with the Foot. Vol. 1 #4

I thought that was Raph that did that.

[Time Mistress]

Whoops! It was Raph. I must have been thinking of Mike and Don doing that moment in 2k3. Anyway, very funny moment no matter who it was.

[Scandia]

I have not read much. But I love it in comic book number 7 when the Turtles and Splinter get reunited again. Leo refers to him as "Jonin Splinter"- so I learned a new term. And they also say "Master Splinter is our father".

[odupianist]

Once I receive the comics I bought on eBay, I'm sure I'll have more, but I enjoy a moment from the first comic

Where Raph infiltrates Saki's base, and the defense comes after him.

"Ninja?"
"Turtle."

Something about the dialogue and the way it's drawn is just cool.

[The Shelf]

Once I receive the comics I bought on eBay, I'm sure I'll have more, but I enjoy a moment from the first comic

Where Raph infiltrates Saki's base, and the defense comes after him.

"Ninja?"
"Turtle."

Something about the dialogue and the way it's drawn is just cool.

Oh, I was waiting for someone to mention that. That's classic, right there. I love that scene.

[jenna]

I've got X2 collected books of Vol 1 coming from America that I got on Ebay. Books 4 & 6. When I've read them and reread the ones on ninjaturtles.com I can contribute to this thread! Until then ..... *taps foot waiting for postman*.... 6 weeks my a*se!

[odupianist]

If it makes you feel any better, I won the comic auction (with all the volume 1-3 books and more) almost two weeks ago. I won't get them until the 4th of next month (June).

[Scandia]

Wow. Congratulations, Odupianist. I am slowly collecting the ones that seem most appealing to me. Translation- important events, Leonardo centric ones, and Toddler Turtles ones.

[Andrew NDB]

City at War

Raph's fight with Leo and their later reconcilation. Raph kicks Leo's butt and heads back to NY to kill Shredder on his own.

I'm certain you mean "Return to New York" and not "City at War," but I agree it's a great scene. Damned if "Return to New York" isn't dern cinematic, very Miller-esque in prose and execution... though I know Laird in the here and now doesn't have much interest in gritty urban violence (and this is coming from those who know him personally), I consider the TMNT in this 3 parter my definitive TMNT.

Nothing is quite as shocking as Leo beheading Oroku Saki, no frills or gimmicks or Utrom safeguards (OK, until the "Worms of Madness" and Shredder Shark came along...). I'd only seen the cartoon and collected figures when I stumbled upon TMNT Vol. 1, #21... imagine my surprise when I open it up and see Leo promptly behead the Shredder after a long and bloody fight, when I'm used to Shredder just strutting around all cavalier on the old cartoon messing with the Turtles like some kind of comic madman menace.

Was totally sold at that point. :)

[jenna]

If it makes you feel any better, I won the comic auction (with all the volume 1-3 books and more) almost two weeks ago. I won't get them until the 4th of next month (June).

That's great! I'm so jealous!! I just got me an ebay account so I intend to collect some of the comics beyond the ones that are still 5 weeks away :cry: (Thanks to Andrew, by the way, as he gave me the link to them :) )

[NightwatchersOnlygirl]

The movie one oh the Nightwatcher

[ThemanthatwouldbeRaphael]

My favorite moment came from issue 6, when The Turtles are facing Monza Ram and the triceraton warriors in the gladitorial arena. Just that moment when Leo says "Let's Kicks...Some..Ass" and then they just go to work, that got me hella pumped.

Also, Return to New York is just one nig kickass moment into itself.

The Turtles fight with Shark-Shredder in Worms of Maddness

When the Turtle's personalities got reversed, and Mikey ended up being the one in charge.

[Time Mistress]

Yeah, I meant Return to NY not City at War. Thanks for helping me out.:)

[odupianist]

My favorite moment came from issue 6, when The Turtles are facing Monza Ram and the triceraton warriors in the gladitorial arena. Just that moment when Leo says "Let's Kicks...Some..Ass" and then they just go to work, that got me hella pumped.

That was an AWESOME fight scene. Don and Raph's respective weapons break and they still use 'em. Definitely sweet.


When the Turtle's personalities got reversed, and Mikey ended up being the one in charge.

When was that?



Thanks everyone for the congrats. It's gonna be a lot of books to go through, but maybe this will get me started in collecting the rest of the books that weren't included, ie Vol. 4, Tale Vol. 2, Mutianimals.

[ThemanthatwouldbeRaphael]

When was that?





Tales Vol 2 issue 4. Worms of Maddness part 2.

[jenna]

Most touching/tear jerking

The River Pt. 1 Vol. 1 #24

April: "No baby, not this time."

Raph has been "devolved" back to a normal petshop turtle. As his brothers leave to search for the Bloodsucker who did this to Raph, they each give a tearfull farewell to the brother who must stay behind. You can tell Raph wants to go with them so badly. It's heartbreaking for the four of them, wondering if they will ever be the team they were meant to be ever again.



Well, folks - it has happened. My comics arrived yesterday. I have now read the river, and I agree - this moment was really tear jerking. Brilliant story. love it. Comics rule.

Now I'll read collected vol 4 and see what that has to offer.

[odupianist]

heh I got my comics the other day. I read all of Vol 2, pretty good. I'm finishing up the first vol of Tales

[The Shelf]

Well, my copies of all the Vol. 2 comics should be arriving in the mail any day now, so I'll probably have some more favorite moments to post after those get here.

In the meantime, here's a couple more from Vol. 4 that I especially liked. I think it was in issue 2, although it might have been issue 3 or 4. The scene where Leo is on the rooftop in the snow building snowmen. He sets up all the snowmen, calms himself, and then proceeds to tear down all the snowmen in a practice session. I don't know why, but that scene was just really cool.

Also, I know this one is extremely controversial, and I'd like to try to avoid an argument, but I really liked issue 22 where April's origin was revealed. The way the whole issue was written and the way it flowed just seemed flawless to me, almost poetic. I love how they tied her origin with Kirby's crystal which as far as I know was only ever mentioned in the Don microseries about 20 years before. Anytime a writer can successfully write a new story that ties in with an old story without retconning anything, they get bonus points in my book. And the whole thing about April being drawn in ink rather than pencil in order to stay permanently... that really hits home with me because of one of my favorite songs of all time written by a band called Emery. The name of the song is "Returning The Smile You Have Had From The Start," and the lyrics I'm referring to go like this:

As simple as I can
I'll tell you the difference
Between a pencil and a pen
And where it will leave us
Now as your body lets you die
And I sit here still alive

In my memory I wrote you down in ink
I never wanted to erase your story
Even with the tragedy it brings

Awesome song befitting an awesome comic. Go check it out.

[Time Mistress]

I'll admit that I liked April's origin too. Issue 22 is one of my favorites of Vol. 4. Looks like a cool song you found to go with it too.

[Shellsweet]

I have too many moments lol, Im going to have to look through them all if you guys want to know what my favorites. ^^;

[cowabunga14]

I liked the moment in TMNT Volume 1 #10 when Casey sees the Turtles and the Foot in the little shop and he basically jumps -- his cloak comes off, and he exclaims, "Goongala! Goongala!" I thought that was pretty intense.

[Time Mistress]

Casey Jones to the rescue! I love that moment. It's classic defining Casey!

[Leogeddon]

i liked it when they really show how much love they have for their bros... even in the stickiest situations, they still keep the love.

Even if Raph is spazzing, they can still tolerate him, i dunno, i guess im sorta jealous, you see, i don't have a brother. :(

[odupianist]

and he exclaims, "Goongala! Goongala!"

When he first said it in the 2k3 cartoon, I was like wtf. Then when I read it, I finally understood where that came from. Until then, I thought it was a stupid saying.

[Shellsweet]

I like # 12 on tmnt vol. 4 i think it was i think i year after Splinter died? and Don went off to do something with the utroms and Leo and Don hug yea i love that sappyness x3

[Roseangelo]

Just found this scan, one of my all-time favorite Archie moments:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/roseangelo/eatthishitler.jpg

[OA]

I liked the moment in TMNT Volume 1 #10 when Casey sees the Turtles and the Foot in the little shop and he basically jumps -- his cloak comes off, and he exclaims, "Goongala! Goongala!" I thought that was pretty intense.

Well, I LOVE the 3-page spread...totally badass...

[Rooish]

Wow, that's intense for the kiddies! Raph punching Hitler?

[Roseangelo]

Wow, that's intense for the kiddies! Raph punching Hitler?

Exactly. Which is why the Archie series does not deserve to be tossed to the side as the "kiddie" series. There was nothing kiddie about the last half of the series.

[JAkeBlack]

My favorite moment is the fight in Tales 37 between Casey and...oh...hi Mirage confidentiality enforcers. I was just saying...uh...my favorite TMNT moment is...uh...in Tales 37. ;-)

[VaughnMichael]

My favorite moment is the fight in Tales 37 between Casey and...oh...hi Mirage confidentiality enforcers. I was just saying...uh...my favorite TMNT moment is...uh...in Tales 37. ;-)
you guys and ur constant pimping of your work :P

[Time Mistress]

It's pics like that one Rose that make me want to finish my Archie collection. I'm rebuilding mine as well as getting the issues I never got around to collecting but slowly. My Mirage collection is pretty complete though.

Another Casey issue hmm, I guess I anticipate Tales #37 too.;)