Prediction time, how many issues do you think the IDW series will last? [Archive]

CyberCubed

12-26-2011, 10:04 PM

Yes, something like this is purely speculation as we have no idea what factors could lead to the IDW series continuing for years to come or getting canceled at some point. We have no clues if the sales will remain consistent a year from now or if the Nick show will propel the comic to even more fans.

But, just for fun, try to predict how many issues this series will last.

We've already surpassed Dreamwave (lol, 7 issues), and we're likely to surpass Volume 2 soon (13 issues), and I can see it being longer than the Image series (23 issues) as well. Volume 4 also only had (32 issues) thus far, so hopefully it'll last past that as well.

The real question is if it reaches the milestones of Volume 1, (62 issues + 1 shots), Tales of the TMNT V. 2 (70 issues + 16 one-shot miniseries), or the Archie series (over 100 issues with all specials and mini's).

I am really hoping the IDW series goes on for as long as the Nick TMNT era reigns, which will hopefully be at least 5-7 years.

ToTheNines

12-26-2011, 10:16 PM

I see it having it's current success until the Nick show debuts, which should haul in some new readers. A movie would really help sales, but it would seem that Paramount is doing nothing but fiddle-farting around with that.

So if I had to put a number on it, my guess would be: 54 issues.

Powder

12-26-2011, 10:24 PM

Without any basis for saying so, 36. Just a random number that came to mind.

Cowabunga Carl

12-26-2011, 10:32 PM

Like Powder without any reason or thought I say 72.

Spitfire

12-26-2011, 10:49 PM

I see it ending and getting restarted in another series. IDW seems to do that. They're more mini series based. Dishing out #1s where they can. I was surprised to see them under take an on going like this because most books of theirs I see are stories told spread across several different mini arcs of about 10 issues each. Giving people more jumping on points. Rarely their stuff breaches 20 issues per series.

Cowabunga Carl

12-26-2011, 11:13 PM

There Joe stuff is actually fairly good. I read it as trades though as it works better that way for those stories. So far the TMNT seem that way too, which bothers me somewhat but not enough to be a major problem.

With the new toon and movie I could see alternate titles or a "reboot" happening to fit more with those canons should they prove popular but I really hope it doesn't happen like that.

CyberCubed

12-26-2011, 11:16 PM

I don't think IDW is going to bother rebooting TMNT every few years. They seem to really be putting effort into creating an all new universe and to see it thrown away just to start over again is pointless.

The only way I can see another reboot now is if Nick ships the TMNT license over to another company at some point.

Andrew NDB

12-26-2011, 11:49 PM

I see it ending and getting restarted in another series. IDW seems to do that.

That's hardly localized to IDW -- that's true of every comic book publisher out there.

But yeah, if sales start dipping, I would expect they would quietly end the ongoing series, then a short pause, then it would come back as an semi-ongoing series of mini-series until sales taper off too vastly. That's usually the way it works.

Spitfire

12-27-2011, 12:34 AM

That's hardly localized to IDW -- that's true of every comic book publisher out there.

Well true but almost all of IDWs major titles are told in mini series. That's why I said that.

Metropoliskid41

12-27-2011, 08:32 AM

I think and really hope this current series sees an unprecedented milestone of 100 issues, and I really think it can do it. I also expect as number stay steady and hopefully increase, to see them branch off and start some other books, like maybe a TMNT cartoon adaption series, a movie prequel and adaption, and I think it would be cool if they picked up off of volume #4 and continued the original numbering for that in addition to current ongoing TMNT series. These are all things we're currently seeing them do for the GI JOE and Transformers properties, and I don't think its a stretch at all to see this trend continue as momentum continues to grow for the turtles and this book.

***First of Two Latin Kings***

12-27-2011, 09:59 AM

We've already surpassed Dreamwave (lol, 7 issues), and we're likely to surpass Volume 2 soon (13 issues), and I can see it being longer than the Image series (23 issues) as well. Volume 4 also only had (32 issues) thus far, so hopefully it'll last past that as well.

Hardly. We've had seven issues of IDW, so it is tied with DreamWave at this point. They were already working on the T4 issue when DreamWave TMNT got canned. So #6 of IDW TMNT isn't guaranteed.

I would have foreseen this comic going much further than the rest of you do, sales seem to be really high. I honestly could have seen it going into the three digit numbers.

Venom

12-27-2011, 10:05 AM

Based solely of what I've perceived with GI Joe and Transformers, I see the current ongoing lasting a good while.

Whenever the movie hits, I foresee a tie-in prequel and possibly sequel mini.

IDW has already all but confirmed a toon tie-in book as well.

Depending on how the current ongoing continues to perform could very well see offshoots (the micros) and minis spinning out from it, and possibly a new incarnation of Tales (the current story already begs for a few "Tales").

So, excluding the ongoing, I predict the title will enjoy a good life spread across many issues.

IDW seems to enjoy having a handful of licensed titles from which to craft good stories that appeal to a particular nostalgic niche, the main difference with the Turtles is that they were a comic first, toyline second.

Metropoliskid41

12-27-2011, 10:30 AM

Hermano Dyvas

12-27-2011, 10:44 AM

They will last forever !!!

Saying what I want here, no fun in being realistic about it :P

Cowabunga Carl

12-27-2011, 12:58 PM

I'd love for it to go for years. The thing that I think will do it in is when they finally have that final final confrontation with Shredder/Hob. Once that happens I could see it being restarted.

Metropoliskid41

12-27-2011, 01:05 PM

I think as long as they continue to tell great stories and build the backstory and mythos while introducing some new villains they're going to be just fine. You see a lot of books get all wrapped up with the story of the battle against one specific villain, and once they final end that merry go round there is nothing left. I hope they can really bring in some new villains like they did with Hob, that give them more than just Shredder and Hob to go after, so that the series can continue to survive with one or both of those villains out of the picture.

gobo

12-27-2011, 01:22 PM

Prediction time, how many issues do you think the IDW series will last?
Two. Nick won't care to keep a comic going. :shifty:

junkboy

12-27-2011, 01:24 PM

I think they shall be doing, like they do to Transformers. ( at least on the long run )
Lots of miniseries.

TomWaltz

12-27-2011, 01:55 PM

I'm saying a billion issues, give or take a couple hundred thou.

Metropoliskid41

12-27-2011, 02:20 PM

I'm saying a billion issues, give or take a couple hundred thou.

Shell yeah!! That's what I like to hear :tgrin:

Hermano Dyvas

12-27-2011, 02:33 PM

I'm saying a billion issues, give or take a couple hundred thou.

The man's got spirit! Hell yeah!

I was wondering though, how many issues ahead have been planned storywise so far? Like how you already know the story for #8 etc...

Metropoliskid41

12-27-2011, 02:35 PM

I can't remember if it was here or over at IDW's boards but I saw that Tom & Kevin had a rough layout of the first 3 years worth of stories or so. I believe it was Bobby who said that.

ToTheNines

12-27-2011, 02:55 PM

I was wondering though, how many issues ahead have been planned storywise so far? Like how you already know the story for #8 etc...

Bobby said they've plotted everything out up to issue #24.

CyberCubed

12-27-2011, 02:59 PM

Bobby said they've plotted everything out up to issue #24.

Since only 12 issues come out a year not counting specials/mini-series...then that means roughly the first 2 years of the main IDW series is probably already planned.

However we already have the 4 TMNT one-shots and 2-part Infestation....so that adds another 6 issues.

Therefore we should have at least 30 IDW TMNT issues if #24 turns out to be the end, which hopefully it won't.

Metropoliskid41

12-27-2011, 02:59 PM

Bobby said they've plotted everything out up to issue #24.

Thank you for the clarification, I was thinking it was more than that but now I remember him saying #24 once you mentioned it. Was that here or over at IDW?

junkboy

12-27-2011, 03:54 PM

Good news then.
Nice.

Hermano Dyvas

12-27-2011, 04:01 PM

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

Plasticplayhouse

12-28-2011, 07:32 AM

i give it 24 issues until they end it and move on to smaller mini series'. eventually they'll probably come back for another 12-18 issue series depending how sales are.

Toby Barrett

12-28-2011, 07:42 AM

Wow. Not many people here have much faith it the book being a long running series..

Metropoliskid41

12-28-2011, 07:51 AM

i give it 24 issues until they end it and move on to smaller mini series'. eventually they'll probably come back for another 12-18 issue series depending how sales are.

Where is this thought process coming from? Yes IDW did many 6 issue Mini-Series early in their TF runs but each had a number in the corner to tell what issue # it was in the big picture, and then they moved to an ongoing because it was a pain in the butt for people trying to get into the continuous story and not knowing what minis to start with, so they moved away from the minis and stuck with an Ongoing. This has been solicited and listed as an Ongoing, I really don't think they're going to relaunch it every 2 years. Tom said above that they are thinking big picture and a long run, he said a couple hundred, I don't get how that gets narrowed to 24 issues. Not sure where everyone is bases these low run #'s on when the book is awesome, sales have been great, and when the creative staff itself is saying they are planning out a long run. I think there will be some tie-in minis and some additional ongoing books like a movie prequel and adaption and a cartoon adaption, but those won't effect the longevity of this ongoing and continuity. They will be collecting all of the issues in trade so they don't really need to worry about capping this run and starting a new series with a new issue #1 for a jumping on point for new readers.

King Suck

12-28-2011, 08:26 AM

I hope a very very long time cuz if this folds and Viacom doesn't sell the license to someone else all of us are SOL.

Though nothing against IDW i wouldn't mind seeing some other indy publishers like Dark Horse (http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/04/15/ross-campbell-unpublished-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-art/) take a shot at the turtles and i would blow stringy chunks out both ends if Marvel or DC ever got the license.

On that note does anyone know how long IDWs license is from Viacom?

Master Splinter

12-28-2011, 08:30 AM

H-Q7b-vHY3Q

-ms

azrael

12-28-2011, 08:54 AM

100+ issues easily

Lets be honest here, is anyone not going to buy it even if it did suck?

Grimlock

12-28-2011, 10:19 AM

100+ issues easily

Lets be honest here, is anyone not going to buy it even if it did suck?

Um, me? Sorry, but if the quality drops and you were not enjoying it every month why in the hell would you keep spending your hard earned cash on it?

IDW is all quality at this point so I can't imagine this being the case but still..

junkboy

12-28-2011, 10:41 AM

At least i would change to "TPB only" as i usually do for other titles, if it sucked. I am getting both issues and TPBs for IDW TMNT at this point ( or will get the trades )

Plasticplayhouse

12-28-2011, 11:10 AM

Where is this thought process coming from? Yes IDW did many 6 issue Mini-Series early in their TF runs but each had a number in the corner to tell what issue # it was in the big picture, and then they moved to an ongoing because it was a pain in the butt for people trying to get into the continuous story and not knowing what minis to start with, so they moved away from the minis and stuck with an Ongoing. This has been solicited and listed as an Ongoing, I really don't think they're going to relaunch it every 2 years. Tom said above that they are thinking big picture and a long run, he said a couple hundred, I don't get how that gets narrowed to 24 issues. Not sure where everyone is bases these low run #'s on when the book is awesome, sales have been great, and when the creative staff itself is saying they are planning out a long run. I think there will be some tie-in minis and some additional ongoing books like a movie prequel and adaption and a cartoon adaption, but those won't effect the longevity of this ongoing and continuity. They will be collecting all of the issues in trade so they don't really need to worry about capping this run and starting a new series with a new issue #1 for a jumping on point for new readers.

No where really. For me I guess it comes from a combination of bad experiences. Believe me, I hope this comic makes the long haul, but every time I want something to last for a full healthy run it always seems to get s#!tcanned. Things like Dreamwave's war within, SOTA's street fighter figures, NECA's TMNT line, etc.

Andrew NDB

12-28-2011, 11:29 AM

Lets be honest here, is anyone not going to buy it even if it did suck?

*raises hand*

I have no interest whatsoever in supporting crappy incarnations of the Turtles just because they're Turtles... because doing so only encourages more crappy incarnations of the Turtles.

Hermano Dyvas

12-28-2011, 11:53 AM

100+ issues easily

Lets be honest here, is anyone not going to buy it even if it did suck?

IDW DOES have to work for our appreciation but so far they've been doing great. I hope I'll be able to say the same in a year or so. :)

I find the people who dropped it after #1 silly though, you can hardly judge a series by this first issue of 20 pages with tons of unanswered questions.

Metropoliskid41

12-28-2011, 11:54 AM

Things like Dreamwave's war within

They never canned War Within, it started as a mini and stayed that way, it wasn't an Ongoing that got switched to a mini. And as far as Dreamwave goes, they had some top notch stuff but were financially run by an idiot. The reason they died off had nothing to do with the quality and I don't see that happening with IDW. DW had that moron Lee funneling money from DW to support his girlfriend's modeling career. He was an amatuer when it came to the business side. IDW has proven time and again that they are pretty business savy and not stupid like he was.

Grimlock

12-28-2011, 12:07 PM

They never canned War Within, it started as a mini and stayed that way, it wasn't an Ongoing that got switched to a mini. And as far as Dreamwave goes, they had some top notch stuff but were financially run by an idiot. The reason they died off had nothing to do with the quality and I don't see that happening with IDW. DW had that moron Lee funneling money from DW to support his girlfriend's modeling career. He was an amatuer when it came to the business side. IDW has proven time and again that they are pretty business savy and not stupid like he was.

QFT. Pat Lee was an idiot and it's a shame because I LOVED War Within. The turtles are in very good hands with IDW so I'm not worried.

CyberCubed

12-28-2011, 07:09 PM

After all the effort put into it, it would be a shame if the IDW series doesn't have a healthy run.

I also fear that if this series fails, Nick will consider TMNT comics to be unprofitable and not bother to give the license to anyone else. They'd probably just focus on the show and toys.

Vegeta

12-28-2011, 07:38 PM

This is a beautiful comic that pays a lot of respect to the past turtle comics/shows. I think it will last for a long time to come due to the solid art and addicting story telling. They always leave me wanting more, more than I can say for Marvel a lot of the time. (how many versions of the x-men are out now?)

Andrew NDB

12-28-2011, 08:12 PM

I also fear that if this series fails, Nick will consider TMNT comics to be unprofitable and not bother to give the license to anyone else.

That's not quite the way it works or has worked. Nickelodeon wasn't ever actively seeking out people to do a TMNT comic book... there was at least three major publishers lined up actively at Nickelodeon's door to do a TMNT comic -- if IDW hadn't pursued Nick, another publisher would have moved in. Whether IDW succeeds or fails, Nickelodeon isn't out any money. In fact, they get paid the same license fee whether it succeeds or fails.

If anything, should IDW TMNT fail and elect not to renew their license, it wouldn't be that Nick wouldn't want to license out any other publishers to do a new TMNT comic... it would be that the other publishers would be likely to go, "Oh wow, OK, well IDW TMNT failed, and that was right after Mirage TMNT failed... so it kinda seems like doing another TMNT comic isn't really a good idea." So those same publishers that were at Nick's door to do a TMNT comic before IDW won out... maybe they wouldn't be knocking anymore (or would at least be a lot less apt to).

Venom

12-28-2011, 08:40 PM

Until Dark Horse steps in at says "But hey, we have their ol' pal Usagi so let us have a go at it!"

You know yourself they were vying to nab the Turtles.

Andrew NDB

12-28-2011, 08:53 PM

Until Dark Horse steps in at says "But hey, we have their ol' pal Usagi so let us have a go at it!"

You know yourself they were vying to nab the Turtles.

Yep. Though when another major publisher (IDW) is off a fresh failure with TMNT I don't think Mike would be nearly as keen on the property... or maybe he would. I don't know. More likely DH would still try to roll out TMNT omnibuses under their current program but not be interested in any kind of new ongoing series.

To me, it'd kind of be like... imagine there's a pretty attractive lady... but she doesn't get out much so she didn't ever get a chance to hit the "scene" for people to really notice her (TMNT at Mirage, basically). Suddenly she gets a high profile husband and it's all over the news, E! news, tabloids, everything, and basically makes a big splash all over the place (TMNT at IDW)... but then the relationship famously explodes and stories start circulating about her being a bad girlfriend, that she was cheating on him with 16 guys, that she was doing drugs, and so forth, and the guy basically had to leave her (if TMNT fails at IDW).

Would someone still want to date this lady? Maybe, but it probably wouldn't be the same group of high profile suitors, and they'd be a lot less likely to than they would if they had the opportunity to before the big relationship.

azrael

12-28-2011, 09:10 PM

I am glad to hear I am wrong with some about supporting a crappy TMNT comic.

I dont think TMNT have anything to fear, they are IDW's top selling comic. I hope to see it in the top 10 one day (a bit of a stretch but anything is possible).

Coola Yagami

12-28-2011, 09:14 PM

Over nine thousand!!!!!!1111

CyberCubed

12-29-2011, 12:18 AM

I just want to say that, 5 years from now, we'll still be getting new IDW TMNT issues every month.

I certainly think its possible.

Vegeta

12-29-2011, 12:54 AM

Over nine thousand!!!!!!1111

Bammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

MikeandRaph87

12-29-2011, 04:21 PM

Its funny that we are already guessing it. Before this topic appeared I was already thinking can it get past the 75 issue main Archie series? Lets see how sales go especially look back as sales as we slowly approach the end of the two year plan at the moment. It would be great for an issue#100 of the Ninja Turtles but right now a goal I have set is #76 before cancelation.

Andrew NDB

12-29-2011, 04:30 PM

It's fairly unrealistic to expect such high numbers. Even A-List comic books pretty rarely ever get that high before being either cancelled or relaunched in a new volume.

AquaParade

12-29-2011, 04:48 PM

I'll be satisfied if the series lasts long enough to support the longest in continuity tmnt story. Volume 1 was spectacular and it lasted a while, but it definitely was not a steady, consistent ride. Volume 3 and 4 lasted 20-30 issues each, give or take. It would be nice to see this series live a big longer than those two and have enough time to flesh out its world and allow the characters to go through some major development. If at the end of the run, I have 50-60 IDW tmnt issues to jump back into, I'll be one happy fan.

Hopefully a new writer/artist can take over and launch a new volume at that point, but that's wishful thinking after the fact.

Oh, and I do think my wish will come true. The series seems to be doing well, so that's my cautious prediction.

CyberCubed

12-29-2011, 06:45 PM

I am not a fan of constant reboots. I'd rather not see IDW redo everything again in a few years.

gobo

12-29-2011, 08:12 PM

Eleventy bazillion! :evilgrin:

CyberCubed

12-29-2011, 10:01 PM

It's fairly unrealistic to expect such high numbers. Even A-List comic books pretty rarely ever get that high before being either cancelled or relaunched in a new volume.

Well as long as its the same continuity would it matter? If say, IDW TMNT #50 winds up being the last issue, but then we get IDW TMNT Volume 2 with a fresh new #1....but its still in continuity with what came before it and is simply a rebranding, then I'd be fine with it.

I just don't like the idea of constant rebooted comic universes. I must applaud Mirage for keeping its universe going for nearly 25 years, with only a handful of retcons or "non-canon" issues.

Andrew NDB

12-29-2011, 10:03 PM

Well as long as its the same continuity would it matter?

No, it wouldn't matter at all. If you really think about it, what difference would it make if each new story arc in a comic was a new #1? It's just a number on a cover, who cares?

With even Action Comics going to a new #1, it's not like there's anything sacred in numbering anymore.

CyberCubed

12-30-2011, 10:03 PM

Before the DC relaunch of the new #1's, didn't virtually every ongoing have numbers over the hundreds?

Metropoliskid41

12-31-2011, 09:07 AM

Yeah big name books did like Action, Superman, Batman, Detective, Flash, and Wonder Woman.
Others like Justice League, Green Lantern, and Green Lantern Corps were all 60-70+

MikeandRaph87

12-31-2011, 09:47 AM

Before the DC relaunch of the new #1's, didn't virtually every ongoing have numbers over the hundreds?

No, Action Comics reached #904,Detective Comics reached #881,Batman reached #713, and Superman#714. It also had Wonder Woman renumbered less than a year before at #600 and was stopped at #611 and Adventure Comics which was cancelled after COIE set in at #503 was revived and stopped at #529. None of the others were even close to the next. I believe Green Lantern vol.4 was the next highest and was only at #69 with the reboot. Justice League of America was at 61 after its Fall 2006 launch. Marvel has more higher number comics than DC after they restored their original numbering. I perfer high numbered comics as its more of a turn on than off despite what DC thinks as least for me. It shows stability and history. As for the TMNT I would to see my favorite TMNT comic TMNT Adventures to be surpassed with a 76th issues but at this point lets just take it issue by issue. I don't count mini-series into the numbering so right now we have 5 published and a decent start if the flashbacks we saw in the latest issues can be explained more.

Metropoliskid41

12-31-2011, 10:31 AM

Yeah but Marvel has gone back and nulled out a lot of those. Uncanny X-MEN was there longest running series without ever being renumbered and they went and started a new numbering system for that with. Same goes for Hulk, Captain America, and Daredevil. Marvel is notorious for starting a new volume with a new #1 to get a "milestone issue" only to return to the original numbering just in time for another big milestone issue like a #500 or #600. Just like what they did for Fantastic Four. End the series, get a new #1 for FF, have 11 issues then all of a sudden have Fantastic Four #600 come out (with the FF run #'s counting towards that 600) without ending FF so we continue to get issue #12 & 13 from that.

pannoni1

01-02-2012, 07:34 PM

Unless if it's truly a new incarnation, I see no reason with these "new #1's", as they clearly won't have collector's value like the previous series/originals, though having separate volumes simply tries to fool the casuals into thinking it's really the first when they don't hone in on the details.

That said, I'll say about 40-50 issues for this IDW series. This would take it to sometime in 2015, well after Nick/possible movie has settled this era down. The problem though is most of today's kids aren't as interested in comics as we are, and the duration of the series is solely based on the ideas that Eastman & Duncan have up their sleeves. TMNT comics, unlike an animated series, is not something that lasts 100+ stories, generally. Afterward, expect either a Vol. 2 or a cancellation, depending on how well the Nick/Movie/Playmates sales go along with the writers' interest in terms of if there is a point to continue.