TMNT Universe #20 Preview and Discussion

[AlZarkovski]

Preview here (https://www.newsarama.com/39106-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-universe-20-preview.html#s8).

[ChosenOne]

The snake's reaction... Interesting, interesting...

[Utrommaniac]

4F4qzPbcFiA

Yeah, I'm not counting on the snake changing sides so soon. Especially while we don't know her name yet.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I, too, suspect a feint.

C'mon, Raph... be smarter than this. :trazz:

[funatic]

Flynn / Wachter 2020

[slashpieturtlemix]

Im already crazy interested and I have no intention of buying this until the trade paper back comes out :tlol:

[Powder]

I, too, suspect a feint.

C'mon, Raph... be smarter than this. :trazz:

Same here.

Flynn / Wachter 2020

They make one heck of a team! Really loving this duo.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

So if Zodi calls Raph Tomato, Don Plum, Mike Orange... what's Leo? Blueberry? There ain't that many blue fruits...

[funatic]

So if Zodi calls Raph Tomato, Don Plum, Mike Orange... what's Leo? Blueberry? There ain't that many blue fruits...

Blueberry seems perfectly belittling.

[myconius]

this issue came as a pleasant surprise.

i particularly liked the writing for the Turtles in the back-up story.

[Utrommaniac]

Well now I was not expecting that.


But I love her and I want her to be safe.

https://78.media.tumblr.com/67107f162ded4452a2f741d4c94c9a4b/tumblr_inline_p5yc4z8mdI1rw8miz_540.png

Between her and the movie Sahara, I'm having a "good snake character" jackpot.


So...I am a little confused about the ending, with the notification Zodi got.
It has to be the Triceratons, but the timing is weird.

Unless things have gone quantum physics on us again.

Meaning Raphael would have to go straight to the lair to go to Dimension X from this fight, and then the entirety of the Trial would take place in the span of a few hours on Earth time, where it was a few days on Neutrino.

[neatoman]

OK yeah, Null's mystery client is almost certainly Maligna, can we all agree on that one? Her appearnce during the trial arc did seem somewhat random, it would only really work if it was set-up. I'd be shocked if it turned out to be anyone else. The only other alien invader I could imagine is Sh'Okanabo but he hasn't shown up at all, so I doubt it's him.

And Dimension X seems like it's a galaxy like in the Archie series? Ugh, even without inconsistancies like these, I always hated Dimension X as concept. If you just need an excuse for aliens to appear, what's the point of saying they're from a different dimension? Can't they just be from space? Save alternate dimension for Doctor Strange style craziness, don't waste it on standard alien stories.

[ChosenOne]

Definitely some Maligna foreshadowing in that last page. Maybe that's the coming doom? An arc like that could potentially involve the relocated Triceratons and the surviving Utroms, and even drag in the Mutanimals... Chaos! Insanity! Mayhem! This comic is sooo friggin' good!

[Utrommaniac]

"The Oncoming Doom", for me at least, probably refers to whatever shakedown is going to happen between the Utroms and Triceratons.

Or maybe Ch'rell. Like referring to The Doctor as "The Oncoming Storm".

[ChosenOne]

It's possible, but it sounds so much bigger in scope than just a Triceraton/Utrom scuffle... And Null's monitor says "Incoming", too. Makes it seem like everything will fit together, and to be honest there's not that many issues left before #100 to spread things out between a number of different conflicts.

At some point the various factions are all likely to collide. Hard.

[Utrommaniac]

Ch'rell's awakening is a pretty big deal, though.

He'd be leading the attack on the Triceratons and probably forcing them off Burnow if Donatello can't hold things together. And all that before he learns what happened to Krang. And that's where the "Doom Song" will be sung. Especially since he has the Technodrome.

He just needs to learn how to use it. Hopefully, he can spare everyone the headache and not kidnap the Fugitoid again :lol:

[ChosenOne]

The question is, what will Ch'rell be leading the attack on the Triceratons with? There's just a handful of Utroms left, not nearly enough to wage war on an entire race of mutant dinosaurs. He's either gonna have to be more subtle in his approach, or find some sort of ally or firepower to help even the odds.

[Utrommaniac]

There is description of violence on both sides, so I guess there's something.


There's also the fact that Krang's green Traxus suit is still around somewhere. Traag and Granitor should be somewhere, unless they've suffocated to death already.

[ChosenOne]

Oh, I really want to see Traag and Granitor to pup again as peaceful custodians to the Utroms on Burnow Island! Those two've had their own share of violence, I think. And it's just them now, no more rock soldiers, no more army, there's not that much they can do compared to the other players on the board.

[Utrommaniac]

I could see them ultimately being reduced to basically being Ch'rell's babysitters if he hasn't started up a coup against Ma'riell yet (which really is the worst possible thing he could do for his species and himself, all things considered). They'd be the only ones capable of stopping him if he tried anything. At least physically stopping him.

I did just ask Bobby what Null's warning was for
I can't tell you that!! :D

https://data.whicdn.com/images/301979202/superthumb.jpg

[ChosenOne]

Maybe "Incoming" is for "All of the above"! :D

[Mutant Ninja Anole]

She’s calling Maligna.

And the Triceratrons.

And a dozen other invading alien species.

When they all show up she’ll hop in a space ship and high tail it with all the space dollars.

Null: It was all an intergalactic real estate scam.

[Technogeek29]

Aliens destroy half the planet Null gets everyone to pay her to not only solve the problem, but pay her to rebuild. Profit/control the world.8)

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Krisa's loyalties felt way too plot driven, but I suppose it's a sacrifice that had to be made to accommodate a 2-issue story arc.

Really glad to see Null's story getting advanced.

And no, I don't think she's working for the Triceratons. They didn't even know about Earth until King Zenter told them.

[MikeandRaph87]

Krisa's loyalties felt way too plot driven, but I suppose it's a sacrifice that had to be made to accommodate a 2-issue story arc.

Really glad to see Null's story getting advanced.

And no, I don't think she's working for the Triceratons. They didn't even know about Earth until King Zenter told them.

It very well could be Malinga like in the Archie Comics. Its just odd having two consecutive invaders.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

It very well could be Malinga like in the Archie Comics. Its just odd having two consecutive invaders.

Eh, I guess. But who's to say the Malignoid swarm makes it to Earth in the first place?

Maybe the Turtles, Utroms, and Triceratons stop the swarm before it gets to Earth, say at the moon or something. Or as far out as Dimension X.

It is interesting to see what this means for Null. Originally we assumed she was just an evil corporate villain building her empire off cheap no-rights-mutant slave labor. And now she's a front for an alien invasion with an as-of-yet unidentified alien backer?

Hmmm.

[ChosenOne]

Well, at least there's precedent for a Null/Maligna alliance, they had a deal going on in Archie too. Hopefully this means we get to see IDW Scull and Bean!

[Utrommaniac]

That being said...it does make perfect sense for Null to be allied with the Malignoids.

Except for the fact that they probably stick around the territory they've invaded after eliminating the native life, leaving nothing Null would want or need for her mutants.


But, it would be interesting for the turtles to have to not be enemies with Ch'rell for a day, especially with the level of antagonism he'd have against them.

[ChosenOne]

Hell yeah, I live for the day when we get an arc where the Turtles have to team up with one or more of their enemy factions to save the world! And I mean a legit team up, no tricks or double crosses. I used to think the Triceratons would be it, but they're too sympathetic.

And they now have Earth as their home too... Hmm...

[Utrommaniac]

Yeah, the Turtles were pretty much on the Triceratons side from the word "go".

The EPF would probably be involved in a Malignoid invasion too, but probably independently.

Otherwise, invasion would probably force the Utroms and Triceratons to make nice and unite again, but on more equal terms than the first time.

[DrSpengler]

Here's my full summary and review of TMNT Universe #20 at TMNT Entity. (http://tmntentity.blogspot.com/2018/03/tmnt-universe-20.html)

Gotta say, I dug this two-parter much more than I anticipated I would. It was light on plot and the Null arc is still progressing at a snail's pace in molasses, but it was excellent for its depictions of Alopex and her dynamic with Raph.

Alopex hasn't been... the best character in the IDW canon and her personality and characterization have been all over the place for years. Her "romance" with Raph has been pretty underdeveloped, too. Flynn handled her very well, striking a nice balance between her completely polarizing previous appearances, and her duo with Raph was played more like their being really close friends, which I think sells the idea that like each other MUCH better than having the characters turn and tell the audience that they like each other.

Good stuff (but I really think that back-up was an unused script from Amazing Adventures).

[CyberCubed]

Yeah, Null sold the Earth to Maligna in the Archie series and given she was just recently introduced in this series it wouldn't be surprised to see the two of them team up again. Team up the two Archie-exclusive villains again.

[funatic]

Has it still not been revealed what Null's origin is? Or did I space it? Any theories out there? I've admittedly also forgotten the origin of Archie's Null as well. :tanime:

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Has it still not been revealed what Null's origin is? Or did I space it? Any theories out there? I've admittedly also forgotten the origin of Archie's Null as well. :tanime:

Archie Null was the devil, plain and simple.

IDW Null is an intergalactic businesswoman... or mercenary... but she has admitted that's intergalactic. That's about all we know for sure.

[TurtleWA]

IDW Null is an intergalactic businesswoman... or mercenary... but she has admitted that's intergalactic. That's about all we know for sure.

It would be cool to find out if IDW’s Null has always had the same appearance or if she was once more human looking. And it will also be interesting to see if her appearance changes as the series progresses. I think Archie Null ended up changing more in looks.