The Turtles second trip to D'hoonib?
 

In Volume 4, the turtles make a reference to their second trip to D'hoonib. Yet the asterisk says, "From a yet untold Tales of the TMNT." Of course, there was no Tales issue that had them return there.

Yet in the, "Terror by Transmat" story in the Shell Shock TPB, we see the Turtles return to D'hoonib and then to the Utrom homeworld.

For those who never read it, it was summarized/reviewed here:

http://tmntentity.blogspot.com/2009/...-transmat.html


Was this intended to be there second trip to D'hoonib? I don't believe they ever went there a third time.

Well, in "Terror by Transmat", the Turtles go to a place called Gavat-4 to halt the Triceraton invasion, and I don't think they ever mentioned that being located on D'Hoonib.

So I don't think the editorial note for the unpublished Tale is incorrect. The only time they ever went to D'Hoonib, that I can recall, was TMNT (Vol. 1) #5.

In the beginning of the story though, the Turtles say something like, "This is a lot more relaxing than the first time we were here," on the first page to Fugitoid.

That implies that at least at the start of the story, they were back on D'hoonib. What other alien planet were they flying over in that initial scene?

The Turtles never visited the Utrom homeworld in the #4-7 storyline and besides the Triceraton bases/homeworld, wasn't D'hoonib the only other alien planet they were on in that arc?

So what would them saying, "Then the first time we were here" imply if it wasn't back on D'hoonib?

Actually, they did visit the Utrom Homeworld in #7, but it was off panel.

The Utroms teleport everyone to the Homeworld before the TCRI building explodes. They then teleported the Turtles into April's bathroom. Before teleporting, one of the Turtles even yells, "No! Wait--! We don't want to go to your world--!"


So they're line at the beginning of "Terror by Transmat", about their current visit to the Homeworld being more relaxed than their first visit, is true.

Laird inserted references in Vol. 4 to events that were set during a time when the turtles were not being published to show the turtles lives didn't suddenly stop during these periods. This is fairly common in comics and he intended these references to expanded upon by other writers in Tales.

We saw the beginning of the rivalry with Cha Ocho, Shadow's first encounter with the Werewolves, the Golem at Splinter's funeral to name a few. The second trip to D'hoonib is obviously a story which we never got in Tales.

Why can't we believe the Turtles revisited D'hoonib in this, "Terror by Transmat" story, perhaps before they visit the Utrom homeworld?

The Turtles never mentioned any further advertures with the Fugitoid/Utroms after this.

Well, anything is certainly possible, since in "Terror by Transmat" they say they've been vacationing with the Utroms for a week, but there's no reference to D'hoonib at all in that story, so their second visit could take place just about anywhere, too.

Well it's clearly not what Browne or Laird intended but in lieu of any evidence to the contrary I suppose you could think that.

Of course these shorts were not ever really intended to be followed up on. In answer to someone who wrote in to vol. 4 asking why Leo doesn't use Excalibur that he got in Quest For Lost Dreams he answered that he wouldn't tie himself to something from short stories not even written for the TMNT comic including his own stuff. I'd say a story written for a role playing game would fall under the same criteria. I doubt he even remembers most of them.

While Mirage/Laird were okay with a bit of continuity slop if you take Terror By Transmat seriously then the turtles have contact with the Utroms and go for short vacations on their homeworld wouldn't they extend that to poor Leatherhead who wanted nothing more than to reunite with the Utroms.

I think you all are insane. They obviously visited D'hoonib seven times.

Didn't they go there in Mere Appendix?

Yep!

In what issue of Volume 4 was the editor's note saying that their last visit to D'Hoonib was an untold tale?

You're right that PL probably forgets this story or most of the back-up stories even exist.

Yet it was collected in Shell Shock, and most of the back-up's in this book take place in canon. Remember, this is the same PL who was ready to de-canonize about 50% of the comics since he had no involvement in them.

So while PL said, "It is from an untold Tales of the TMNT," you can easily say they visited it back in this short back-up story.

It was one of the later issues since Don said that's where he got the parts to build that cyborg turtle body he uses when he's the "size of an action figure." It's the first Vol. 4 issue where he shows off that robot body to Gamera Raph.

Alright, cracked open my long boxes and did some research.

Don's reference of the "untold tale" was in TMNT Vol. 4 #23. He says that he built his robot body from a robot he brought back from their second trip to D'hoonib.

"Mere Appendix" was Tales Vol. 2 #54, where they do journey back to D'hoonib. Although at no point in the story do they pick up a new robot to bring back to Earth. Still, the story ends with the Turtles and Honeycutt still on D'hoonib, so they could've picked the robot up at any point before going home.

Tales #54 has to take place in the time gap from Volume 4 #5 since the Turtles are all un-altered in that story, but the Utroms have already set up their base on Earth.

Was the release date of that Vol. 4 issue before Tales #54?

Because if it was, I don't see why the asterisk didn't say, #54.

Nah, the Vol. 4 issue came first, then Tales #54, which would explain the asterisk pointing to an as yet untold tale.

Oh, so then you can pretty much say #54 WAS the "untold Tales of the TMNT."

Sure, the story wasn't about getting the robot, but it WAS another trip to D'hoonib.

So if they didn't visit D'hoonib in, "terror by transmat," was this the second time they went there?

So far as I know, there are no other stories between TMNT (Vol. 1) #5 and Tales (Vol. 2) #54 where the Turtles visit D'hoonib, so from all I can tell, #54 is indeed their second visit.

There's still a partially untold tale in how they got the robot before they returned to Earth, but on D'hoonib, helper robots are common (Honeycutt owned one, obviously, and many were being auctioned off in Fugitoid #1).

So it could've just been some mundane purchase Don made before returning to Earth.

Well I'm glad that little plothole has been solved. I would like to see the timeline updated to reflect this.

Perhaps a notation in Vol. 4 #23 that Donatello most likely gets the robot in Tales #54.

I'll certainly do that when I get around to reviewing either issue and add that info to the Turtle Tips.

It's good that we're able to solve most of the series loose ends given the uncertainty of any more comics. In fact by this point, the series has very few loose ends left.

The only stories that really need closure is of course Volume 4 and that Gang War storyline, and who knows if/when they will be given an ending.

Have all the guests at Splinter's funeral had their stories told?

I recall several of them were unknown and added in by Peter so they could launch issues of Tales

If I remember correctly the only unknown characters there at the time were:

- The Jewish Golem, who got a Tales story afterward.

- Another rat/cat looking creature, who if I remember correctly, did appear somewhere, or maybe in the Battle Nexus.

- Some random dudes that I think represented Laird and Eastman.

I reread that issue yesterday, and the cat-man is the only one I can't recall being featured in Tales. I would have to go back and check them out, but I'm not sure he was used.

Every one else, including Kevin and Peter, were accounted for.

UDPATE: Just skimmed Mirage's site and found what I was looking for: Tales Vol. 2, #14, Part Two of Loops. Perhaps one of these feline guardians was the being at Splinter's funeral?

Yeah, I do think the catman was from that Loops storyline. Not sure why a random one was there.

The funniest thing about that is Eastman and Laird had already made self-insertion cameos in Raphael (microseries) #1... as rapists.

Splinter's funeral certainly attracted the cream of society's crop, yessir.

Funny thing is at the funeral, there is some implied Leonardo/Radical romance, (don't they hug, or am I remembering wrong?), which of course is brought up again in the future issue where Leo/Radical kiss.

Also for some reason Leatherhead stays in the swamp like an outcast rather than standing with everyone else like a "normal" character.

Renet also says, "Shhhh!" when the catman tries to ask her something, I think it was about April being a drawing...since we didn't know that yet and the catman could travel through time so he may have known already?

Lots of interesting stuff at that funeral that makes more sense after all those Tales issues come out.

No no, it was the golem who was asking Renet something. It was indecipherable symbols in the bubble, but apparently she can understand golem (hebrew?).

Hey, does anyone remember when Karai approached Shadow about joining the Foot Clan back when April was being operated on to get the nanobots out of her body in early Vol. 4?

Karai talks about Shadow's "talents," when she took on those Foot attempting to detain April when she walked through the Utrom security detectors. Seems like a nice preview of what Shadow will become in the future, Tales #69.

See, almost everything in Volume 4 does lead to something, we just had to wait a long time to see what it was. :)

Yep, I was reading through that issue the other day and the same light bulb went off. I think I need to take a few afternoons and reread through the series. I wish Peter would do more Obligado shorts, those were fun.

I guess it proves that Vol. 4 wasn't just a bunch of plotlines that went nowhere. Almost all of it led to something, and the ones that are still going, (Leo in the Battle Nexus, Mike with the Triceratons), are obviously building toward a conclusion.

I think the ONLY plot point that was never brought up again is Donatello clipping off a piece of Splinter's fur. That's the only thing left a mystery.

I believe Murphy wrote those, although I may be mistaken.

Take another look at the panel where Don clips something off Splinter. It may be implied that is was fur, but when I took another look the other day I realized the panel doesn't show exactly what he clipped off. Could have been any small part of Splinter. It shows the clippers, the small bag, but Don's snipping is obscured by the kindling.

What issue was Karai's offer to Shadow, off hand?

I can add it to the Turtle Tips for my Tales #69 review.

I actually had a more morbid mental image than him cutting off fur; it seemed to me like Donny cut off one of Splinter's fingers. :tconfuse: Maybe for FUTURE CLONING SCIENCE. :D Or to study the oooooooze's mutagenic properties.

I thought the same, actually; that or his ear. I have a feeling it was something more than just a clump of fur. Which, who knows, may lead into the mysterious new Splinter we saw at the end of #31. As smart as Don is, perhaps he found a way to track genetic coding through parallel realities and somehow found another Splinter.

Wait, no no, what the floating guy's name from the Battle Nexus realm? He was there with Splinter, but still the ambiguous "rright one" Splinter referred to very well have meant Donatello.

Well, since the Battle Nexus is the nexus point of all realities in the multiverse, the Battle Nexus seen in the 4Kids cartoon is probably the same one seen in the Mirage comic.

I took the "right one" line to mean that the Leonardo that had entered the Battle Nexus this time was the "right one", the Mirage one, as oposed to the last one to enter the Battle Nexus, the 4Kids one, which was the "wrong one".

Oh yeah, I reread that page just now and saw what you mean. I had forgotten since I skimmed it when I downloaded it a few months back.

I quoted this just to say that aspect of your reviews is likely my favorite, but now when I see it by itself, I realize how perverse it could sound...

Was either issue 6, 7 or 8.

Anyway, the Splinter in the Nexus is just an alternate Splinter like the Oroku Yoshi Shredder. Don isn't going to clone Splinter.

I never really understand why anyone thought that would happen in the first place.

Clearly the ending of Volume 4 will be the turtles wandering the desert and finding a statue of General Blanque half buried on the sand. Turns out they've been on D'hoonib all along!

Seriously though I don't recall Mere Appendix being set on D'hoonib but rather some random planet but not being too fond of that issue it's been ages since I've read it so I'll defer to the experts on this one.

To be fair he places quite a lot of stuff that he was involved outside of his Mirage continuity. I don't think some of these short stories were ever supposed to be part of the continuity, not 100% at least.

It may just be me but didn't the two guys that stole Casey's chevy in City at War look suspiciously like Eastman & Laird too.

While I don't doubt Swan Song was inspired by the the connection the two had at Splinters funeral (in the same way Pantheon was inspired by Rat King's shadow behind Splinter before he died) it doesn't make much sense since they were supposed have a connection prior to Vol. 4 whereas that story takes place in the future. Considering that he wasn't approving tales at the time and it doesn't seem like one he'd approve. Infact I remember right future turtles stories were originaly off limits as he wanted to deal with them himself. So definitely not an expansion of volume 4.