Home Sweet Sewer
 

I'm getting tired of the Turtles always living in the sewers or hanging out at the Northampton farmhouse. In both Mirage and Image continuity (even though Image is non-canon), the Turtles live in several different spots, and even live alone.

In Volume Two (Mirage), Raph lived in a church’s bell tower, Mikey lived in an apartment in April’s apartment building, Don lived at Northampton, and Leo lived in the sewers. And in Volume Three (Image), all four of the Turtles lived in a mausoleum.

In a later season, I’d like to see the Turtles’ sewer lair get trashed, and the TMNT and Splinter have to constantly change lairs to stay one step ahead of their enemies. What about you guys?

They've had their lair thrashed and had to move twice already, and they're supposed to live together, they're all they got.

This did happened twice in the 2k3 series already.

I liked that aspect of the volume 2 comics, espically the Raph and the church spire part. Never read volume 2, but still cool. I don't think it would work in the show, that idea always seemed to work better for the mirage TMNT to me, or at least versions that were slightly older.

The way I see it, and it looks like the way Laird sees it.

Volume 1, Tales 1-2, and Volume 4 happened.

Volume 2*Except Baxter's attack on April* and 3 and anything else didn't.

They live all over in Volume 4. And in volume 2 you never see Raph in the tower except one time. The whole series takes place in the sewers, at Casey's apartment, and at Area 51.

And it has such a stupid ending. It's so rushed it's just garbage



The Bog Swamp Demon mini -stories in the back were the only thing worth it in those comics.

To make things worse Laird takes these short stories and drags them out. He made the 1 issue Tri attack into a 6 parter in the series. Then he made issue 4 into 2 episodes, issue 5 and 6 he made into 5 episodes, 5! Then he makes issue 7 into another 3 parter.

I mean I know he's adding new stuff to it but it's just dragging the story along. Add stuff sure but keep it condensed. I mean "Return of Savanti" Wouldn't have sucked if it wasn't 2 parts. The comic is only an issue no need for 2 parts.

It's not all bad he's done some issues alright justice but in every case the issue is better then the episode. Even if I love "I'Monster" the issue is better.

If he focused on making more originial episodes like "The Darkness With-in" I would enjoy that more.

The idea of them being constantly on the run is interesting -- like they can't spend more than a night or two in one place. I think the effects on them would also be pretty interesting. Leo and Raph seemed pretty upset when lair #1 was destroyed by mousers. I haven't seen the second lair get destroyed yet. #1 was their home for 15 years, so they would have a stronger connection to it, plus it was randomly destroyed -- as far as I know, Stockman wasn't sending out his mousers to get the TMNT. They did seem able to recover a good portion of their stuff, though. If they were forced to live on the run for a time, they would have to learn how to live light. This could mean no TV, no training equipment, no beds, even. Donnie would probably be able to take on small laptop, but I doubt a lot of their other gadgets could come. On top of all that, they would have to deal with the stress of knowing that they could be found at any time. Good luck sleeping well while keeping an ear open for an approaching enemy.

Read the Image series then because that's is what it's all about and it's awesome.

I am a huge fan of Image Volume Three, but I don't remember them knowing they could be found at any time, except for the first few issues when Pimiko was after them and found the Westwood Cemetery mausoleum lair.

I have those and I liked the Mausoleum idea, they were hard times for the guys. They did seem to get crashed in on a lot

I still am scratching my head as to why in volume 4 has Splinter gone to Northampton while the rest of his family is in NYC. Is it because due to age he cannot be in the NYC sewers anymore? Did Shadow need to be with him in Northampton for any particular reason instead of just being with Casey and April? Having not read the comics, this just plain puzzles me.

I haven't read Vol. 4 from the beginning, but I could've sworn Shadow was with Splinter to train in Northampton.

That and (I think) she was becoming a problem child.

Would work kinda weird in the cartoon. Most kids cartoons need some kind of status quo to go by, and in this case, no matter what happens, when all is said and done, the TMNT go back to their sewer home and relax. Besides, look at how friggin complicated to draw that semi-fortress they live in is. Can you imagine such an elaborate 'set' being trashed and left behind after 2-3 episodes?

Besides, how would Don take all his Shell Cycles, Battle Shell, Shell Sub, Sewer Slider and who-knows-what-else-he-cooked-up with him?

There's Fast Forward if you don't want any of that then ......

Please tell me you're joking, Stephen!. I'm glad Courk sees what I was aiming at.

I think over a whole season it'd get a bit tiring. However, a good span of episodes would work, I think. Maybe 5-7. 3 seems too short and temporary, and over 10 would be too repetitive. 7 is pushing it a bit, but that allows for a two-parter to introduce the idea of being on the run, a few episodes to develop the idea and show them coping with it, and possibly another two-parter to resolve being on the run.

Anyone remember the Avalon saga from Gargoyles? Good idea, but Jiminy, it took them FOREVER to get back. Most of them were fairly throw-away, too. 16 episodes featured just the travelers outside of Avalon. That was on top of a 3 parter of them arriving at Avalon and doing things, and another towards the end of their travels of them returning to Avalon, 2 feature what the rest of the clan is doing in NY, and 1 deals with a possible future.

Sorry, got side tracked on my Avalon rant. My point is, an excessive number of episodes on a theme can get boring.

Also, I don't really believe in separating characters who had been together for quite a while before whatever event sets off the change. Evidence A: Avalon/Gargoyles. Evidence B:

Spoiler (highlight to read):

Lost/Season 3.

I don't watch much TV, but from what I have seen, it doesn't work too well to separate the characters for extended periods of time. While the turtles wouldn't have to be separated, it would add another kink. It's something that could possibly be worked into a longer episode span; however, it has been done with them before in a limited capacity, so it would be a bit redundant to include again.

(Side tracked on another rant. I'll just stop now. :-))