So ... Karai

*Cipher* · 03-10-2015, 08:24 PM

Evidently (I'm not totally caught up on the series), the latest IDW issue features Splinter fighting to convince Karai there may be hope for her yet.

Where do you guys fall on this?

I'm really not digging it. While IDW's hero characters have left me a bit cold, one of the best things the series has done is to design a cast of truly despicable villains, including all of the upper members of the Foot hierarchy (actually a bit opposite of where Mirage fell on the hero-villain development spectrum). This Karai, while certainly different from previous versions, is defined perfectly well in her micro-series issue, and most of her appearances throughout the book: Whereas previous Karais have been products of their upbringing, and mostly concerned with the pragmatic continuation of the Foot, this one is a petty murderer, responsible for restarting the ninja assassin element of the Foot for power and pride, and one of the chief instigators of the whole conflict, if somewhat less so than Kitsune and Shredder.

Like, people have died because she was bored.

So, what do you see happening with her? Do you buy Splinter's words at all? I certainly think her subservient role under Shredder has tempered her somewhat (though she's eager to please), and while she rebuilt the Foot in Japan, I'm not sure I see her being ready to step immediately in as a New York crimeboss in a post-Shredder void, so ... what happens with her? I can see a pragmatic tolerance of the Turtles, and I know some are waiting for her to step into a traditional role as their on-again/off-again ally, but I think, however the post-Shredder arcs shape out, she's way too awful to ever fill the kind of role Mirage's had (or that she's seeing elsewhere, a la the Nick cartoon). That Karai was a pragmatist; this one's a deviant.

Which, mind you, I'm fine with -- this version of Karai is one of the highlights of the book to me. But wherever she ends up, she's been an out and out villain so far, so I'm curious to hear people's takes.

03-10-2015, 08:24 PM	#1
Cipher Foot Elite Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,454	So ... Karai Evidently (I'm not totally caught up on the series), the latest IDW issue features Splinter fighting to convince Karai there may be hope for her yet. Where do you guys fall on this? I'm really not digging it. While IDW's hero characters have left me a bit cold, one of the best things the series has done is to design a cast of truly despicable villains, including all of the upper members of the Foot hierarchy (actually a bit opposite of where Mirage fell on the hero-villain development spectrum). This Karai, while certainly different from previous versions, is defined perfectly well in her micro-series issue, and most of her appearances throughout the book: Whereas previous Karais have been products of their upbringing, and mostly concerned with the pragmatic continuation of the Foot, this one is a petty murderer, responsible for restarting the ninja assassin element of the Foot for power and pride, and one of the chief instigators of the whole conflict, if somewhat less so than Kitsune and Shredder. Like, people have died because she was bored. So, what do you see happening with her? Do you buy Splinter's words at all? I certainly think her subservient role under Shredder has tempered her somewhat (though she's eager to please), and while she rebuilt the Foot in Japan, I'm not sure I see her being ready to step immediately in as a New York crimeboss in a post-Shredder void, so ... what happens with her? I can see a pragmatic tolerance of the Turtles, and I know some are waiting for her to step into a traditional role as their on-again/off-again ally, but I think, however the post-Shredder arcs shape out, she's way too awful to ever fill the kind of role Mirage's had (or that she's seeing elsewhere, a la the Nick cartoon). That Karai was a pragmatist; this one's a deviant. Which, mind you, I'm fine with -- this version of Karai is one of the highlights of the book to me. But wherever she ends up, she's been an out and out villain so far, so I'm curious to hear people's takes.