Image Top Ten

*CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy* · 08-14-2007, 07:56 AM

All right, first of all, an official disclaimer: I am not a Volume Four hater. I like Volume Four, and I love a lot of its plot aspects (namely Splinter’s decease, Mike’s Styracodon/Triceraton troubles, the tepui Utroms, and April’s nanobot affliction), but if I had to choose between the two, it’d be Image all the way.

Second of all, no hateful replies, please. If you don’t like it, fine. Don’t insult me, and don’t you dare bring my momma into this! I invite you to compose your top ten reasons to prefer Volume 4 to Volume 3. If none of y’all get around to it, maybe I’ll write it myself. (If I can bring myself to do it.)

Okay, now, on to the ten:

1) Action, and plenty of it! While you can’t read only one issue of either volume because of way-long plot arcs, Image had a much faster pace with a lot more conflict. Mirage just seems to build, and build, and build. Which is good, but I'm a more action-oriented kinda guy.

Also, the plots are just so much cooler. Warlord Komodo kidnapping Splinter, Big Tony kidnapping Shadow, Don getting brainjacked by Deathwatch, Raph taking over the Foot Clan, the Triceratons invading Earth, Leatherhead and Dr. X, Lady Shredder and Cheng… in comparison, Volume 4 just seems low-key.

2) Oroku Pimiko, the Shredder’s daughter. This girl is a much better character than Karai. Karai was excellent in Volume 1, but I really don’t think too much of her in 4. Besides, she’s a good gal. Pimiko is bad, kicks butt, and wears a very nice outfit.

3) Character development happens in both volumes, as do injuries and changes. But I prefer Image’s changes. Raph is much better with a hockey mask, eyepatch, or Shredder suit than with a dinosaur mutation makeover. Also, Don is better as a cyborg than a miniature mutant that is occasionally mistaken for an action figure. Not to forget Mike getting published, and Leo losing a hand.

People gripe about all the damage done to the TMNT in Image, but hey—I hate what happened to Raph and Don in Volume 4! And given enough time, Laird will return them to normal… just as the Image crew would’ve done to the boys in Volume 3 if the comic hadn’t been canceled.

4) Raphael, the Shredder. Enough said. That just gives me chills. Plus, it’s entirely fitting that Raph lead the Foot, seeing how he created it in Feudal Japan.

5) Shadow, Mob Princess. I love it. Her dear sweet grandpa is the Godfather, who can’t stand the thought of his dead son’s kid growing up with mutant turtles as uncles. Now, I think this is a lot better story arc for Shadow than all that werewolf jazz in Tales of the TMNT Volume 2.

6) Michelangelo not only sold some poems to Poetry Digest, but he got a whole novel published! Not too crazy that A Rose Among Thorns was a romance novel, but at least the guy’s a published writer! I mean, do we even see Mikey writing in Volume 4? The only time I remember is in Tales #30.

7) The Foot Clan is once again at war with the Turtles, Karai's truce be hanged—and that’s just as it should be. Those Foot dudes make much better enemies than allies. (Not for the TMNT, of course, but it’s a lot more interesting to read for us!)

8 ) The mutagen being unstable and degenerating in the Turtles’ and Leatherhead’s bloodstreams was a stroke of genius! The guys were gradually demutating! (Which would’ve cured Don, Raph, and Leo of their respective injuries, given enough time. Screw whoever was responsible for canning Image.) I'm pretty sure that for a cure, the TMNT would’ve had to go to—guess who?—Warlord Komodo. It makes sense, if you look at the various plot arcs. If you guys are curious as to how this would’ve worked, I can give you my theories.

9) Image Comics gave us some pretty cool crossovers, even though I tend to think they overdid it. We had, what, three or four crossovers in issues #9 through 15? But hey, loved seeing Mako, The Savage Dragon, and best of all, Deathwatch! (Vanguard, however, seemed pointless to me. But I’ll put up with him if it means Deathwatch can make an appearance.)

And I’ll definitely take an Image crossover over another C.O.W.Boys appearance any day.

10) Last, and certainly not least, April O'Neil. No, I'm not complaining about the fact that Volume 4 turned her into one of Kirby’s crystal drawings. Weird, and I'm still getting used to the notion, but it fit into continuity very nicely.

No, I'm here to compliment Image on how they drew April’s hair. Dang, I hated that frizzy moptop. Friggin’ ugly. I mean, since Volume 1 #4, O'Neil had the crappiest hairstyle. (Although, it looked okay in City at War and Shades of Gray.) Her ponytail, on the other hand, was excellent. April was finally a babe! Thank you, Image Comics!

08-14-2007, 07:56 AM	#1
CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy Annalist Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 16,435	Image Top Ten All right, first of all, an official disclaimer: I am not a Volume Four hater. I like Volume Four, and I love a lot of its plot aspects (namely Splinter’s decease, Mike’s Styracodon/Triceraton troubles, the tepui Utroms, and April’s nanobot affliction), but if I had to choose between the two, it’d be Image all the way. Second of all, no hateful replies, please. If you don’t like it, fine. Don’t insult me, and don’t you dare bring my momma into this! I invite you to compose your top ten reasons to prefer Volume 4 to Volume 3. If none of y’all get around to it, maybe I’ll write it myself. (If I can bring myself to do it.) Okay, now, on to the ten: 1) Action, and plenty of it! While you can’t read only one issue of either volume because of way-long plot arcs, Image had a much faster pace with a lot more conflict. Mirage just seems to build, and build, and build. Which is good, but I'm a more action-oriented kinda guy. Also, the plots are just so much cooler. Warlord Komodo kidnapping Splinter, Big Tony kidnapping Shadow, Don getting brainjacked by Deathwatch, Raph taking over the Foot Clan, the Triceratons invading Earth, Leatherhead and Dr. X, Lady Shredder and Cheng… in comparison, Volume 4 just seems low-key. 2) Oroku Pimiko, the Shredder’s daughter. This girl is a much better character than Karai. Karai was excellent in Volume 1, but I really don’t think too much of her in 4. Besides, she’s a good gal. Pimiko is bad, kicks butt, and wears a very nice outfit. 3) Character development happens in both volumes, as do injuries and changes. But I prefer Image’s changes. Raph is much better with a hockey mask, eyepatch, or Shredder suit than with a dinosaur mutation makeover. Also, Don is better as a cyborg than a miniature mutant that is occasionally mistaken for an action figure. Not to forget Mike getting published, and Leo losing a hand. People gripe about all the damage done to the TMNT in Image, but hey—I hate what happened to Raph and Don in Volume 4! And given enough time, Laird will return them to normal… just as the Image crew would’ve done to the boys in Volume 3 if the comic hadn’t been canceled. 4) Raphael, the Shredder. Enough said. That just gives me chills. Plus, it’s entirely fitting that Raph lead the Foot, seeing how he created it in Feudal Japan. 5) Shadow, Mob Princess. I love it. Her dear sweet grandpa is the Godfather, who can’t stand the thought of his dead son’s kid growing up with mutant turtles as uncles. Now, I think this is a lot better story arc for Shadow than all that werewolf jazz in Tales of the TMNT Volume 2. 6) Michelangelo not only sold some poems to Poetry Digest, but he got a whole novel published! Not too crazy that A Rose Among Thorns was a romance novel, but at least the guy’s a published writer! I mean, do we even see Mikey writing in Volume 4? The only time I remember is in Tales #30. 7) The Foot Clan is once again at war with the Turtles, Karai's truce be hanged—and that’s just as it should be. Those Foot dudes make much better enemies than allies. (Not for the TMNT, of course, but it’s a lot more interesting to read for us!) 8 ) The mutagen being unstable and degenerating in the Turtles’ and Leatherhead’s bloodstreams was a stroke of genius! The guys were gradually demutating! (Which would’ve cured Don, Raph, and Leo of their respective injuries, given enough time. Screw whoever was responsible for canning Image.) I'm pretty sure that for a cure, the TMNT would’ve had to go to—guess who?—Warlord Komodo. It makes sense, if you look at the various plot arcs. If you guys are curious as to how this would’ve worked, I can give you my theories. 9) Image Comics gave us some pretty cool crossovers, even though I tend to think they overdid it. We had, what, three or four crossovers in issues #9 through 15? But hey, loved seeing Mako, The Savage Dragon, and best of all, Deathwatch! (Vanguard, however, seemed pointless to me. But I’ll put up with him if it means Deathwatch can make an appearance.) And I’ll definitely take an Image crossover over another C.O.W.Boys appearance any day. 10) Last, and certainly not least, April O'Neil. No, I'm not complaining about the fact that Volume 4 turned her into one of Kirby’s crystal drawings. Weird, and I'm still getting used to the notion, but it fit into continuity very nicely. No, I'm here to compliment Image on how they drew April’s hair. Dang, I hated that frizzy moptop. Friggin’ ugly. I mean, since Volume 1 #4, O'Neil had the crappiest hairstyle. (Although, it looked okay in City at War and Shades of Gray.) Her ponytail, on the other hand, was excellent. April was finally a babe! Thank you, Image Comics!