TMNT Villain Microseries: Baxter Stockman

[corvus]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

Flyborg was awesome though, loved the concept and Idea, I just wish they didn't kill him off so quickly, hopefully baxter will get to make another one.

Did you miss the second to last page?

[Powder]

I was sure the book would be good, as they've all been, but damn, this really exceeded my expectations. Right off the bat, the art is stellar. Like many others I'm not huge on Kuhns turtles, but I absolutely adore how he does everything else. I found myself really missing him while reading this. The colorist did an AMAZING job in complimenting his style. That tag team would get a warm welcome from me in returning for another book. The writing was really solid, no cheese cornball melodramatic stuff that would be easy to abuse with a character of this nature. It's great to see how his mind works, to know what drives him. Great pacing, too. I love Erik's writing, he's definitely my favorite of the new guys and truthfully he's up there with the rest of 'em too. Anything else I would have to say was already wonderfully summed up by Dr. Spengler.

[Ninjinister]

I certainly prefer thought balloons and monologue boxes to characters talking to themselves about each and every thought they have.

Spoiler:

Also, I seriously expected the Flyborg to be his father.

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by Erik Burnham

Ouch.

As for similarity to Krang? Coincidence!

Sounds like a happy accident, then; yours and Williamson's scripts containing certain similarities.

When read back-to-back as dual epilogues to the Krang War arc, both Micros offer two halves a singular story. We see both "players" in the "game" and how very alike their circumstances growing up were and how they developed into the cunning villains they are today.

In that way, regardless of how the story threads turn out, you get the feeling that both "players" are equally matched and it could be anyone's game.

Interesting that you and Williamson didn't coordinate things that way, but it worked out well all the same.

[Metropoliskid41]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

I don't know. The more the series progressed Lionel Luthor got closer to the light and Lex got closer to the dark effectively switching places to the point Lex kills his own father. We don't know enough really to compare or if Baxter's father is still around. It would be interesting if he was opposed to being a building block for the character like Quanin is for Krang. I was thinking upon reading the issue the Sins of Fathers theme in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The mistakes or action fathers took shaping the characters.

Lionel only moved closer to the light due to becoming a vessel for Jor-El to guide Clark. I wasn't saying they were the same, or that Baxter killed his father like Lex did. I was saying their DYNAMIC was similar. Lex even wrestles control of LuthorCorp from Lionel. Lionel constantly challenged Lex, whether it was with chess, running the smallville plant of LC or with fencing duels. Where as Quanin on the other hand was despised by Krang's lazy spoiled nature and ignored him because of it. Quanin &Krang and Baxter & his dad had very different dynamics, even if the results were similar in producing 2 power hungry evil individuals.

[Plasticplayhouse]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

I know I shouldn't be comparing it to "Insane in the Membrane", but I felt it actually worked well as a compliment to that origin story, too (not that any of his 4Kids origin has necessarily been transferred over to his IDW incarnation).

wow, they actually gave a nod to cypress hill in a tmnt toon?! that's pretty funny.

i really enjoyed this issue. it did a great job in providing a quality back story to the character. also LOVE the flyborg!!!

[Turns]

I thought that the Flyborg was going to escape and become a member of Old Hob's misfit gang. Guess I was wrong.

[corvus]

Originally Posted by Turns

I thought that the Flyborg was going to escape and become a member of Old Hob's misfit gang. Guess I was wrong.

I was sad when it died.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Plasticplayhouse

wow, they actually gave a nod to cypress hill in a tmnt toon?! that's pretty funny.

i really enjoyed this issue. it did a great job in providing a quality back story to the character. also LOVE the flyborg!!!

Years before that, the turtles referred to villains as being "insane in the membrane" in The Next Mutation on more than one occasion. There have always been nods to certain musical groups throughout TMNT history. Gotta love all the great punk & metal references in the early Mirage books.

[Martin]

Originally Posted by Redeemer

Flyborg was awesome though, loved the concept and Idea, I just wish they didn't kill him off so quickly, hopefully baxter will get to make another one.

I've got a feeling that that won't be a problem:

Spoiler:

Enjoyed the issue. I still don't find Kuhn's art visually appealing (even in an issue without turtles, which is probably his weaker spot), but I've gotta admit that overall the art felt really good. There was no point in the story where the art was an issue for me, and some of the action panels are wonderfully done. Colouring was also exceptional, and I feel that really made Kuhn's art look much better.

Story wise, I feel like you guys already covered all major areas, so no point in weighing in. My gold star, as usual, goes to Speng's review of the issue. Favorite moment probably was the dialog between Krang and Stockman, which occurred as Baxter was running away from his creation. It's notorious how much Krang is underestimating Baxter, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that ultimately bites him in the ass.

Finally, can't wait to see how the fugitoid ties into all this, and what implications, if any, will this power struggle between Baxter and Krang have on the oncoming City fall arc.