issue 9 is out! [spoilers]

[Keno]

The Idea of Splinter dying is (no pun intended) DONE TO DEATH! I hope that whoever is killed off is ressurected in a future issue (Comic book charactors come back from the dead all the time after all). I like the Idea of a charactor being dead for a year or so but I hope they don't make it permanent.
Anyway about that premonition, I don't see how one of the Turtles would ever harm Splinter but I was thinking, what if he's possessed! I mean ghosts exist in the TMNT universe (look at Rat King), so what if the ghost of Shredder (or any other extinguished TMNT villian) posseses one of the Turtles and kills Splinter, then the other Turtles have to free that turtle from the ghost! Then, many issues later somehow Splinter comes back. Maybe, Leo contacts his spirit while Don worm-clones his body then they bring them together. Or maybe Splinter was just injured and he goes off somewhere to recover and the Turtles (and the ghost) assumed he was dead.
Actually, I'd prefer it if he'd kill off one of the Turtles instead, then had a long spirit-world story-arc (while the others mourn and have other adventures) ending with that Turtle's resurrection.

I actually really like these ideas! if it doesnt happen, you should turn it into a fanfic or something

[Jephael]

As the guy just said, it's been written as a fanfic, over and over and over. Plus every time it happens, Leo and Raph get into this big fight over who should've done something differently to prevent it.

[Aztec General]

Originally Posted by Vintage Splinter

From the TMNT Comic Encyclopedia:

RAT KING, THE

(AKA "The Monster") A hermit with mental power over rodents; a man believing himself a monster who rejected his humanity for reasons unknown upon some traumatic event in his past and took on the identity of "the Rat King." Passing through a ghost town beyond Manhattan, the Turtles and Casey Jones found themselves caught in a surprise attack by the Rat King, who lived in the abandoned area. After a fight, Leonardo hurled a shuriken star that struck the Rat King square in the chest, then sent him tumbling over the edge of the building he stood on (Tales of the TMNT #4). Some time later, when Splinter went on a journey of enlightenment while his pupils dealt with the warring factions of the Foot Clan, he wandered into the same ghost town the Turtles once passed through. Losing his footing, he fell into the same building as the Rat King had when Leonardo struck him down, breaking his leg. Weakened and famished, the apparition of the Rat King helped Splinter survive (by forcing him to consume a one of his own kind, a rat) and gave him the knowledge he sought. Splinter then discovered the now-skeletal corpse not to far from where he had lay, evidently establishing that Leonardo had killed him in the previous encounter (TMNT Vol. 1, #55 - 59).

There's a TMNT comic encyclopedia? Cool.

Hmmm.... never thought of him as a ghost though. Although, I will certainly agree Splinter's encounter with the Rat King was far more symbolic than actual. That is a very interesting character description though. As my UserID suggests I've always been fascinated by his character.

I even have a theory that Splinter actually ate the Rat King in City At War. Thus his skeletal remains. So the "cannibalism" was more symbolic than actual. Rat King saw himself as being of the rats, so Splinter eating him was a symbolic eating of other rats. Why would Rat King allow this? Because he'd surely do anything to feed his rat friends (he made this quite clear in Tales #4), especially a speaking and bipedal one. Just a theory.

[TheShredder]

How is Stockman still alive? Didn't he explode when the Turtles fought him in the severs? I think Splinter is gonna die. In vol2 issue 1 he has a dream that he dies.

[Splinter]

Originally Posted by TheShredder

How is Stockman still alive? Didn't he explode when the Turtles fought him in the severs? I think Splinter is gonna die. In vol2 issue 1 he has a dream that he dies.

Donny's been keeping him alive in a secret area of his lab. Basically all that's left of him was his head and his torso.

As for Splinter's dream, that's exactly why I don't think it will be him. It's to obvious since he's the elderly character and has had that dream/vision.

[tOkKa]

-->> ..hope it's not aprill.. that would be a bit to easy for them to go that direction..

[TheShredder]

Why would Donny keep the robot "alive" in the first place? He had no idea it was stockman.

[Splinter]

Originally Posted by TheShredder

Why would Donny keep the robot "alive" in the first place? He had no idea it was stockman.

I haven't seen the issue myself, yet. But I am assuming that he was intrigued by the robot and went back later to salvage it and found that it was still functional. And basically disarmed it and tacked it up on the wall so that he could have a brilliant (though crazed) mind to talk to. After all, it's not like Donny can bounce his scientific ideas off anyone else.

[impetus]

Originally Posted by TheShredder

Why would Donny keep the robot "alive" in the first place? He had no idea it was stockman.

What do you mean, he had no idea????

[HorseTechie]

*lol* duuude!

I think Don knew it was Baxter sooner or later. Boy.. that missing gap between th#9 and the last issue from Vol 2 sure is bugging me though. Just what did they do in all that time?!

But I think one reason that Don didn't let Baxter survive, what that he was truly a evil thing void of a soul. Baxter was hardly even human anymore, but just a robot body with a wired human brain in it.

It was like Baxter was the Serpant, tempting Don with the Fruits of Endless Knowledge, that could as well lead to his doom. Who knows if the plan for a time machine could really be a way to get rid of Don and the Turtles?

I'm glad Don did loose his temper on him to prevent that, in additiion as it being a display to his loyalty to April. He's got that dark side to be wary of.. yesssss....

[Cascadia]

Originally Posted by HorseTechie

*lol* duuude!

I think Don knew it was Baxter sooner or later. Boy.. that missing gap between th#9 and the last issue from Vol 2 sure is bugging me though. Just what did they do in all that time?!

But I think one reason that Don didn't let Baxter survive, what that he was truly a evil thing void of a soul. Baxter was hardly even human anymore, but just a robot body with a wired human brain in it.

It was like Baxter was the Serpant, tempting Don with the Fruits of Endless Knowledge, that could as well lead to his doom. Who knows if the plan for a time machine could really be a way to get rid of Don and the Turtles?

I'm glad Don did loose his temper on him to prevent that, in additiion as it being a display to his loyalty to April. He's got that dark side to be wary of.. yesssss....

I agree with you 100%

[Dinny]

The Idea of Splinter dying is (no pun intended) DONE TO DEATH! I hope that whoever is killed off is ressurected in a future issue (Comic book charactors come back from the dead all the time after all). I like the Idea of a charactor being dead for a year or so but I hope they don't make it permanent.

But Peter Laird always goes on about how he likes to keep characters dead.

[Dinny]

They can kill some1 off and then Donny goes back in time to save him/her with Baxters help and if it is April that wouuld create perfect irony.
But I dont think its Splinter, thyve been toyin with that iea 4 ages and they still havent dne it, so y do it now???

[ToTheNines]

Reading through this thread is cracking me up Journeys #9 is out next Wednesday the 6th, here’s a preview: https://comicbookclublive.com/2026/0...nt-journeys-9/

Fero Pe did a real nice B cover, but this month I’m sharing this Beast Mode Jim Lawson retailer exclusive he did for Jetpack Comics:

[ToTheNines]

Once again, I'm so grateful IDW is reprinting this series. If anyone from over there is reading: Thank you!

That being said, the first segment of this issue is what finally reminded me why Volume 4 was so often maligned, 9 issues in. Fourteen whopping pages of dinosaurs talking like fu*ing Gollum from LOTR. Sweet Jesus.

The second part, wow! I loved the whole slice of life portion just showing Don walking through the city and reflecting upon the new world. Then of course, that unforgettable moment with Baxter. Incredible stuff.

Then the third act returns to tedium, but the character interactions were still fun and well done.

Per my memory, the book takes a major dip in quality after #11 for quite a while. And the pages and pages of dinosaur crap at the begining of this one is kinda of a preview for what lies ahead. But as someone who laments the loss of the good old days, even the worst Mirage book is still something special to me. I just hope sales don't drop off and Journeys makes it all the way to #32... (and beyond!)

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Splinter

Donny's been keeping him alive in a secret area of his lab. Basically all that's left of him was his head and his torso.

How in the world would anyone come up with that? Clearly all that is left of Baxter is his brain. We saw him prepping himself for the brain surgery and even where to cut.

[TheLabRat]

I like when mirage turtles can finally walk around in the daytime, and they just care about their own affairs instead of fighting crime or saving the world.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by TheLabRat

I like when mirage turtles can finally walk around in the daytime, and they just care about their own affairs instead of fighting crime or saving the world.

It kind of adds another layer on top of what Vol. 2 added: "what will the Turtles do after they fulfilled their life's purpose of ending Oroku Saki and that circle of vengeance?" With Vol. 4 the new layer is "... and if they can join society, too?"