Tales of the TMNT #70 (Final issue)

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I expect a nice final issue, nothing earth-shattering.

"Raph's world gets turned upside down"...

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Cipher

I mean, it takes place n such a limited timeframe that story has to expand itself through some kind of nuance. It can't just be Raph looking back on that time when he fought Zog for twenty pages.

This is Jim Lawson writing. If he wants to do a whole issue where Raph walks through the sewers and fights some Foot for maybe 4-5 pages, that's what's going to happen.

After the Donatello mini-series, I kinda get the feeling Jim ran out of story ideas. Granted he may want to go out with a "bang" too, but meh.

[Andrew NDB]

Bottom line, it's difficult to imagine anything that could've possibly happened between Part 1 and 2 of RTNY that could be any kind of epic, "series ending" note that we'd want to see.

But it still might be pretty darn good.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

This is Jim Lawson writing. If he wants to do a whole issue where Raph walks through the sewers and fights some Foot for maybe 4-5 pages, that's what's going to happen.

"City at War" and Volume 2 were also Jim Lawson writing.

When the dude's phoning it in, you get the fluffiest fluff. But when he's invested, he's easily one of the best, most character-focused writers on the series.

[ToTheNines]

Pretty sure CaW was Eastman and Laird on script duties.

[PAAATE]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Pretty sure CaW was Eastman and Laird on script duties.

Laird and Lawson.

[AquaParade]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Pretty sure CaW was Eastman and Laird on script duties.

I can vouch for this.

Jim's writing on volume 2 wasn't shabby though.

I know Jim gets a ton of slack for having "lazy art" or slow writing, but when you get his art and writing together in a package, you can start to see that with his work he really is a "visionary", if you will. He certainly knows how to draw me into his twisted little visions...even if it has square-headed humans.

[discordiatookie]

Story: Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Script: Peter Laird and Jim Lawson

Guys, just check the official sites! As for me, I coulda sworn that Awesome Jim Lawson and Ravishing Ryan Brown wrote the original Tales series. But checking the Mirage site, i'm wrong. T'was Eastman and Laird. D'oh!

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Pretty sure CaW was Eastman and Laird on script duties.

Just hauled out an issue.

Story: Eastman/Laird

Script: Lawson/Laird

So Eastman and Laird plotted the scenario while Lawson and Laird handled the actual dialogue/directorial duties. But just reading the material, it seems like Lawson played a much larger role in the script than Laird.

Compare the "City at War" dialogue and pacing to Volume 2, then compare it to Volume 4. It's got Lawson all over it. The man writes the Turtles very well.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

"Raph's world gets turned upside down"...

So he'd like to take a minute just sit right there-


& he'll tell you how the ending of tales is unfair.

[Venom]

Oh God, I can't believe I lol'd. XD

[Venom]

Originally Posted by Cipher

It's got Lawson all over it. The man writes the Turtles very well.

While his art does grow on you, that very reason is why a lot of us really wished Jim had been on writing duties and one of the others handled the art.

Jim's stories usually have a very realistic quality to them, with a twist that really makes you think.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Cipher

Just hauled out an issue.

Story: Eastman/Laird

Script: Lawson/Laird

So Eastman and Laird plotted the scenario while Lawson and Laird handled the actual dialogue/directorial duties. But just reading the material, it seems like Lawson played a much larger role in the script than Laird.

Compare the "City at War" dialogue and pacing to Volume 2, then compare it to Volume 4. It's got Lawson all over it. The man writes the Turtles very well.

Alright, good eye.

[Powder]

I'm sure this is a stupid question, but is anyone as f*cking depressed about this as I am?

[Cipher]

I'm sure that when I finally have the last three issues in hand, I will be.

[DrSpengler]

Not so sure if I'm really *depressed*, yet.

The prospect of having no new Turtles comics to read and review should disappoint me, though honestly, I was growing more and more embittered with Mirage, their business practices (no trades in book stores), their method of delivering storylines (dropping plots at random in their anthology book and putting their ongoing volume on multi-year hiatus) and just Laird's attitude in general.

The Mirage universe going out on such a tremendous whimper doesn't really leave me feeling very depressed. A part of me feels hopeful, in fact. I'm curious and optimistic about what the future might bring with a fresh perspective on the Turtles franchise in comic form from some new blood within a new publisher.

Of course, only time will tell how that plays out. We could end up with something genuinely terrible or, after 3 years, we could still be waiting for Viacom to exercise their rights to produce a new comic.

But I'm more optimistic for the future than depressed to see a company I was becoming increasingly frustrated with end their line of TMNT comics. I don't really take the "better the devil I know" opinion on this matter ("yeah, Mirage was making a lot of stupid business decisions and their was no ongoing storyline or character development to latch onto, but Viacom could potentially be WORSE!").

So no, I'm not really depressed to see the era end. Well, that's not entirely true. I'm not *heartless*. I suppose a part of me is sullen over it and that emotion may increase once I have #70 in hand, but I'm not really letting it get me down.

I'm more interested in what the future will bring with a fresh company.

[Ninjinister]

I'm actually less likely depressed by the impending end of the comics than I was with the story of #69.

[CyberCubed]

Don't we still have the Image conclusion to look forward to? Hopefully?

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Don't we still have the Image conclusion to look forward to? Hopefully?

Maybe a lot of things to look forward to.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Maybe a lot of things to look forward to.

I like it when you try to be subtle.

On a different note, I still hope Volume 4 gets an ending sometime before the next decade. I just want to see those plots in that book wrapped up.

The part with Leo meeting the alternate Shredder, Oroku Yoshi, in the Battle Nexus seemed like it was going to be a great plotline. As well as Mike waging war with the Triceratons against the Styracodons.