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Old 12-22-2024, 12:25 PM   #1
ToTheNines
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Splinter and Saki in Mirage

This is kind of just me rambling, sorry.

I’m not currently doing a Mirage re-read, but since it’s almost Christmas I busted out Leonardo #1 this morning and of course had to dust off “Silent Partner” as well. But it just occurred to me that it was a pretty big missed opportunity when the gang makes it downstairs and they’re confronted with Shredder in the flesh. The scene is immediately interrupted by Casey’s dramatic entrance. I feel like Splinter should have said… something! Or displayed some iota of emotion.

While Mirage is my favorite version, I will admit that later versions really knocked it out of the park with the Splinter/Shredder rivalry. 1990 flick had them maim each other during the Yoshi assassination and had a great payoff in the climax. IDW had Yoshi’s quest for vengeance transcend time itself, culminating with him getting to fulfill his promise in his next life. And the 2012 show added his innocent daughter into the mix, making the feud more poignant than ever.

But that relationship isn’t the point of Mirage. It’s the cycle of revenge. Who knows how long the Orokus and Hamatos have been at odds? Nagi adds a degree of separation between the two. Splinter’s sons complete their mission of vengeance, they then spend the next several years fighting the remnants of the Foot, the clone, the loyalists, Pimiko and finally Lady Shredder’s forces.

But at the time, for Splinter to be faced with a reincarnated Saki less than two years after thinking his sons had fulfilled their duty had to have been a major gut punch to him. But unfortunately the story quickly turns to Casey saving the day and them all rapidly escaping.

And I don’t think I remember any Splinter dialogue on the matter during the Northampton era either, and he does not join them during Return to New York.

So that brief scene in TMNT #10 is the only moment in Mirage history that “Saki” and Splinter ever encounter each other and it is very unfortunately squandered. Even just a shot of shock in his face would have been something, but he’s kind of just there.

Crazy that this never bothered me before, but it just clicked today and I thought I’d share my thoughts. Any alternative takes?

Last edited by ToTheNines; 12-22-2024 at 12:33 PM.
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Old 12-22-2024, 02:09 PM   #2
Coola Yagami
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I never thought of that, but that was right. I don't even think Shredder would even expect the Turtles to have a giant rat with them.
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Old 12-23-2024, 09:14 PM   #3
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Man, I need to do a full Mirage marathon and really dissect this. I just read #11 and Splinter gets zero page time until the end of the book when his speech around the camp fire ends with “life goes on, and life is good”. He’s totally unbothered!

Where’s the burning hatred and the remorse around his life’s work being mysteriously undone?

I will say the biggest reason for this whole thing is that E&L really let the turtles be the main characters and Splinter was mostly along for the ride. Following versions put him in the forefront of the story and in IDW he’s just straight up the main protagonist.


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Originally Posted by Coola Yagami View Post
I never thought of that, but that was right. I don't even think Shredder would even expect the Turtles to have a giant rat with them.
Funny to think about, but I’m sure he knew about Splinter. The Foot had obviously been doing their homework before the ambush and Shredder somehow knew Leo’s name in RTNY (I don’t believe he learned it during #1, but I could be wrong).
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Old 12-23-2024, 10:24 PM   #4
Coola Yagami
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ToTheNines View Post
Man, I need to do a full Mirage marathon and really dissect this. I just read #11 and Splinter gets zero page time until the end of the book when his speech around the camp fire ends with “life goes on, and life is good”. He’s totally unbothered!

Where’s the burning hatred and the remorse around his life’s work being mysteriously undone?

I will say the biggest reason for this whole thing is that E&L really let the turtles be the main characters and Splinter was mostly along for the ride. Following versions put him in the forefront of the story and in IDW he’s just straight up the main protagonist.




Funny to think about, but I’m sure he knew about Splinter. The Foot had obviously been doing their homework before the ambush and Shredder somehow knew Leo’s name in RTNY (I don’t believe he learned it during #1, but I could be wrong).
I don't think names were mentioned during that fight, other than Shredder introducing himself as such. I'd have to re-read it, maybe one of the Turtles yelled Leo's name within earshot and Shredder remembered?
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Old 12-24-2024, 10:45 AM   #5
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There's not a whole lot of meat on the bones of Splinter and Saki post-Vol. 1 #1. Outside of maybe the Shredder Shark stuff, which I respect but isn't really my cup of tea. And yeah, it's always struck me as weird that Splinter wasn't at least peripherally involved in RtNY, though I admire how focused the story is as-is. For me it's like the pinnacle of TMNT storytelling in anything we've ever seen, or may ever see yet.
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Old 12-24-2024, 11:17 PM   #6
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There's not a whole lot of meat on the bones of Splinter and Saki post-Vol. 1 #1.
I figured there would be some reaction to the fact that his master's murderer was somehow still alive. I mean, he did train the Turtles for 15 years for this.
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