The TMNT Mirage Continuity Timeline (complete?)

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

So far we know we have a Jones/Harmon gang war story and a Lawson Rat King tale. Anyone know anything else?

A Carlson/Fosco Vol. 3 story.

[Zog The Magnificent]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

3 new Mirage stories in 2 weeks! Hopefully Spengler dusts off TMNTentity and reviews them all.

So far we know we have a Jones/Harmon gang war story and a Lawson Rat King tale. Anyone know anything else?

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

A Carlson/Fosco Vol. 3 story.

Wait, really? Where? Are they in that 40th anniversary comic, or somewhere else?

[ToTheNines]

Yes sir, that’s correct.

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

A Carlson/Fosco Vol. 3 story.

Oooh, excellent. I’m sure you’re plugged in and know most of the script details, and I’m sure you don’t want to be the LEAKER… but any hints on timeline placement that wouldn’t spoil anything?

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Oooh, excellent. I’m sure you’re plugged in and know most of the script details, and I’m sure you don’t want to be the LEAKER… but any hints on timeline placement that wouldn’t spoil anything?

Definitely within the core Vol. 3 issues themselves. A "missing story," if you will.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Definitely within the core Vol. 3 issues themselves. A "missing story," if you will.

Cool, thanks man. Glad to see you’re still here by the way! I’m gonna try to stick around this time.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Cool, thanks man. Glad to see you’re still here by the way! I’m gonna try to stick around this time.

You were always one of my favorites.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

You were always one of my favorites.

Haha, thanks man. I was actually just scrolling through the Disintegrstor Unit yesterday and came across the old Trump tweet thread. Still makes me laugh my ass off. Good times!

[ToTheNines]

Ok, we have the first Mirage story now. It’s titled “Mirage story 1” which is maybe a placeholder?

Any ways

Spoiler:

It was very cool, but no real story to it. Also it’s a TLR story, not Mirage.

[ToTheNines]

Got my advance copy yesterday. Overall thought the whole thing was awesome.

As for timeline placement:

“Monsters” by Jim Lawson didn’t entirely make sense anywhere in particular, and it was off that they just left Rat King sitting there babbling.

And maybe I’m just sensitive to culture war nonsense, but it seemed like it was supposed to be a dig at Trump. Loved seeing new art from Lawson, but this one might be better off forgotten.

“Gang Wars” was amazing. It’s mostly all Lauren Stanton reflecting. But the final scene of her in Japan was implied to be 20 years after #1. So 2005 by my count, which is a couple years after where Peter left volume 4 hanging.

This one and Ciro’s story were basically pitches for a larger story. Hopefully something comes of it.


“Down Time” takes place during Volume 3/Urban Legends #6. Not much to say, fun little story though.

[ToTheNines]

Does the Image era “Christmas Past” story work better after #16?

I know that goes against Andrew’s editors note, but you could chalk Leo’s hand up to Shadow conflating his missing hand with that whole era in her memory.

It’s just hard to pad out a whole year between #1 and #23. Seems like after #16 might be the best place to assume a winter/Christmas passed.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

It’s just hard to pad out a whole year between #1 and #23. Seems like after #16 might be the best place to assume a winter/Christmas passed.

Not that hard. The series literally began with the Turtles' birthday and ended with their next birthday.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Not that hard. The series literally began with the Turtles' birthday and ended with their next birthday.

That’s the easy part. And in the 3+ real world years it took for that story to play out, I’m sure that didn’t seem so crazy. But looking back and reading the series in a couple of sittings, there’s just not any huge breaks in the narrative or obvious changing of seasons.

I like the birthday thing as a bookend, but those issues don’t naturally feel like 1 whole year.

If anything, that story makes more sense being placed in the future portion of the timeline since Image stuff is all flashback.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

I like the birthday thing as a bookend, but those issues don’t naturally feel like 1 whole year.

You're right, it doesn't. If you were to parse out the issues logically, you could figure maybe.... maybe like 2 months passed. If that. But that's true of 90% of most mainstream comics at large -- it could be 5 years of a title, but realistically only a few weeks pass in-story. Especially when you get into like 5 part "To be Continued" type issues, one into another.

I think the idea was that Gary/Frank wanted to push toward the Turtles hitting twenty, so they could do what Erik alluded and put a big "X" over the "TEENAGE" in the title.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I think the idea was that Gary/Frank wanted to push toward the Turtles hitting twenty, so they could do what Erik alluded and put a big "X" over the "TEENAGE" in the title.

That would have been cool. It's fun to imagine where they would have gone, but I'm happy with what we got.

But yeah, that "year" doesn't do any damage to the larger Mirage timeline, still fits perfectly. I was just nitpicking the Christmas story placement because I was bored lol.

I still think it makes more sense to go somewhere in "the future" portion of the timeline, and the flashback can just take place whenever a nebulous December could have passed during the Image run.

[TransPirate]

Does anyone have an updated timeline including the new stuff? And/or the one where the placement of stories like "Loops" is based on the perspective of the character furthest in the timeline / based on the framing story instead of being based on when the bulk of the story takes place.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Hmmm...

The six month gap spans February to July, give or take a month on either end, right?

So yeah, it couldn't take place there.

In the story, Raph's talking about how aliens have integrated with human society and all the Turtles are wearing their Utrom identification emblems.

The only other break in the Vol. 4 narrative where stories like this can go is between #11 (Splinter's funeral) and #12 (when Raph gets bit by the vampires).

I'm not sure if the seasons really fit, but it's the only place it could go.

Actually, it segues decently, seasons notwithstanding.

The last two Moo Mesa crossovers happen here, where the Turtles interact extensively with the Utroms (hence the badges), followed by a battle with werewolves in #39, then followed by Raph getting bit by vampires in #12, keeping up the halloween horror theme.

It works well enough.

A question that I can’t answer for myself, unfortunately (I sold off my volume 4 collection years ago and deeply regret it):

If “What Wolves Wear” is Halloween 2002 and takes place right before #12, is the entire remainder of volume 4 still in November/early December 2002? Or is there ever any break in the narrative to allow for Christmas/New Year’s and place the story in 2003?