TMNT 2021 Annual Preview and Discussion

[Kyo Hisagi]

As teaser hyping up Armageddon Game it was okay. As stand alone issue... it was awful. Everything could have been summed up in 4 pages instead of 26 (2 pages being Rat King meeting his family and having a monologue, 2 being a big reveal. If you feel extra generous, make it 6). To me it feels less like Annual for 6 $ and more like FCBD issue with retelling all the stuff I already know.

Don't get me wrong, writing is good, art is great, but... "water is wet". We didn't need to spend so much space to tell this information. But that's just my opinion, I am mere reader.

[CyberCubed]

I think it was needed because we've been in mutant town for 20 issues, and in real-life terms its been around 2 years since we've seen the Pantheon in any capacity. I do agree most of it felt like a recap issue, but the art was great and I liked seeing these characters again. But yeah it did feel like a long advertisement for the next arc.

[Kyo Hisagi]

I do agree, I missed these characters and this writing too. It felt more like "good old" TMNT I loved so much, but I would like to get, I don't know, more substance. More things to talk and speculate about outside that one spread.

[neatoman]

What is going to happen to Krang if he remains attached to Leatherhead for too long? He sure seems eager to get rid of him and you could just interpret that as the problems we've already seen leading him to want that, but could Leatherhead possibly take control or something if he isn't removed in time?

[lonewarrior20]

well, read it and looks like i'm the only one wrong. don't that beat all.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by lonewarrior20

well, read it and looks like i'm the only one wrong. don't that beat all.

Wrong about what?

[hypered1]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Wrong about what?

They guessed that Old Hob was who Rat King was talking to but it wasn't him.

[Allio]

Glad we got some character for Jaguar. I was afraid that she was just a fill in for Chi-you

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Allio

Glad we got some character for Jaguar. I was afraid that she was just a fill in for Chi-you

That scene with her entourage was the perfect opportunity to fit in a Kid Terra (from Archie TMNT) cameo. Alas.

[CyberCubed]

Jaguar never got a solo story like all the others, I'm glad she got a little here. She really should have gotten something at some point.

[Utrommaniac]

Originally Posted by neatoman

What is going to happen to Krang if he remains attached to Leatherhead for too long? He sure seems eager to get rid of him and you could just interpret that as the problems we've already seen leading him to want that, but could Leatherhead possibly take control or something if he isn't removed in time?

My guess is that it's just kinda inconvenient in so many different ways - and most definitely uncomfortable.

[hypered1]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

My guess is that it's just kinda inconvenient in so many different ways - and most definitely uncomfortable.

It's possible that the Utroms evolved from using biological hosts to the relatively more comfortable mechanical golems we are used to seeing them pilot and are no longer capable of utilising biological hosts as they did in the past. A bit like a modern person trying to live in the distant past, difficult but not entirely impossible.

[Allio]

So conspiracy time.

Without a doubt I think this story will be the end of Rat King one way or another.

But what about the others.

Spoiler:

this storyline could easily conclude not only Rat King but the other three as well. This could be the end of Krang, Baxter and Null in one fell swoop.

With all of that all the loose ends of the comics could be finished in one go. Do you think this could be the end of IDW’s TMNT?

[hypered1]

Originally Posted by Allio

So conspiracy time.

Without a doubt I think this story will be the end of Rat King one way or another.

But what about the others.

Spoiler:

this storyline could easily conclude not only Rat King but the other three as well. This could be the end of Krang, Baxter and Null in one fell swoop.

With all of that all the loose ends of the comics could be finished in one go. Do you think this could be the end of IDW’s TMNT?

We still need to see what happens with Hob this current arc and there's also Ch'rell lurking on Burnow Island and Ravenwood is out there somewhere too, plus we've been teased that Leo is going to be possibly training new versions of the Bob and Carmen characters. So there's still a few plots still on the plate.

[CyberCubed]

Hob is likely going to be ambiguous ally like usual. Karai has pretty much become an ally, and we'll see where Kitsune/Shredder go.

I do agree this arc feels like it could potentially be the climax of the entire series, setting up all the villains to potentially be killed off or done away with in one swell swoop. I suppose IDW is setting it up just in the comic does end sooner rather than later, that way there won't be any major dangling plotlines.

[hypered1]

I will admit that I now wish that IDW had 'rebooted' at #101 as 'Volume 2'.
One benefit of written media, particularly comics, is being able to define overall narratives into smaller portions, that way you take and leave whichever parts most appeal to the individual reader.

[Kyo Hisagi]

Originally Posted by Allio

So conspiracy time.

Without a doubt I think this story will be the end of Rat King one way or another.

But what about the others.

Spoiler:

this storyline could easily conclude not only Rat King but the other three as well. This could be the end of Krang, Baxter and Null in one fell swoop.

With all of that all the loose ends of the comics could be finished in one go. Do you think this could be the end of IDW’s TMNT?

I highly doubt that, if they "finish all the storylines in one go" it will be extra lame. Hyping up Krang's return and especially Null FOR YEARS to just brush it off in one story, no matter how good it is? No thank you, I would like proper resolution for their arcs, not just them being players in Rat King's twisted game.

[Ninjinister]

For some reason, it feels like the last annual just came out not too long ago, but no, it was a year ago today, in fact.

Time perception is weird.

[Weapons@theready]

Originally Posted by Kyo Hisagi

As teaser hyping up Armageddon Game it was okay. As stand alone issue... it was awful. Everything could have been summed up in 4 pages instead of 26 (2 pages being Rat King meeting his family and having a monologue, 2 being a big reveal. If you feel extra generous, make it 6). To me it feels less like Annual for 6 $ and more like FCBD issue with retelling all the stuff I already know.

Don't get me wrong, writing is good, art is great, but... "water is wet". We didn't need to spend so much space to tell this information. But that's just my opinion, I am mere reader.

I don’t necessarily disagree with this assessment. I loved the issue but i can see where you’re coming from. That being said, I got more enjoyment out of those four pages of the annual than I have gotten in the last 20 issues of the ongoing…kind of sad when you think about it

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by Weapons@theready

I don’t necessarily disagree with this assessment. I loved the issue but i can see where you’re coming from. That being said, I got more enjoyment out of those four pages of the annual than I have gotten in the last 20 issues of the ongoing…kind of sad when you think about it

I am in full agreement here. The last thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the 2020 annual. It too excluded the titular quartet however unfortunately. This did move the stagnated plot forward finally however I wonder when it will be picked up again as it does not look like it beyond this in solicits or where the ongoing could allow for this.