TMNT: A Love Letter to the Adoptive Family?

[Jester]

So discussion tangented greatly from a thread about the the cover of the second IDW Archie collection to the Turtles and their family dynamic, and it made me think, is the story of the TMNT the ultimate tale of a family formed by adoption? Hear me out.

The Turtles may or may not be related by blood, but their father is defiantly not a blood relative. April and Casey could also be added to this adoptive family. Heck, Casey isn't Shadow's biological father, but she's as much his daughter as the Turtles are Splinter's sons. You could even see Leatherhead and the Utroms as another case of the characters being related to their closest familial bonds by adoption.

So what are your thoughts?

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Jester

So discussion tangented greatly from a thread about the the cover of the second IDW Archie collection to the Turtles and their family dynamic, and it made me think, is the story of the TMNT the ultimate tale of a family formed by adoption? Hear me out.

The Turtles may or may not be related by blood, but their father is defiantly not a blood relative. April and Casey could also be added to this adoptive family. Heck, Casey isn't Shadow's biological father, but she's as much his daughter as the Turtles are Splinter's sons. You could even see Leatherhead and the Utroms as another case of the characters being related to their closest familial bonds by adoption.

So what are your thoughts?

I don't think it's a love letter to the "adoptive family," so much as just themes of happenstance and coming together, but yes, I believe it's a solid aspect of TMNT. Or at least I hope it is/kind of assume it is/think it should be.

I added another post to the thread where this discussion originated, but I never assumed, even as a kid, that they were blood brothers.

And the more I get into the series, the more I like it, because it adds an extra layer to just about every universe. In all but ... ugh, IDW ... there's a serious motif of accidents and coincidences going on, making the most of your circumstances, etc. Being a makeshift family is part of that, no matter how much it's brought to the fore. It's present from Splinter raising the Turtles in any given universe to Mirage Vol. 1 ending with, "April ... daughter." (The last line we hear from the main cast and hot off the heals of meeting Shadow, as you pointed out.)

Again, it's not always addressed, but I don't see why you wouldn't want it to be the case. In the face of all the other themes of coming together and making the most of things that are part of almost every single TMNT universe, having the Turtles be (and somehow know they are) conveniently blood-related just kind of cheapens things.

I know there are some people who consider Leo acknowledging this to be one of the great sins of The Next Mutation, but even when I heard that line for the first time in fourth or fifth grade, my reaction was, "Well, duh. Were we supposed to think otherwise?"

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Cipher

I know there are some people who consider Leo acknowledging this to be one of the great sins of The Next Mutation, but even when I heard that line for the first time in fourth or fifth grade, my reaction was, "Well, duh. Were we supposed to think otherwise?"

My biggest problem with Leo's admission in NM was that it was an attempt to undo the family dynamic. That because they weren't related by blood then they can't possibly be a family. And that's just ridiculous and a ploy to make the flirting with Venus not creepy. That's my problem with it.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Jester

My biggest problem with Leo's admission in NM was that it was an attempt to undo the family dynamic. That because they weren't related by blood then they can't possibly be a family. And that's just ridiculous and a ploy to make the flirting with Venus not creepy. That's my problem with it.

Oh, I definitely won't deny that it came up in Next Mutation for the wrong reasons. (And that bit of subtext, while totally obvious now, was kind of lost on me as a kid.)

Just that it didn't seem to be a foreign concept to me at the time and that, in and of itself, I think it's totally defend-able and even desirable as part of the Turtles mythos.

But you'll never see me say anything good about the writing or direction of Next Mutation.

[CyberCubed]

I don't see why anything that happened in the Next Mutation should bother anyone. The whole show has practically been rendered non-canon, (it had no scene in Turtles Forever), and all the characters created for that series never appeared again.

[Mr.Turtle]

i think casey shud have sons. i cant imagine casey has daughters.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Mr.Turtle

i think casey shud have sons. i cant imagine casey has daughters.

What a fascinating and vaguely sexist way to contribute to the conversation.

[Fugitoid Jones]

The 'adoptive family' theme seems to be popular in most superhero comic books. Batman losing his parents and being raised by Alfred, Superman being raised by the Kents, Spider-Man and Aunt May and Uncle Ben, etc., are all examples of this.

[BlueLightning]

This is the aspect that fascinates me the most about TMNT. Splinter adopted the turtles, and where they may or may not be blood related, it doesn't really matter. (Though I didn't know that bit about Next Mutation, and it seems kinda shoehorned, but I didn't see that series enough) They are family, and it kept growing, with April and Casey. I like one of the TMNT 2k3 Christmas episodes where they invite their friends to the lair, it feels like an extended family, and they are so diverse and unique.

But the highlight, for me, it the first TMNT movie. It is the main theme actually, the contrast between the real family of the Turtles and the fake family of the Shredder, the fight of the youth against the corruption of it. I do love the Splinter interactions between his sons, most predominantly with Raphael.

And one little bit I like to add it's while Michelangelo is the funny guy, he is the most affected of all by the loss of Splinter, and it shows in the campfire scene. I think the family aspect of the TMNT is perhaps the most important, because it strings a chord with all of us, and is made in an unique way.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by BlueLightning

And one little bit I like to add it's while Michelangelo is the funny guy, he is the most affected of all by the loss of Splinter, and it shows in the campfire scene. I think the family aspect of the TMNT is perhaps the most important, because it strings a chord with all of us, and is made in an unique way.

That's why I wish they'd have kept his voice screaming "SPLINTER!" on top of the farm house, instead of dubbing Raph over it. I mean, that, his hitting the bag, the camp fire scene as mentioned, and his longing to rush to Splinter on the roof top near the end, all speak to Mikey's emotional state, however subtly.

[Donnie]

Originally Posted by Jester

That's why I wish they'd have kept his voice screaming "SPLINTER!" on top of the farm house, instead of dubbing Raph over it. I mean, that, his hitting the bag, the camp fire scene as mentioned, and his longing to rush to Splinter on the roof top near the end, all speak to Mikey's emotional state, however subtly.

Yes, most definitely.

I like this thread, I honestly never thought of Turtles in that respect, although TMNT has always played a big part in my family values (or, by happenstance, agrees with them). The older of a fan I get the more I find myself very much disliking if they are not made to be brothers. The Turtles are all brothers to me, no matter which path is taken in a given "universe", I would just prefer them to be related by blood. Again, not saying the family bond couldn't be as tight, etc. if they aren't related by blood. I just prefer the former.