What would your line in the sand be for IDW?

[erik]

By which I mean, what kind of changes or additions introduced in IDW TMNT, would you just say "ok, you've gone too far" - and make you want to stop reading.

It's just while its all been great, they have been reviving a lot of old concepts, and hinted at hated ones - like a 5th Turtle (even if tangentially, like recently seen in the April spotlight issue.)

Another mutant team (like the Frogs, from the old TMNT show)? A Baxter Stockman transformation into a fly? Bebop, Rocksteady? Krang and Shredder partnering up and bickering? A cool, but rude, Raph?

For me, another Turtle is going too far. I can accept what was hinted at with the April issue, but not as a direct relative.

Oh, and if any girl Turtle, like a Venus de Milo, shows up (or is joked about, like in any way like at the end of the TMNT leaked script) - that will cause me to drop the IDW series entirely.

Oh, and alien origins. Splinter better not suddenly say "I was lying this whole time!" (ala the leaked script. boy was that horrible - makes me doubt Kevin Eastman's creditability and judgement)

The reincarnation twist, for me, has actually played pretty well. And the mature topics, like atheism debates, child abuse, and Spinter going all ninja-crazy in regard to said abuse (even if he goes "psyche" - it was an awesome moment!), is a welcome sight - especially as a counter-weight to all the old cartoon references.

So what would you consider crossing the line, for IDW? What would make you drop the series, if the story-lines go too off kilter? Or has the line already been crossed for you?

[thelouisguy]

For now, they are doing a really good job of introducing everything. When the series first started, I would have said The Technodrome would have made me stop reading, but a year later and the Fugitoid issue was probably one of my favorites to read!

Actually, yes. There is one thing they could do that I would not be happy with. Tokka and Rahzar. I really do not like those two. They were created for no reason just to have "more mutants". As much as I did not like the Fred Wolf Bebop and Rocksteady, those two should have been in the Secret of the Ooze and not Tokka and Rahzar.

Otherwise, IDW has been firing on all cylinders and is a must read for any Turtles fan.

[Toby Barrett]

Guess you better go ahead and drop the book, since we already have a fifth turtle in the form of Slash showing up in the Blood Brothers arc.

And I've been hoping for Tokka and Rahzar since I learned there'd be more mutants in this series.

[erik]

Originally Posted by Toby Barrett

Guess you better go ahead and drop the book, since we already have a fifth turtle in the form of Slash showing up in the Blood Brothers arc.

And I've been hoping for Tokka and Rahzar since I learned there'd be more mutants in this series.

I was talking about just that - having read the April issue. Since he's a villain, and perhaps just another Turtle used in the lab - then I think I can accept Slash.

[thelouisguy]

Originally Posted by Toby Barrett

And I've been hoping for Tokka and Rahzar since I learned there'd be more mutants in this series.

Ha ha! Well, like I said before, IDW has been doing a really good job at interweaving the TMNT Universes so who knows; if done properly, IDW might even make me like Tokka and Rahzar...

Originally Posted by erik

I was talking about just that - having read the April issue. Since he's a villain, and perhaps just another Turtle used in the lab - then I think I can accept Slash.

Yes, I have accepted Slash since his origin makes a lot of sense.

[Lampy]

i think you cleared all the possibilities already. most of what you said regarding a 5th brother or sister Turtle, splinter lying in purpose just for revenge, alien origins are some of my worst nightmares coming out of this series. i'm okay with the technodrome, tokka and rahzar, slash, the other mutant teams so long as they're done right. even if they weren't... it's not enough reason for me to drop the entire series. those mentioned in my first sentence are. but one thing that would give me reason to drop the book is if one or more of the Turtles dies young permanently... whether its in year two or year five. i'm okay with a future tale (ala mirage) though... but a Turtle dying young is something i won't take. i don't even care if they try to replace him... it won't be good enough.i know it's not gna happen... but.. that's my line.

[chrisdude]

Venus, alone, wouldn't stop me. But introducing that level of magic and mysticism would almost certainly turn me off the series.

[Cowabunga Carl]

I hope to see some of TNM characters show up. I say bring on Venus and Silver at least. I really hope Tokka and Rahzar show up. Love those two.

[MikeandRaph87]

You obiviously perfer the black and white comics so your line in the sand is different from mine,one who perfers the other media approach. My line in the sand is one of the turtles murdering a villain. I like the hero and villain separated by willingess to kill. Also, one the turtle turtles dying or losing a limb. I doubt the latter will happen but the former is still up in the air. I think the story with Slash will give an answer on the other. I do appreciate how IDW is weaving it all together not ignoring characters and bringing in elements from everywhere. Another line crossed I would not tolerate is a female turtle named Venus. That line like losing limbs should not be a problem though.

[Archon_Turtle]

Is the "You're" in the title of this thread driving anyone else crazy? Lol.

[thelouisguy]

Originally Posted by chrisdude

Venus, alone, wouldn't stop me.

If she had a similar origin to Slash, I would take Venus. Being a "sister" would not work since we have already established that Hamato Yoshi has four sons.

Originally Posted by chrisdude

But introducing that level of magic and mysticism would almost certainly turn me off the series.

Second.

Originally Posted by Archon_Turtle

Is the "You're" in the title of this thread driving anyone else crazy? Lol.

Ha! Yes.

[Vegeta]

If it starts mirroring the nick show instead of being its own universe. The comic definitely did a bait and switch in the beginning with the mirage feel and pretty much abandoning it. I can forgive that but not if it becomes too childish.

[Candy Kappa]

Wait, Reincarnation is A-Okay, but magic isn't?

so many laughing meme faces to choice from to convey the hilarity.

[DrSpengler]

I suppose what my potential "breaking point" might be is if they changed editors.

We are VERY lucky to have an editor as dedicated to the material as Curnow; someone who actively thinks about where issues slot in between other issues and keeps a timeline of events to maintain narrative cohesion. Not all editors give that much of a damn and IDW has had their fair share of them on other titles.

Andy Schmidt was so apathetic toward the Transformers books he edited (a series with so many simultaneous releases it NEEDED a dedicated editor like you wouldn't believe) that the series became an absolute mess of nonsense and contradictions for years. Then when he actually tried to sculpt a timeline he only made things worse and created MORE contradictions.

A good editor can make or break a book, particularly one that has multiple titles released at once, yet they all need to interweave without stepping on one another's toes.

The mere fact that we get placement notes on the interior covers of each Microseries, telling us where they go in regards to the ongoing series, says a lot. Most editors wouldn't even try *that* hard.

So if they changed editors and we wound up with someone less interested in the material and just trying to collect a paycheck, I might have to call it quits. After close to ten years of collecting Transformers comics I never thought I'd stop cold turkey, but the editing on those titles were so incompetent they succeeded in making me throw up my hands and cancelling all my subs.

So once again, I'm really happy with the creative teams we have on the IDW book AND the editorial staff. They keep a well-oiled machine.

[Cryomancer]

Thus far they've managed to toy with various concepts that run the spectrum of everyone likes it / not everyone likes it and it's been pretty much fine so far, so I really don't know if there is any one particular thing that I would "stop reading forever" over just because it existed, you know?. That's a long sentence. Basically I'm saying even if they introduce Venus or girlfriends or drawing-April or whatever other thing that sucked before, I'd at least give it a chance and see what they do with it. They could very well take something that had poor execution before and turn it into something cool, you never know.

I mean they already made the Neutrinos into something (comparatively) better, despite them perhaps losing some of their "identity" in their appearances so far. They've made them into something that can indeed have tragic stories written about. Although I wouldn't mind seeing some weird hair and flying cars from them too, eventually.

[CyberCubed]

Honestly the only thing that would truly anger me is killing off one of the main cast, like April or Casey.

Thankfully there's probably no chance in hell of that happening, so I have nothing to worry about.

[pannoni1]

Basically if any problem that arose in any previous incarnation arose, that would do it, or if the plots become too repetitive and dull. IDW does well since lots of the writers were raised on TMNT and create fresh new takes on previous material, reinventing characters and other plotlines. But I would say as long as the Turtles don't become fully human or we have nothing but one-shot villains with lame plots, we would have an entertaining series to read, just like any other form of entertainment.

[Powder]

How can you know the word "Tangentially" but not the difference between "You're" & "Your"?

[Candy Kappa]

Originally Posted by Powder

How can you know the word "Tangentially" but not the difference between "You're" & "Your"?

spell check can be a cruel mistress?

[chrisdude]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

Wait, Reincarnation is A-Okay, but magic isn't?

so many laughing meme faces to choice from to convey the hilarity.

The reincarnation bit is lame, IMO. I appreciate the ready-made history, but I was denying it with Donnie. I'm dealing with it.

What I'm afraid of, is them one day finding out how it happened, and it being some magical silliness. Or, worse yet, they may remember their entire past lives, and deal with being humans in gross mutant bodies...