TMNT Armageddon Game #6. Preview and Discussion

[hypered1]

Spoiler:

[ChosenOne]

This issue felt a lot shorter than it was. Not rushed, just shorter. I really thought the Gang of Four would be taken down here, but maybe there's still a Mutant Town massacre in store for them...? Final page/panel was ominous as hell. I could almost hear Krang ranting about electromagnetism in Raul Julia's voice.

[CyberCubed]

A lot of the fighting of each part only lasted about a page for each part of the fight, so it feels like everything was off-screen.

Honestly this whole arc has gotten confusing as to what is actually happening. Even Baxter and Null have no idea what's happening apparently. Apparently mutant town is being destroyed but only seeing 1-2 panels of it makes it hard to tell what's actually going on.

I just hope the final showdown with Krang and Ch'rell is worth it, since it seems this arc is coming to a close and both of them will probably be dead with the remaining Utroms and Triceratons making peace. But again feels like they added too many characters, I don't care about Nova Posse and they just feel like extras for no reason.

Besides that as I keep saying, this arc as a whole better not end with Rat King just continuing to sit there laughing and saying "the games will continue for another day." They really need to defeat Rat King for good after this, he's been re-treading the same ground for a long time.

[TheLabRat]

There no shame in ninja using firearms.

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

I really thought the Gang of Four would be taken down here, but maybe there's still a Mutant Town massacre in store for them...?

A lot of buildings were destroyed, but never see a large number of innocent casualties. Makes me feel that the plot isn't that serious.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by TheLabRat

There no shame in ninja using firearms.

Yeah, not at all. If there is no reason for a ninja to need to be stealthy, there is no reason they shouldn't dispatch a room with an AK-47 if they have one available.

[AquaParade]

I can’t comment on the series quality but from the outside, it’s a huge turn off to me. Seems like a mess of titles, padded out, with rushed art, extra issues for the sake of giving creators work, and focus on characters I don’t care about. Collect em all.

It’s cool that they are going for a big event, and I’d like to see it done successfully but this story was a turn-off to me rather than a potential hopping-on point.

But again, I’m not actually reading it. Just saying it didn’t entice me to jump back into the fold like a good event book might try to do.

[neatoman]

Is anyone else feeling a sense of catharsis from seeing Mutant Town finally getting turned into a smoking pile of rubble? I know the intention is probably that we're meant to see this as a tragedy... But after two years of what might be the single most boring and tone deaf story arc in TMNT comics history being set in that god forsaken place, it's kind of difficult to actually have the intended reaction.

[CyberCubed]

Unless there's a big de-mutation cure happening after this, most of those animal mutants will still be sticking around so the "damage is done" so to speak. We're not going to see all these characters killed off, as much as some people want. The most people can hope for is they find a way to de-mutate all the mutants back to humans, but they probably won't do that because it'll be admitting Jennika as a female turtle was a failure.

[Vegeta]

Solid issue, still love the artwork on this mainline Armageddon book, fantastic stuff. No love lost with the end of mutant town, like many i wouldn't mind seeing the newer additions from that era never show up again. Old hob and the og mutanimals are always a welcome sight though. The ultroms in the triceraton hosts is effectively tragic and bad ass looking. I'm enjoying this arc more now reading it month to month as reading it as a binge marathon made my head spin.

Jennika as a loyal blank slate type character along side splinter in the foot was perfectly fine but as a turtle really doesn't add anything to the dynamic of the 4 and feels like a muddy almost formless personality which correlates if it was agenda driven, I think this version of Venus is fascinating though.

[TheLabRat]

Originally Posted by neatoman

Is anyone else feeling a sense of catharsis from seeing Mutant Town finally getting turned into a smoking pile of rubble? I know the intention is probably that we're meant to see this as a tragedy... But after two years of what might be the single most boring and tone deaf story arc in TMNT comics history being set in that god forsaken place, it's kind of difficult to actually have the intended reaction.

Except for there are thugs roaming around beating people up or a mad scientist doing some unethical experiments, everything about Mutant Town is still too optimistic. There is no real tragedy and despair. Maybe Nick/Viacom didn't allow more distasteful stuff in the book. Such as drug trafficking or perhap rich mutant mobsters and businessman commit inhuman atrocities at their banquets. Even if these are just hints.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by AquaParade

I can’t comment on the series quality but from the outside, it’s a huge turn off to me. Seems like a mess of titles, padded out, with rushed art, extra issues for the sake of giving creators work, and focus on characters I don’t care about. Collect em all.

It’s cool that they are going for a big event, and I’d like to see it done successfully but this story was a turn-off to me rather than a potential hopping-on point.
.

Well the series is back to having some of the pacing problems it had prior to Sophie's run.

The Turtles only get a handful of pages to themselves, while the rest of the focus is on uninteresting side characters (like human characters such as Kara Lewis, Colonel Knight and Winter from Darkwater), or a bunch of extra alien characters (Nova Posse who are from the Archie series), Cherubae, and of course a bunch of extra mutants like Jennika, Hob's weasel children, etc.

The main plot is thankfully progressing, but other characters like Karai and the rest of the secondary cast are relegated to the Alliance issues (Casey, April, Alopex, etc).

Basically as usual, the series has too many characters and plotlines all going on at the same time to cover everything with proper screentime. That's why I am hoping several of the main villains finally get killed off to wrap up some stuff and clean the slate.

[Zog The Magnificent]

Well, what's worse, too much going on, or nothing at all going on?

[Vegeta]

I don’t think the turtles taking a backseat to a larger growing world this many years into a run is a huge issue. It’s led to villains getting depth, the turtles themselves have more straightforward motivations and morality which for me makes karai and hob more interesting to follow around

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Zog The Magnificent

Well, what's worse, too much going on, or nothing at all going on?

I just don't understand the point of bringing back uninteresting human characters (Kara Lewis, the Darkwater human guys), and bringing in even more random aliens (Nova Posse), instead of just using the Neutrinos who serve the same function. Look at how Karai, April, Casey, Alopex have been sidelined for the most part because of it.

On top of that we also have Jennika, now Venus, Regenta, the Old Hob weasels, the rest of the mutant town mutants (Sheena, Mona Lisa, Lita, etc), in addition to keeping around the original Mutanimals.

While most of these characters will probably be done after this arc ends, they should still at the very least kill off Ch'rell and Krang to wrap up the Utrom/Triceraton stuff (the remaining Utroms and Triceratons should be relocated to alien planets to live in peace), and hopefully The Rat King. As well as the Gang of Four, but I'm sure those 4 will die at the end of this anyway.

[TheLabRat]

Originally Posted by Zog The Magnificent

Well, what's worse, too much going on, or nothing at all going on?

I feel like the magic ninjutsu training arcs is unnecessary, because their strength still haven't improved, and they can't even beat Gang of Four. Also, I remember Shredder said ninja magic can only be used when no one is watching or the magic will go awry. However, they already to use it in view of others, which they've broken the rule many times.

[martinitolove]

Originally Posted by Vegeta

Solid issue, still love the artwork on this mainline Armageddon book, fantastic stuff. No love lost with the end of mutant town, like many i wouldn't mind seeing the newer additions from that era never show up again. Old hob and the og mutanimals are always a welcome sight though. The ultroms in the triceraton hosts is effectively tragic and bad ass looking. I'm enjoying this arc more now reading it month to month as reading it as a binge marathon made my head spin.

Jennika as a loyal blank slate type character along side splinter in the foot was perfectly fine but as a turtle really doesn't add anything to the dynamic of the 4 and feels like a muddy almost formless personality which correlates if it was agenda driven, I think this version of Venus is fascinating though.

I agree with most of your statments, especially with the one about Venus. For me she seems to be the breakout character of Campbell's run. Old Hob is the one from Waltz' by the way.

Seeing that in the 130 issues the team killed off just two main characters - Slash and Bishop (Splinter doesn't count, because he's allways here in one of his many forms), I don't think that Tom will kill off more than one, if any, in the Armageddon game. He, as every civilized person should, has deep respect of life - in the real world or in the world he created.

The last panel in this issue made me return to the 1990-ies again - Krang's face looks now like Dr. Doom from Heroes Reborn. One of the best visualisations by Jim Lee.

[CyberCubed]

Hun also died. Slash, Hun and Bishop. And some minor villains like Darius Dunn, Ocho, and the other ones.

Krang is probably dying again for real this time, if he isn't already. Seems to have brain damage in this issue with Metalhead doing all the work.