Kevin Eastman talks TMNT movie

Super Hero Hype is running a story right now where Kevin Eastman talks more about the future TMNT movie. Now Mr. Eastman has been involved with the TMNT relaunch on the comic front and it is doing quite well. Not sure how much involvement he really has on the new movie, but the fact that he has any gives me a little hope.

TMNT make Good Housekeeping's Best Toys of 2012

Good Housekeeping (click for link) has released their top picks for 2012 and TMNT have landed on the list. This is good news for the toy line, as it means it is garnering some attention from marketers. With these toys hitting top lists and Christmas fast approaching they may become a little harder to find. The good news is no no figures are expected tell after the holiday season.

What's up with new content?

Okay wow, yeah I said I was going to do better and then I did worse. Yikes. I feel really horrible. Bottom line is real life started kicking my butt. Still trying to find full time work and that takes priority. None the less I am still here and there will be updates. I might have to go to once a week for a little bit though.

Anyway thank you readers and stay tuned. I promise I'll keep this going.

IDW Kevin Eastman Annual 2012

It has been nearly 20 years sense the world has seen an issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles written and drawn by Kevin Eastman. Peter Laird kept at it and put out some good and not so good stuff over those years but Kevin had seemed to have moved on. When it was announced that Mr. Laird had sold TMNT to Viacom there was much talk about what would become of the franchise. No one really expected that one creators exit would harold in the return of the other.

For a little over a year now Mr. Eastman has been part of a team putting out a new monthly TMNT comic. It has been a fun ride for the most part. Sure there are aspects that some could do without, but over all it is a sound title and is doing really well.

When we got the announcement that Mr. Eastman would be doing an annual, both the writing and drawing duties, and that it would be a larger then normal issue the fan community was stoked. A lot of us felt like the wait was forever. But it is here now and there are not words to describe for me how awesome a read it was. That may be the nostalgia in me talking though, for this reads a lot like the old Mirage books of yesteryear.

The art work is very reminiscent of the first few issues which is to be expected, after all Mr. Eastman is one of the original artists. Like that old style it is left in black and white with ink shading to give shadow. It may be jaring for some new readers who are not used to the style of art or the fact that it is B&W. However it is very true to the origin of the characters, plus there is not talk about what color masks they are wearing if it is B&W.

Then comes the writing. It is a great tale told over the pages allotted to it, a nice self contained story for the most part. I don't want to say to much about the story and ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. But it does remind me of the Unmentionables, #15 of the Mirage book if memory serves. It's a good detective/buddy/action story that focuses on Casey and Raph.

I'll do another writeup on this later where I dissect the story and go more in depth. A near death experience has me on edge. If you are on the fence about this, and why would you be, go get it. Don't wait for a reprint. Yeah the price is a little higher but you're getting a mini graphic novel. Suck it up as this is a true moment in TMNT history. Plus it is one hell of a story.

Be Original or Go Home

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show has aired on Nick and we are now three episodes in. After the airing of the first two Nick said that they will be making at least two seasons of 26 episodes, so 52 episodes are somewhat guarantied. Yet even though only three have aired and there is an order for two complete seasons some are already acting as this is the second coming of the Turtles.  Now while this may in fact usher in another golden age of TMNT, I do not think that means it needs to emulate the first completely.

It can be argued that what made the Turtles popular was the 80s cartoon, and in many respects I would tend to agree. However it does need to be remembered that the Mirage comic and Palladium RPG books were out at the time before and during also, that there were more assets out there then just toon based.  I think this often gets over looked and instead the Fred Wolf cartoon is often held up as the “Original Turtles”. Not that there is anything wrong with the old show, rather it is only a part of the Turtles history not the whole thing.

The original run on the Mirage comic series lasted 62 regular issues. Now not all of them were written by Eastman and Laird, and some of them are just plain goofy, but overall there was a tone of more adult themed stories told. This was at the same time the original show was going on. The Turtles killed, drank beer, and matured over the course of the series. This is where they started and came from. A self-published independent book that tried very hard to be original.

That series lasted tell 1993 then spawned another series of comics that picked up where those had left off. That second series of comics lasted tell 1995. So while the cartoon lasted tell 1996, Mirage was pumping out Turtle related comics. IT got to a point in 1996 that Mirage leased the license to Image that had a comic from 1996 – 1999. For the majority the TMNT comics were aimed at a different crowd then the show had been. Bring a much different tone.

Now during that same time we got the movie series of three live action films. Having a diverse background of material and different audiences that liked TMNT the films had to find a way to balance. Thus they formed their own take on TMNT lore borrowing from everything but making it its own. It is true that there was some pressure from the studio for the second and third to be more kid friendly and it shows. However instead of copying the cartoon they continued to do their own take. It would have been very easy to copy, but instead they wanted to give something different.

Even when Mirage started publishing comics again in 2001 and then a new show started in 2003. The two weren’t the same thing. Now granted the 2003 4kids show was more based off of the Mirage comics it took the basics and then changed them to fit what it wanted to do. It wasn’t a direct issue for issue copy though is the point.

Mirage was publishing a new comic that was a continuation of the comics it had published years before. Laird was writing them and doing what he wanted. Sure he had input on the new show but his comics and the show were separate.

Then we had the 2007 CGI movie. Again it drew from the vast library of TMNT lore but made it its own.

That now brings us to what is currently going on. We have an ongoing monthly series of comics from IDW right now that is fantastic. Yes there are some issues with pacing but overall the book is great. It could have easily tried to copy and just be the same thing as before but it isn’t. Yes they are leaning heavily on some aspects of the past, yet at the same time they have made them their own. What they use isn’t because it’s cool to use them. Rather they use things from different universes because they have found a way to make them fit and work to further the story.

Nick has launched its new show and it looks to be very promising. I personally am hoping for great success. Right now it looks to be doing what IDW is doing and borrowing things from different universes yet trying to be its own. I applaud them for that. There are familiar aspects in the show that is true, but being presented very differently.

Now the point I want to make is that things don’t need to be carbon copies of what has come before. Each version of the Turtles has been successful to various degrees, and kept the brand alive for over 25 years. That is no small feat. Yet each version has been a breath of fresh air. I like all the different versions for different reasons, and the characters that went with them worked great where they were. But because they worked in one doesn’t mean they will work in another or should be in another.

I’m not saying the can’t be. That isn’t it at all. What I’m saying is there needs to be a reason in the story past just because they worked before. I say let each universe be its own. If a new character can be made that works just as well as an old one go for it.  If an older character works with in the confines of the new medium but isn’t just a carbon copy for the sake of being there go for it.  Make the reason a character is used important, not just fan service. There needs to be something added by having the character there.

The beautiful thing about there being so many different Turtle universes is that whatever someone likes it’s still there. If the OT is your thing it’s on DVD, Mirage is being reprinted, 4kids is on DVD, the movies on DVD, exe… The point is that people can go back if there are things they like better, characters they want to see. To force things to be the same is boring and repetitive. Bring something new and exciting or go home.

The New Nick Show

Okay it has been two weeks since the show has come out and there hasn't been a post about. What is going on you might ask. Well let me tell you, I'm still trying to digest what we have been given. Now that isn't a bad thing at all. It's just that we have a brand new show and there is a lot going on in it, or at least that's how I feel. My first reaction to it is that it is great.

However that isn't what I want to post. I don't want to post a knee-jerk reaction. I'd rather take my time and post the best review I can. I promise that I will be doing reviews of the episodes. In fact I hope to finally have the review for all three episodes up before episode 4 airs. So stay tuned.

If you want my opinion really quick, yes watch this show. It is very well done and seems like it might truly spark the next age of TMNT. It has its faults but then I wasn't expecting to like it 100%. But if I had to give a percent that I like it would be 95%.

What makes a character?

There was a thread on the forums I visit talking about how there is a piece of concept art showing April blond for the new show. It went on to say that this would destroy her character and make her someone completely different. Now when I read this it made no sense to me at all. I mean does a simple thing as hair color make the character who they are or is it something deeper? I'm still waiting to see a decent answer to this in the thread, but sense I have a blog I thought I'd just really take a look at it and post what I think.

The post that started me thinking about this is:

 "As people who have seen the very early concept art know, April is depicted as being blonde. Thankfully, her hair color was changed to the more usual orange/red color that April is usually depicted with.

I have to say that making April into a 16 year old girl AND making her blonde would have made her seem too much like an entirely different character.

For some reason the fact that she's a redhead makes her feel more like April, as in all universes outside of Mirage she has reddish hair to various degrees." - Cybercubed

Okay so the original post seems harmless enough except that there isn't one things but two that people seem to have a problem with. The fact that they thought of making her blond, and the fact she is 16 in this version. What the thread seemed to be asking, at least to me, was when does the character stop being the character and become something new?

Well lets first address who April is and why she is important in the TMNT universe. April O'neil in every incarnation is one of the Turtles very first human friends. She is the link to the outside world that they can never fully be part of. Also she is the motherly figure to them. Trying to protect them as best she can from the world around them. Oh and she has an antique shop. Now that is the same over all the different versions thus far. 

What is different in each version? In the Mirage comics, 4kids show, and IDW she worked for Baxter Stockmen as a lab assistant at first. Where in the Fred Wolf cartoon and the movies she was a news reporter. In the Nick show she will be 16 and in high school, past that we don't have a lot about her yet. Mirage, 4kids, and the movies she learns to fight to be able to either take part in adventures or to defend her self. FW she is the damsel in distress. Mirage and the movies she is brunette, FW an amber color, 4kids and IDW pure red.

So to start off right there, her hair has been different colors in different versions. There is no set color for her hair. And as stated in the last paragraph it depends on what version you are looking at what she does for a living. Also in the movies she seems to be in her late 20s to early 30s. Mirage she is about mid 20s, 4kids and IDW early 20s, and Nick of course she is 16. So even then her age has fluctuated. Granted those this is the biggest fluctuation.

The point of pointing all this out was to get people to think about the character across all platforms and see her in a broader light. While there are some key factors in her personality, there are also things that have changed depending on incarnation. 

Does the fact she is 16 bother me? At first a little I'll be honest. To me it was taking her from being a "parent" figure and making her one of the guys. Then I realized that 4kids had done that too. They tried to make her one of the team by using her tech suaveness and having Splinter teach her the ninja arts. Once I realized that making her part of the group had been done before I could kind of dig where they were trying to go with making her younger.

Now the hair thing? That I can honestly say I could care less about. As long as they have the key things about April that have been in every universe then that is all that matters. Her being their link to the outside world, her trying to protect them in her own way from it, and being their friend regardless of them being different are what is important. Hell she could be bald for all I care.

I guess what I'm getting at it doesn't matter if some changes are made to a character as long as the heart of the character is there. After all I don't want to see the same thing over and over. If I have a favorite version I read or watch it still. DVDs and comics are great for repeat viewings. Sometimes you have to embrace change. As Splinter has said in almost all versions of TMNT, "The only constant is change."

TMNT have been placed on ToysRus "hot list"

The last time TMNT made anyones hot toy list was in the early 90s, and even then it was starting to fall from grace. Even though we saw a new cartoon in 2003 the merchandise never seemed to pick up momentum. But that looks to have changed this coming year. With Nick's power behind it it might truly be the second coming of TMNT.

For those of you who want to see what other toys made ToysRus top 15 hot toy list you can find the link here.

TMNT vs Godzilla in 2014

May 16, 2014 was the day the Ninja Turtles movie was pushed back to from Christmas of 2013. Now if this was because of the script that Bay is saying wasn't the real script or other reasons, it was the script, who knows. Now though another anxiously awaited franchise has put its claim to that day. Legendary Pictures is now looking at releasing the new Godzilla movie the same day.

Will Ninja Turtles back down or hold its ground? No statement has been issued yet about it, but it will be interesting to see. While Ninja Turtles will probably appeal more to children and families Godzilla will relate more to adults and teens. Yet there is that crossover bunch, the 20-40 somethings that grew up with the original Turtle craze in the 80s. These are the parents of todays children.

With tickets costing what they do and going to the theater not being nearly what it was it is going to mean people are going to have to choose. I am a fan of both TMNT and Godzilla. However I know that I'm more of a TMNT fan. Yet I want to see both of these films do well, spawning many sequels to come. It may be one of those rare times where I do a movie marathon day and see both.

Our first Art Contest

Being inspired by a thread at the forums I frequent I thought we would do our very own redesign contest here. So here is to announcing our first challenge. The character that will be the first redesign is going to be a simple one I think. We are going to start with the Rat King.  You'll have tell October 27th to submit your drawings, photos, paintings, or whatever else you might like to do.

Here is a link to his Wiki page and another to his TMNTpedia page.

Here are some pictures for reference. Tried to get a picture from all his different versions.

Feel free to take your design any way your heart leads. Go crazy and have fun.

Fugitiod Redesign

Over on TheTechnodrome.com forums there is currently a contest for redesigning the Fugitiod. I haven't taken part in the last couple contest because I just haven't had time. However I saw this one and it sounded like fun. So I've done two sketches so far, and then redrew them on the computer with some color. Neither one is brilliant but they were both fun to do. So here they are for my readers to see. I'll probably be posting more of my art on here soon. Plan on having a review up of the mutating Tokka later today.

    

TMNT Motion Comic Volume 1 Issue 1

Back on February 4th of 2011 a member of TheTechnodrome forums had the idea to do a motion comic of the first issue that launched the TMNT, now close to a year and a half later it is done. This group came together recording their parts and sending them in. Other members did the motion work, the video work, sound work. It was truly a labor of love. All done for no profit, just because they loved this franchise. Here is the labor of the work. I hope you enjoy, I know I did.

New Behind the Scenes Video

Here is a little behind the scene look at what is coming. Have to say that it just keeps looking better and better. It sounds like these guys actually care and are trying to make the best show possible. Kind of digging that Shredder is making a mutant army of his own, though I would have like to see Fishface or Dogpound over Spiderbite.

Art Contest

So I'm thinking of doing an art contest for this site. The only problem is I don't know how many people read this that would be interested. It brings me then to why I'm posting this, to see if my readers would like to take part in a contest. Leave a comment if you would be interested. If there is enough interest we will hold our first contest.

IDW Mico Series Fugitoid

Well we have another Micro series issue and it is none other then the Fugitoid. This character hasn't appeared much outside the comics tell the 4kids version of the TMNT that was being lead by co-creator Peter Liard. Little know fact is he did have his own issue of a story before appearing in the TMNT comic, so him having his own issue in this series isn't that surprising. However it was a surprise to find out how he fits into this univers.

First things first. This issue was written by Paul Allor, drawn by Paul McGaffrey, and colored by John-Paul Bove. They all did a fantastic job on this issue. From cover to cover it is a beautiful book and an enjoyable read. The story is solid, definitely setting somethings up for future issues in the ongoing. The art is really well done. Only gripe I have about it is that the Turtles themselves, they appear in one panel, look a little off. Overall though the art and colors are fantastic.

The original Fugitoid issue saw Professor Honeycutt become the Fugitoid because of an electrical storm, and then go on the run because to waring fractions wanted his transporter. His whole story revolves around not wanting to help cause more war and he rather hope to out run and get away then take the chance of being caught. Well that was the Mirage version of this character and gone is that origin. What follows below is a review of the issue. It may contain spoilers, you have been warned.

This time around we see that Honeycutt has been conscripted into Krang's service and forced to work on scientific projects to help with global conquests. He doesn't have much say but tries to do his best given the circumstances. He also has a family he has to think about protecting. However when he learns his son sees him as someone who is helping Krang conquer other people he starts thinking about what it is he is doing. The big through thought is "Am I a good man?"

He does finally decide that he cannot continue on the path he is on with some help from is wife. He flees to the Neutrino resistance with his family and his robotic assistant Sal. It is there that he starts to try to make up for his past ways. But like every story of redemption his past catches up and Krang's army finds him. When the building is attacked it goes into lockdown. He can escape, but doing so means leaving his family to die. Transferring his mind into the robot he is able to get to the controls to unlock the building. However doing do causes his body to burn, and his family is then killed as they try to escape.

Trapped alone and in a robot body he flees through a portal to New York. The robot can shape shift and he quickly hides from his pressures.  It is here he can truly realize what has happened. Using his shape shifting powers he hides in plain sight getting a job at where Krang is producing things on Earth. It is also here he becomes an agent for Shredder. His goal is to take Krang down, and even though he knows he is in bed with a devil, it is more important for him to see Krang fall.

There is no indication how this will play out in the monthly ongoing series or when he will reveal his true self to the Turtles. Given that the issue came out now I would guess it will be soon however. It was a very nice touch that they made him Chet, a character that has been around from issue one. I look forward to seeing where this goes and how it plays out.

If you've been passing on the Mirco Series, and I don't know why you would, I suggest getting this. I have a feeling this issue will have some big impacts on upcoming stories. Even if you haven't been following the TMNT regularly it is a great issue to read for the idea of what makes a man good and when does he stop being good.

Straight Talk With My Readers

So I am currently unemployed and enjoy what goes with that, mainly being broke. Now that isn't such a bad thing. I mean after all I am looking for work and I have a good feeling about finding a place soon. But until I do I'm going to be reviewing and talking a lot about the stuff I already have.

Now this isn't a bad thing. Heck a lof of the stuff is old comics, older figures, and probably doing write ups of episodes from past shows and the movies. So there shouldn't be a shortage of material.

However it does mean that new issues of the comic, figures, and such might take a little time to show up here. However there is a donate button on the side bar and I promise to use whatever gets donated strictly on TMNT merchandise for this site. Also if any of you have old TMNT stuff you don't want anymore drop me a line and we can see if we can work something out.

2k12 Michelangelo

So it has been a little bit of time with these figures being out and I realized I hadn't finished reviewing what I had of this line yet. Figured it was time to get on it. thus brings us to Michelangelo. As has been stated before in other reviews of this line when I went to get these figures I originally only intended to get Raph and Splinter. Then I saw all the figures and had to have them. Out of the new line the Turtles themselves have been my favorite.

Sculpt

The sculpt on Michelangelo is fantastic like it is on all the Turtles. The core torso seems to be the only thing these figures have in common, which is a nice change of pace. He is by far the shortest sculpt out of the four, which we knew they were going for from production notes. He has a a nice playful smirk on his face also. The whole figure says Mikey.

Paint

The figure has a nice limish green color about it. The light color they used for his skin allows the rich chocolate color of his belt and wraps to pop.  That is one thing I've really loved about this line of figures is the color choices have been outstanding. This figure is no exception.

Also the light green lets the rich color of the orange bandana stand out. Instead of being a darker orange like we have seen before, it is a much brighter orange. It looks more youthful and playful. The choice of two warm colors contrasted with a cooler brown works well for this figure.

Articulation

These figures are outstanding for basic TMNT figures when it comes to articulation. Head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees all have articulation in them.

The head is on a ball joint allowing you to move it around 360 degrees as well as up and down. This allows for some great head poses.

Shoulders are on swivel joints so they rotate freely and go up and down also. They are not hindered at all on the figure by other parts. The arms also have a swivel joint at the elbow. The amount of movement in the arms is great. His wrists also rotate 360 degrees.

The hips are a little tough. They are on a swivel also but are a lot more limited because of where they are on the figure. His knees also have a swivel but because of the large pads on them have limited movement.

Final Thoughts

I'm glad I picked him up. Having all four Turtles it is clear to see the difference in the molds. Plus this is the first Michelangelo figure that to me looks younger then the other guys, and shows they playfulness of the character off well. A figure that is a most have for any TMNT fan. Young and old will both enjoy this figure.

Jason Biggs tweets causing a stir

Jester from Thetechnodrome.com and collaborator on GoGreenMachine.org wrote an article about Jason Biggs and his tweets he posted after the Republic Convention. The article can be found here. He does a really good job of summing up what this means and how I feel about it.

I just want to add that I'm not surprised about him saying these types of things, I'm more surprised that others are surprised. Let's look at this reasonably for a second. This is a guy who got famous for sticking his junk in an Apple Pie. He has been riding that fame for years and it is finally drying up. He has tried to stay relavent but nothing else he seems to do becomes a hit.

So here is a cry to stay relavent. To me it is a cry of someone who doesn't realize there is life outside of live action movies and fame. TMNT could be what his carrier needs. He can reach a whole new demographic, that is if he hasn't messed it up.

I don't condone what he said. Far from it. However this is America and we have the right to say what we want. Some of us are just better at censoring our selves is all.

My Collection At The Moment

So I have a modest collection at the moment. For years I've toyed with the idea of trying to find figure versions of the various versions of the 4 Turtles, Splinter, April, Casey, and then the main villains of each version. Kind of making a toy representation of the multi-verse. I've started it at times and then fallen on hard times. When times have gotten tough I've sold what can get me some money, mainly my figures.

Well I've stopped doing that and started collecting again. Here is a photo of my collection so far. I'm hoping to eventually make this blog important enough that it can support my TMNT addiction. It isn't there yet, but I hope it will be someday.

IDW April O'Neil Mini Series Issue

TMNT under IDW has seen the return of the mico issues, this time though they aren't just sticking to the Turtles. The first set of four were the Turtles themselves, with the issues coming out in the same order the originals did. Now with those four done they have moved on to the supporting cast. We have already seen a Splinter and Casey Jones issue, both of which were amazing, and now we have April.

That is one of the big differences in this version is that Casey seems more important then April. She has been in the book from the first issue in the background, but hasn't done much. In fact she doesn't meet the mutated version of the Turtles to much later in the series while Casey meets Raph in the first issue. Yet finally here in her own solo issue IDW's April gets her moment to shine.

What made this issue great for me was the fact that it address's the fact that she hasn't done much. She feels like the outsider because she can't fight, and be useful like Casey can. It is still here coming to grips with the fact she has been brought into the lives of four walking talking turtles. She is also dealing with the fact that she came to work for Stockgen because she thought they were trying to help the world, and she has found a dark underbelly. 

Beware that there may be spoilers below this point.

April using her position at Stockgen decides she can spy for the Turtles and try to see if they are working on a way to track them again. She swipes the card of a fellow coworker allowing her access to the inner workings. There she discovers Rock Soldiers and another Turtle Tracker. This is also where I have an issue with this issue. She runs into Chet who doesn't seem to realize April isn't supposed to be there or that it is weird at the least.

She gets the tracker and causes some chaos along the way. In the damage she causes she is chased through the lab and discovers that they are still experimenting. She doesn't look close enough to see that  they are mutating other creatures though. Because of the damage she causes one of them escapes and we have our IDW version of Slash! 

The issue ends with April getting away and back to the Turtles and Slash escaping the Lab. This issue seems like it fits best after #14, which isn't out yet, and before #15 which starts a story arch called Blood Brothers.

Spoilers over.

This is a great issue over all and it really gives April her moment to shine. It should be really great to see where the next storyline goes based off of this too. Another solid issue. Also the art is very well done. It is more in line with how the book was, not where it is. It should be interesting to see how some of the things introduced here look in the ongoing book though.

So pick this issue up. It is going to be one you don't want to miss.

The OT gets a complete season release

TVshowsondvd.com broke the story on the 24th and then NinjaPizza.net talked about it today also but I thought I'd throw it up here also, the Original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series is getting the complete series treatment. Now for some that have been holding out this is great news, for others who have been picking it up as it slowly came out not so much.

The biggest thing that makes me sort of want this is the fact that the disc holder looks like the Party Wagon. Yes you read that right. The dvd's come in a holder that looks like the classic turtle van. That alone is almost enough to get me to toss the single release discs and try to get this.

You can read the main article about the release here or some more about it at Ninja Pizza. It looks like SRP is $99.99, that it will be released on November 13th, and that there wont be any new material.

IDW #13

I know I'm a little behind on reviewing this issue as it came out last Wednesday, but as I have lost my job it is a little harder for me to have extra money. I'm not entirely sure how I'll be getting April's issue this coming week. But this blog isn't about my money trouble. So on to the TMNT!




Issue #13, wow the first official book of year two. I have to admit I was a little skeptical when the book launched that we would make it a full year. I've enjoyed the series from the get go. Waiting impatiently for each new issue. This issue was really an interesting book to wait for, for a couple different reasons. The first being that it saw a change in artist. Duncan left the title on #12 and Kuhn took over here. The second was it is the issue that deals with the guys after their fight with Shredder and Casey's plight with his Dad coming to a head.

Lets talk about the art style change first before jumping into the main story of what the issue is about. It is definitely the elefant in the room. Duncan's style could not be more different the Kuhn's. While cartoonish at times Duncan seemed to be striving for some level or realism.  That has gone out the window with Kuhn. Kuhn is very stylized, drawing some comparisons to Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame.

I had become used to the style of the ongoing and thought the art style fit the tone of the book. Sure Kuhn did the Mike solo issue, but the art fit there as it was more whimsical. But here is a very serious story and the art just looked plain goofy. The Turtles teeth are forefront and their shapes just seem off. I'm sure part of it is the change and once it has time to sink in I'll be fine with it. I hope. None the less for those who have been reading the ongoing be prepared for the change. As Splinter has said, "Change is constant."

The main story of this issue seems to be Splinter dealing with the fact that Shredder has returned also.  It also sees the Turtles acting like teenagers which is a gun change of pace while Splinter worries. Both are interupted when Casey stagers in bloody and beaten from his old man. Raph flies off the handle and heads to teach Casey's old man a leasen. Splinter fearing he has not taught his sons enough heads after Raph.

We also see The Foot in the aftermath of the battle. Shredder is putting Kari through her moves belittling her for not being prepared enough. We get our first hint of how the Shredder returned in Kari's dialog about how she is the one who orchestrated his return. We also find that Shredder is not impressed and will be looking for another second in command.

There is a little bit of Baxter in this issue also. He finds himself awakening in a place he does not know. On doing some exploring he finds a bunch of little brain like aliens in tubes. Krang also revels that he is one of them.

Overall the story is really good for a starting point for the second year. If the pace of this issue is any indication it looks like the stories will start to be picking up. Eastman and Waltz tell a solid story. I can't wait to see if these are a race of "Krang" like the new show or this universes version of the Utroms. Also there was no mention of Hob, and where we left him he looked like he could be dead. I hope not though as I really liked that character.

Anyway I can't wait for April's solo and the next issue. This comic has me coming back month after month.

Next Mutation Splinter

I'm not afraid to say that I enjoyed The Next Mutation. In fact I actually quite enjoyed it for what it was. So never really having any the figures I jumped at the chance to pick up a few when I saw them for supper cheap on ebay. I got Splinter, Don, and Mike for about $10 bucks. It was a heck of a deal, even if they didn't come with weapons.

So I've had these for a little bit now and have kind of had time to look at them and just accept them for what they are. Out of every version of these characters I've had in figure form I have to say this Splinter is by far the worst one I've ever seen.

I'm going to post a more in-depth review later but I just had to say that. Get it out there so people know I'm still here.

Sorry for the lack of posts

So life got really really crazy. One of those moments where things just kind of fall apart. But I'm back now. I plan on at least posting one thing on Mondays and Wednesdays. It may not be profound or 100% up to date but there will be updates. Thanks for understanding.

2k12 Splinter

(Pictures to come)

When I was first going to get the new Nick figures I had only planed to get two originally, Raph and Splinter. They have always been my favorite characters and I think they go really well together. Then when I got to the store I threw caution to the wind and got them all. However Splinter was still the second one I opened.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared by the early pictures we had seen of him. He does look a little like a lama in the pictures. That with the fact he is taller then normal makes him stand out.  He is definitely unique.

Paint Apps / Sculpting

Splinter isn’t painted, as much as he is molded I’d say. A maroon kimono that is a softer plastic then the rest of the figure covers the majority of this figure. Anything that is covered by his kimono they left the grey plastic color. So really the only things with any paint on them are his hands and face.

His lower arms use the grey plastic for his wraps and pinkish peach for his hands. The wraps look good and they put nails on his fingers so it was a nice touch of sculpting.

Splinters face is a white color over a redish brown and black. They highlight his eyes by having a black pattern over the white of the face. It looks like they were almost going for a feudal Japan mask.  They also gave him one of those little wispy beards like you see in kung fu movies. A very nice touch.

His ears have some nicks out of them, which adds a nice touch. The only problem is that both ears have them in the exact same place.

Articulation

Like the majority of this line this figure suffers from bad articulation. His head spins, his shoulders are on a ball joint so they rotate and go up and down, his elbows rotate, and his hips move. However the clunky kimono hinders the hip movement.

Final thoughts

He looks really nice with the Turtles and April. Splinter is a solid offering from this line and definitely worth picking up. He is more a display type of figure I would say as opposed to a play figure. I have a feeling we will see a retooled Splinter down the line.

He isn’t my favorite Splinter, that would be the CG, but he is far from my least favorite. Looking at you TNM Splinter. Anyway. He is a good figure and if you’re a collector get him, if you’re not you can hold out.

Night Shadow Leo

TMNT are coming back into the spot light, and it looks like we may be seeing the start of the next Turtlemania. Comic Con this year saw the big reveal of the new show and a lot was talked about. One of the big things to come out of the Con was the exclusive TMNT figure.

 It was revealed it would be Leonardo in a unique paint scheme of black and green. When the figure was first announced there was a lot of excitement. However it was short lived once people started getting their hands on them. It was discovered that they decided to switch from a figure to a statue. This left some people feeling a little gypped. 

With that and it originally being a Con exclusive it left a lot of people doubting if they would try to get one. Then Playmates put it up on their site in limited quantities.  That is how I came to acquire one. I wanted one when I first saw it, but as I was broke I passed on the first offering. Luckily for me it went up again. Well I have it in hand now and have to say that I like it a lot more now that I have it.

Paint App

The stand out feature of this piece is that paint app. It is the first thing that makes this figure truly unique. The figure is painted black with what is supposed to be a light source illuminating some of the green of his skin. The paint makes the figure pop and stand out. The only other color the figure being the blue mask.

Articulation / Sculpt

There is none. At least not on my figure, but then again based on what others were saying from theirs I wasn't expecting any. The pictures of it originally surfaced it looked like it was just a repainted Leo. Somewhere along the line they decided to remove the articulation. 

However this Leo sculpt is a little different. Unlike the basic feet of the TMNT Nick line this one is more inline with the shows. It is much more round then foot like. It is nice to see the show foot instead of the figure foot on this statue. The rest of the figure looks like the basic Nick figure. The skin has been textured like a reptile which is  a nice detail. He has a few scars on him which is nice too.

My only minor grip is that i seems mine has a paint smudge/scratch on his nose.

Final Thoughts

If people were hoping for an exclusive figure they are going to be disappointed. You can't move him from his pose, but if you did it would ruin the illusion of what the paint job is doing. I think the statue is great. It looks amazing and it is unique. I'm personally hoping that we see the other three Turtles. It would be great to see the others in poses that work together.

IDW TMNT #12

Issue #12 of IDW's TMNT is finally here, one full year of the main book has come to an end. What an end it was too. There is a lot that can be said about the title yet the main thing that always comes to my mind is that it is well done. You can definitely tell the team behind this love the characters and are trying to do their best. This issue marks the end of a year but also marks the end of Dan Duncan drawing the turtles, making it a doubly important issue.

For a year his art work has been the main source of TMNT that we have seen. It has grown from the first issue to the last. Love it or hate it, if you've been reading this title you've come to accept him. It is with sadness that he leaves us I think. I've really liked his art work. Here is to wishing him well on his future projects and who knows, maybe we will see him guest artist on future issues.

Now to actually get to talking about this issue. It only took a year but we finally got a throw back to the original Mirage cover. It is great to see this in another style, and I think it really shows off Duncan's TMNT. It is a fitting for his last cover too. All three covers are great honestly. I picked up A and B myself. Normally I just get one but I couldn't decide which I liked better.

The story of this issue is the final chapter to the fight with Shredder and the Foot Clan that started in the Leonardo Micro issue. This issue pretty much picks up where the last one left off. Our group of heros have been taken to the Foot headquarters by Angle and her Purple Dragons so they can save Splinter. Not a lot of story happens in this issue, which isn't a bad thing, just a lot of ninja action. We see our four Turtles and Casey take on Shredder and The Foot.

Past basically being one giant battle issue nothing else really happens. We get one page about Krang and Stockmen are up to. We see Old Hob get shot by Stockmen also. The last we see of this mutant cat is he is laying on the airstrip as Krang mentions plan B. So it is unsure of what will become of Old Hob. My personal hope is we haven't seen the last of him.

The end of the issue sees April thanking Splinter for saving her life when he was a little rat also which is a nice touch. Over all the story was told in the previous issues and this was the action beat. We don't get anymore info about Shredder or how he is alive still. That seems to be being saved for the four issue mico that is coming out later this year.

As an issue by its self this one doesn't stand up. Then again it isn't supposed to. This is the pay off from the whole last year. We finally see the fight between these two clans. While it could have been so much more it was great for being what it was. Not a good place to jump on, but a good place to end a 12 issue run, 19 if you count the mini's.

Flyboy

There was a time when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came with mini figure friends. One such figure that came with a mini-buddy was Napoleon Bonafrog. This little guy was called Flyboy. I know not a real original name, but that was what he was called. These little figures were solid plastic with no moving parts and one solid color.

I've always been fascinated by these little guys. The fact that they made friends for some of the characters just seemed awesome to me. For whatever reason I've always fascinated with Flyboy. When I was able to pick him up I decided to paint him.

My camera is attached to my phone and is not very good. I posted the best ones that I could. I think he looks really cool. I plan on painting Bitting Bulldog next.

If you would be interested in purchasing a painted mini-buddy let me know.

A look at some of the villains

Our first look at some of the villains in the new show and I have to say I'm impressed. Of course we don't see Shredder's two main mutant thugs, but I expect we will see Dogpund and Fishface soon enough.  This is another great trailer regardless.

This trailer really doesn't focus on one villain but a lot of different ones. It is my guess that it will be almost a freak of the week kind of show for a bit. Which in the grand scheme of things makes a lot of sense after all, the Original Toon did that a lot too. The real kicker will be seeing how many of these guys we will see as action figures.

We have Snakeweed/Stinkweed animated for the first time. Previously we had only seen sketches and know he will show up in toy form. He looks really good. It will be interesting to see what facit he will play in the show. We also have a couple of other mutants. One looks like it might be a spider and another a monkey. I already like the look of the monkey and hope we get a figure of him.

April has her first line in this trailer too. Hearing the voice and seeing the animation together I really like it. It is going to be a lot of fun to see her in action in the show.

We get another Shredder line which is amazing of course.  Really I think this Shredder has to potential to be the best one yet.

The Kraang appear to have two different suits, one blue the other grey. Maybe the color of the suit has to do with rank?

This is another great trailer showing off the potential of this show. It is doing what it is supposed too, get us excited for the show.

Classic Raphael Review

When Playmates announced there would be a new line to coincide with the new show, they also announced they would be releasing what they were calling The Classic Line. This line at launch would consist of the four Turtles in similar appearance to how they were in the Fred Wolf cartoon we were told. A lot of fans got excited for this line.

After all the last time we got “Toon Turtles” they were balloon like and shiny. This was going to be different, this time we were getting a collector grade figure. We all hoped against hope we would not be let down. Some started questioning what would happen if the line did well. Would we see more classic characters, maybe from other mediums? The world waited with baited breath.

When these figures hit it was to mixed reviews. Some loved them while others hated them.  While being based off of the show it also appeared they were based off of the original figures to an extent too. People cried foul, this wasn’t what we were told. Others were ecstatic.

Myself, well I was in the later category. I was so excited with these figures. Right now I only have Raphael but I plan on picking the others up.  There have been a lot of reviews already but here is another. It wont be as in depth as my others, but I hope you like it.

Paint

This figure has a great paint job and everything looks great. There is not a single speck of paint out of place on this guy. He is a medium green color which harkens back to the original figure which is a really nice touch. His shell is a rich dark brown, with his belt being just a shade lighter. The red they used is a nice solid red. Very earth toned all around. The scheme works great for the figure.

Articulation

Where to start with this guy, that is the real question. If Playmates skimped on other lines they over compensated on this one. There are so many points that it is hard to list them all. I mean down to individual fingers move independently of each other. The package states 34 points of Articulation, and it is true.

Accessories

Being a collectors line this figure doesn’t come with many accessories. He comes with a set of his standard weapon, the sai, and a sewer lid stand. The sais have rew wraps around the handles which look nice. The sewer lid stand looks great for the figure also. It’s nice to have a stand for a TMNT figure.

Final Thoughts

This is honestly a great line for collectors. There are a lot of potential in these figures. The one down side is that their eyes seem to be a little wonky. But over all these figures are top notch. If you pass on the Nick line this is a good second place line to pick up. While not my favorite figures, they are in the top three.

I’d love to see this line continue on and become something akin to DC Universe or Marvel Legends. Who knows, maybe one day we will have a TMNT build a figure line.

Two more clips from Comic Con

Here is another one of the clips that was shown at Comic Con. It gives us our best look at The Kraang yet. While it shows numerous Kraang, it doesn't give much away about what or how they act.

The thing that stands out about this clip the most for me is that Michelangelo is the first of the Turtles to have contact with them. This is very much inline with the OT. In the OT Mikey comes across Krang when they are scouting out the mousers. With them making the nod that again Mikey comes into contact with them first is really neat.

The second clip that was released was the four brothers training and it gives a good look at all their personalities. Plus we get to hear all four Turtles voices. When I first heard the cast I wondered how it would actually come together. Now that I've heard all four I think their voices fit really well, and sound like teenagers.

At first we see Mikey and Leo fighting. Mikey is his obnoxious self and Leo remains calm, which in the end proves Mikey's undoing. Then we see Raph and Don fighting. Donie seems more weary and untrusting while Raph seems like the brother who is kind of a bully but loves his brothers.  Raph gives Don a warning to just put his Bo down, or course he doesn't. Raph wins of course.

Then we see Raph go up against Leo. That is a battle I'm sure everyone wants to see as we have pretty much seen in every version. This time it seems more of a "I'm better and you know it" on Raph's part.
Of course Splinter putting Raph in his place is brilliant. 


Both clips show that the show should be really great. Nick is releasing enough to build the hype. I expect to see more clips in the coming months before release. These did what they were supposed to, it got people excited.


Old Hob

The new opening theme song

Well because of comic con we got some new footage of the Nick TMNT. It is great to actually see some of the animation in context instead of just trailers. So I’m going to post each video and what I think of each. First up is the new opening theme song.

The first thing that has to be said is that the hip hop vibe is a little different. I mean I get that this is intended for a younger generation and all, but this seems to be a little to “we’re hip and cool” vibe. Don’t get me wrong I like it. I think it is fun and a great reimagining of the original cartoon theme. In fact it seems to have the same kind of structure.

Part of me thinks that with how much OT influence this has in it they should have stayed closer to the OT theme song too though. I mean think about it, it is one of the few theme songs people still know today. It has a timeless nostalgia behind it. I think it could have handled it self today with the new generation and gotten some parents to stop and take a look too.

The animation in it is amazing. I’m really digging that they went pupiless in it. I really like it. Now the big question is will the show have times where they don’t have pupils?

We get our first look at Fish Face and Dogpound too. It is a quick glance, but it is cool to see. Dogpound looks a lot bigger then I thought he would be. It’s going to be great to actually see these two in action. I’m down with new mutants and am glad they didn’t go straight Bebop and Rocksteady. I hope that this doesn’t mean we wont see the later two however.

So that is some of my thoughts on this. It’s good, it is enjoyable, and it is a lot of fun. It fits style wise with what the show seems to be trying to do. It gives us a first glance at some of the characters animated and they look great. Here is to waiting for the 29^th of September.

2k12 The Kraang Review

If you grew up in the 80s and watched Ninja Turtles you know that Krang played a large part in the cartoon. When the first live action movie came out a lot of people wanted to know where he was. It seemed a lot of people didn’t know at the time that TMNT started out as a comic and the character of Krang was made just for the show. Well here we are in 2012 and we are seeing this character resurface, well sort of.

In the 2k12 show it seems Krang, now Kraang, is a race of evil aliens that are going to be helping the Shredder. We know they kidnap April’s father because of his scientific genius, that they are hive minded, and they mutate a lot of things. Past that we don’t know a lot more. The different bios seem to contradict each other so it is a wait and see kind of thing.

When I saw this guy online I really thought would pass on this figure. I didn’t have the desire I needed this guy in my collection. However when I was at the store it hit me. I needed him. Not just one either, but at least two.

Sculpt

The figure is pretty basic but that is what makes this figure so amazing. Its straight forwardness in design makes this one of the best Krang figures I’ve ever seen. This time around the android body has a very Terminator feel to it. It gives the idea that these Kraang are dangerous.

Don’t let the idea that I say this figure is basic mean it doesn’t have detail, because it does. It has bits of robotics showing, there are tendrils that control the arms and legs sculpted on. It has some very fine details for a TMNT figure. That is just the android body.

Another great thing about this figure is that The Kraang comes out of its little socket. He is made of a softer plastic that is very squishy. Unlike the Kran of old, these Kraang have six little tentacles on their body. The sculpt lets you see that it is clear they are a mix of Krang and the Utroms from the comics. Both parts of this figure are great.

Paint Apps

There really isn’t much color on this guy. The pictures and animation shows that they will have a bluish glow about them, but the figure it self is more of a base grey with some light grey dry brushing to give it a worn metal look.

Red is used for the eyes, mouth, and a couple little highlights. It stands out nicely from the grey and does work well. But the true stand out is the pink tendrils on the figure.

Now I’m assuming that these pink tube like things are supposed to be the tentacles of Kraang that they use to manipulate the exo-skeleton. If they are they are a great touch. It integrates the alien with the robot making it feel like one whole figure instead of The Kraang being an accessory.

Articulation

Unfortunately this is where this figure falls flat. For such a great sculpt it has no articulation really. Sure the legs move ad the hip forward and back, and the shoulders have a ball joint but this does no good when the rest of the figure doesn’t move. There is really one pose this figure has which is a huge let down.

Final Thoughts

While it is not certain what role The Kraang will play or if we will see one be the “leader” and have a relationship akin to the OT Krang this figure still looks pretty cool. I want to build a little army of these guys and make a diorama about their lab. I just think it would look sweet.

However if your not a completist or a huge TMNT fan then you could pass on this figure. It is a great figure, I just don’t see it being one many people would play with or want more then one of maybe. Hopefully we will see later lines fix the issues this figure has.

Raph has a pet turtle

There has been some talk ever since it was discovered that Raph would have a pet turtle. It seems that reactions have ranged from "That is a horrible ide" to "It'll be nice to see Raph with a softer side." No one really knows what extent this aspect will play in Raph's character, but it seems like it probably will be like Klunk for Mike.

I like the idea of Raph having a pet. It is something that hasn't been done before and adds something to his character just with the idea. After all he is always shown as being the hot head, brash, and not thinking. When you throw in the twist of a pet, it changes the mix. Is the hot head aspect going to be a game face for his brothers and others, or is the pet an idea Splinter comes up with to get his angry son to calm down?

Some people have thought that it would be possible that we may see Spike, the pet,  become the evil turtle Slash. Now this is an interesting idea but it doesn't seem like it is something that I can see happening. When it comes to this it just is ludicrous. I don't see Raph being negligent enough that his pet would turn on him.

Something I thought about is what if Spike isn't really a pet but a 5th turtle that was in the bowl. That Yoshi finds four covered in the ooze and one not. Taking all four back to his lair the four start changing but Spike does not. When the four see the other Raph steps up and wants to take care of his "little" brother.

Whatever way they go with this I'm sure it will be a fun ride. I don't expect that this will be a big aspect of the show, rather a small little detail that will make this version more rich for being part of it.

Donatello 2k12 Review

Donatello does machines, that part of the song always comes into my mind whenever I pick up a Donatello figure. After Raphael he is my favorite Turtle. When the plan was to get two figures and wait for the rest he was the third on my list. However giving in to impulse, I am so horrible shopping, I picked all the figures up. And I am glad I did because having the TMNT all together just looks awesome.

When I look at this figure I see a turtle that looks mature and wise, a turtle that thinks things through before acting, the sensible one. I also see a turtle that doesn’t take his training as seriously. Which is awesome because that is what we have been told about the show. That Donnie will be the tallest and kind of lanky because he spends more time studying machines then training.

Sculpt

The sculpt for Donatello is another original sculpt. I can’t say enough about Playmates making different molds for the Turtles. I think the only parts that get recycled are the hands and feet.  This makes each of the brothers unique and fun in their own right.

For the most part Donnie has some texture on his skin but remains fairly scar free. He has a couple scratches in his plastron. Yet overall the sculpt gives him a gangly clean look. It fits him well.

One thing this sculpt does not do is show the gap in his teeth. All the other Turtles have their teeth showing, except Donnie has a very serious look on his face. Now if this was deliberate because showing the gap on a figure would be hard or Playmates thought this look was better who knows. I personally would have liked to have seen it.

Paint Application

Like all the figures in this line the paint application on this figure is really well done. Mutant turtles don’t have many colors but finding the right green, yellow, and brown that work together is no easy task. Then on top of that you have to have the bandanna match too. It’s a lot of thought to make these figures look good.

In the past Donatello has always been one of the darker turtles. This time around he is the lightest. The change of pace really works for the figure. The green used as the base is soft green, almost a soft pea green.

The light tannish wraps accent the figure and stand out.  The color is very reminiscent of real leather. Another outstanding choice based on the color scheme.

Donnie’s plastron is a darker yellowish green. This is in contrast to his soft green color and light brownish wraps, making for another feature of this figure that pops. His shell is a lighter yellow green between his plastron and his skin. In all the colors work really well together and whoever came up with the color scheme did a great job.

His mask is of course purple, but nota dark purple like Donnie’s past but a softer purple. Again it plays off the softer color pallet they went for with this figure.

Articulation

Like the other Turtles Donatello has a total of ten points of articulation.

The shoulders have a ball joint that lets them move completely around as well as a hinge that lets them move up and down giving the figure a wide range of posses with the arms. The elbows also have a hinge that allows them to move up and down and also swivel from side to side. Along with this the wrists rotate. This makes posing the figure a lot of fun, as you are not stuck with the pose they put him in.

His head is on a ball joint so it goes up and down and completely around. Again this lends to some interesting posing options.

His legs appear to be on a swivel joint at the waist so the move forward and back mostly. Yet with a little moving about you can move them side-to-side. It takes a bit but it is possible. His knees are on a hinge and move forward and back with a swivel joint so you can move the position of his foot.

Playmates did a really good job when it came to articulating the Turtles themselves but seem to have dropped the ball on the rest of the line.

Accessories

Now this is one figure where the accessories bug me. Not that they aren’t painted, because honestly they look fine as just plastic, but because the Bo Staff he comes with is to short. The Staff that comes with April is longer and just looks better. This is very disappointing that his weapon gets shafted.

He also comes with a weapon rack and a couple extra weapons. The bladed staff is actually a little shorter then the one he comes with. Which to me makes little since.

Again they are just molded plastic. They are a darker brown about the color of wood. It works for the Turtle who’s weapons are primarily wood.

Final Thoughts

This is another great figure in this line. In honesty the more I look at this line and spend with it the more it becomes my favorite line. It takes a lot to knock out some of the others, but this line brings the goods overall.

If you are a Donatello fan this is a great figure and you would be remised to pass him up. I would recommend this to anyone thinking about getting this line. Again though I’d start with your favorite Turtle as they are all fantastic.