Mutant Nation #4 exemplifies everything wrong with IDW TMNT

Tatoruzu

So Mutant Nation #4 was released this week (Feb 12)

It concluded (I think?) the Raphael and Casey Jones stories that were meant to bridge the gap between Campbell's run and Jason Aaron's run.

The Raphael story was a clusterfuck with a bunch of forgotten characters suddenly reappearing to "catch up" on whatever the fuck they've been up to after The Armageddon Game and/or Campbell's run: Metalhead, Madame Null, Pigeon Pete, Mondo Gecko, Lindsey, Ray, Sally Pride, Mutagen Man, Braunze, Ravenwood, and Agent Bishop's scientist (lmfao) among others I'm probably forgetting. Sure, it was nice to see some of them again, but are we supposed to remember anything about these fucking characters? Especially half-a-year deep into Aaron's run which has fuck all to do with those characters?

Respectfully to the rich lore and world that Tom Waltz has built, I don't give a shit about most of those characters anymore. Move on. It's too fucking convoluted. It had potential at one point, but it was all washed away when Campbell took over.

As for the Casey Jones story...

It explains how Casey split off from the Foot Clan (remember how he allied with Karai during The Alliance, and furthered his ties with her in The Untold Destiny of the Foot Clan?). Okay, cool.

But here's the problem.

We all read TMNT #5 two fucking months ago. In that issue, Casey was clearly separated from the Foot Clan. We were all scratching our heads wondering what the fuck happened, since for all we knew, he was supposed to be allied with the Foot Clan still. Well, two months later, we finally fucking know what happened.

Why didn't this story come out before we got TMNT #5? Why are they deliberately making an already-convoluted and messy continuity even harder for readers to follow? Even the most dedicated "weekly warriors" reading this shit has no fucking idea what's going on.

IDW, here's my advice:

Put your releases in order so what little readership you have left can actually follow what's going on in your comics
Cut the old characters loose or wrap it up nicely somehow with one final miniseries

Gort

honestly having not one but two miniseries take place in between 150 and the relaunch is crazy. it defeats the entire point of a clean break as a jumping on point. this wont be a problem when all this gets collected in the hardcovers but ill be damned if this shit isnt annoying to deal with in real time. the fact that old hob doesnt have his own book but fucking pepperoni is about it get an entire issue to themselves is insane. as for the disdain for the inclusion of old characters at this point they need to drop them for awhile and reintroduce them later IF need be i agree. but surely you dont want to stop seeing old hob right? ive heard issue 5 is meant to be the last issue. wasnt this supposed to be an ongoing like nightwatcher?

here's the chronological order of the books involved with the relaunch

288–292. Mutant Nation #1–5

FCBD 2024
294-296. Nightwatcher #1–3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Alpha
298–303. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol 2 #1–6

304–307. Nightwatcher #4–7

seriously what the hell

its like they're speedrunning another hardcover or something. i mean this alone is enough for a volume 19.

Tatoruzu

Gort

but surely you dont want to stop seeing old hob right

He was a great character at the start of IDW's run, but he's played his part, and now he's just contributing to the overcrowding along with everyone else. It's probably time to let him go unless there is a creative way to fit him into the story.

here's the chronological order of the books involved with the relaunch

Nope, that's not even right. Remember, Alpha had two stories. It had the Donnie story, but it also had the story about Old Hob and the newly-mutated Lindsey, which is chronologically before Mutant Nation because the mutated Lindsey appeared at the end of Mutant Nation #4:

So Alpha simultaneously takes place before AND after Mutant Nation.

I think?

This chronology is FUCKED.

Gort

theyll put it in order eventually but it looke like the A and B stories from the aplha issue are going to have to be split then thats ridiculous

Shpadoinkle_Day

Geez-louise, thankfully the narrative presented in V2 of TMNT has remained somewhat self-contained enough, where other supplemental material can remain optional to read. Otherwise, I think I'd stop reading to be completely honest. I love comics, truly, but this is the kind of contrived nonsense that keeps the rest of my friends form getting into the wonderful world of TMNT comics.

Gort

i mostly got into comics by way of marvel and collected editions around 8 or 9 years ago and honestly i have always got a genuine kick out of how convoluted and esoteric comic books are. i thought it was funny that youd have to read thor # 24 and then hu;k#54 and and alpha issue and 4 tie ins to follow one story. it didnt matter because i had it all collected together in a trade. but dealing with this shit in real time more often than not makes me drop a book. i dropped donny cates hulk because of banner of war, i dropped ewings venom because of dark web, and i might be dropping ryan norths FF because of one world under doom. of course these are all events tho. TMNT comics are intertwined in a way that to get the most of the larger story you really should read every in continuity thing they put out. which again sucks in realtime. ive already dropped mutant nation.

Shpadoinkle_Day

Gort Yeah dude, I thank god everyday that collected editions exist. I could not imagine collecting ALL of Secret Wars by Johnathan Hickman back in the day...So. Many. Tie-ins....The reason that TMNT comics appealed to me so much was because they remained MOSTLY stream-lined and self-contained. Why IDW is going down this rout, especially in the state they're in, makes no sense to me. Aaron has made little attempt to mention any of the other books and the other writers on the spin-off books have to run around like crazy to make sure everything makes sense, and WE the people? have to be left behind to pick up the pieces. All lot of people nopped out the second things started looking hairy and I can't say I blamed them, but a good number of others (Like me) are like domestic abuse victims that refuse to leave their partners out of this insane sense of loyalty and hope that the thing we once knew would go back the way they use to be...but alas, IDW I fear will continue to give me a blackeye after a drunken stupor, and eventually I'll need to decide when enough is enough...It's hard being a TMNT comics fan these days.

Gort

i think its important to remember that, at least as of now, the main book is solid again. its not the best its ever been or anything but it is a quality book again for now.

Shpadoinkle_Day but alas, IDW I fear will continue to give me a blackeye after a drunken stupor, and eventually I'll need to decide when enough is enough...It's hard being a TMNT comics fan these days.

MrSlash

i bet this comic is gonna explain why we don't see raph's pet dinosaur with him anymore in volume 2 i bet he had to let someone take care of it as he didn't want her to get hurt by anyone

also dose anyone thinks this comic is gonna introduce Ninjara because they did planned on using her to be in the IDW comics but i am just really concerned how they are gonna portray her because i think Campbell wants to ruin her and do her dirty

Gort

well i guess this book is still going

BEBOP & ROCKSTEADY HIT LAS VEGAS! Millions of viewers tune in for the boxing match of the century, and Bebop & Rocksteady have front row seats! But when the fight doesn’t go their way, our favorite mutants take matters into their own oversized hands, costing some very dangerous people a LOT of money. With an entire city hot on their heels, can Bebop & Rocksteady escape Las Vegas without destroying it?

And in the backup story…meet Northampton’s ninja protector... Lita?!  

Tatoruzu

Gort Who asked for this?

helljumper

Gort IDW still trying to force Lita on us in 2025:

Stu_Paddasso

Gort BEBOP & ROCKSTEADY HIT LAS VEGAS! Millions of viewers tune in for the boxing match of the century, and Bebop & Rocksteady have front row seats! But when the fight doesn’t go their way, our favorite mutants take matters into their own oversized hands, costing some very dangerous people a LOT of money. With an entire city hot on their heels, can Bebop & Rocksteady escape Las Vegas without destroying it?

If this was about the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight, I’m rooting for Bebop and Rocksteady.

Just keep them off Fremont Street. I’m hoping to visit this summer.

Gort

went back and bough mutant nation 2-4 today. this is 6 dollars?? for why? its priced higher than the main book! huh?

Tatoruzu

Stu_Paddasso

If this was about the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight

That's an interesting observation, actually. I'm kind of curious to see if they actually try to parody that.