It has been several months since we have been able to enjoy an IDW-published miniseries! Fortunately, the wait has paid off. Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 hits stores this week, featuring our top two lovable goons.
Today brought the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deviations One-Shot, showing an alternative reality in the TMNT universe. In a world where the Turtles obey Shredder, we see a dark and twisted alternative to the half-shelled heroes.
With the recent release of the first US and International trailer for the new Ghostbusters movie, many fans are beginning to wonder where that franchise is headed. Sony Pictures has devoted a lot of time and energy to bringing this property back from the dead (no pun intended), so they probably aren’t going to give up on this revival anytime soon. Heck, they just recently announced plans for an animated Ghostbusters movie in addition to the new re-imagining that will be coming out this summer. If they are this interested in the franchise, chances are that they will be exploring a lot of potential plot concepts in the coming years, which begs the following question:
Is it possible that we could see a TMNT/Ghostbusters movie?
Well, my immediate thoughts about this are that it’s probably never going to happen. Ghostbusters is a property owned by Sony, while the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are currently owned by Viacom. Considering how profitable the Ninja Turtles have been for Viacom, chances are that we won’t see them giving up on the franchise any time soon, and they probably won’t be quick to loan the property for the purposes of any film or television show. Yes, we recently saw a TMNT/Ghostbusters comic book, but it’s a lot easier to secure rights for a comic series than it is to secure the rights for a movie or television series. With that being said, it obviously wouldn’t be difficult to combine the two properties into one epic crossover film. It’s entirely possible that Viacom could decide to work with Sony in order to make something like this happen, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely loved the comic series that brought these two franchises together, and I would love to see them develop this concept into a full feature film. Of course, if we really want to see this happen, it’s probably pretty important for this first new Ghostbusters movie to do well, and that could pose a problem with all of the negative feedback the trailers have already received. With a budget even higher than that of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, if the movie performs poorly at the box office, we might not actually see any new Ghostbusters concepts coming to fruition anytime soon.
Unlike the TMNT franchise, which had built up an entirely new fan base in the two years preceding the film’s release, Ghostbusters is coming back fresh from the grave (pun totally intended) with this new movie. The Ninja Turtles movie weathered a slew of negative reviews because the property was popular enough that it didn’t matter what the critics thought. When it comes to busting ghosts, there hasn’t been much to encourage anything other than nostalgia for the original product, and they haven’t yet developed a newer, younger fan base for the property. This could be a huge problem for the film and its potential success, which could then have a negative impact on any future concepts involving the Ghostbusters.
Personally, I am very hopeful that the new movie is successful enough to warrant continued exploration of the franchise. If both Out of the Shadows and the Ghostbusters remake do well at the box office this summer, the possibility of seeing a crossover of the two properties may become even more likely. Ultimately, this is entirely speculation and discussion of what could happen, and not anything that is even remotely concrete. No, we don’t have insider information which suggests that this will happen, I’m just speculating about the potential for this kind of a project. In the end, there isn’t much potential to speak of, but anything is possible.
What do you think? Would you pay to see a TMNT/Ghostbusters crossover movie? Share your thoughts either via facebook/twitter or in the comments below.
As a fan of the franchise, I’ve been keeping an eye on the availability of the original TMNT comics on the open market. Until recently, the best and most affordable way to get your hands on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics was to pick up the Ultimate Collection releases, which compiled several issues of the 80’s TMNT comic books into one beautiful hardcover book. While these physical compilations are still available, they can be somewhat cost prohibitive for fans who want to experience the origin of the turtles without spending hundreds of dollars. Thankfully, these same collections of Ninja Turtles comics were recently made available for the Kindle and Comixology app at a reduced price.
To be fair, with an average MSRP of around $50, the hardcover variants of the Ultimate Collection series are actually very well priced. Considering that these books are printed in the same high quality magazine size as the original comics from the early 80’s, you’re actually getting a lot of bang for your buck with these compendiums. That being said, I’m sure that a lot of fans who just want to read the original comics would much rather pay a lower price, despite the fact that they would be experiencing the comics on a slightly less authentic format. Regardless of the smaller screen and the lack of physical pages, these new digital representations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Ultimate Collection are still a great deal.
Currently being offered at the price of $9.99-$12.99 per volume, each collection of the original Mirage TMNT comics offers roughly 7 issues in story order, allowing you to traverse through the stories that would eventually go on to inform a variety of different interpretations of the Ninja Turtles. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the real origin story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, these digital versions of the Ultimate Collection should more than suffice. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still take advantage of this deal by downloading either the Kindle app or the Comixology app on your phone or tablet. Both options will give you access to these Ultimate Collection volumes no matter what type of device you are using.
In addition to being a lot more affordable, digital comic releases also typically provide a larger profit margin to the artists and creators who made the story possible. In other words, while buying the physical copies will more than likely continue to line the pockets of creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, they might actually make more money from the digital releases despite the lower price tag. That’s just something to keep in mind when making a decision about not only how you experience the origins of the Ninja Turtles, but also how you support the creators. At this point, it’s hard to know where the money is going, but it’s a safe bet that this affordable option will support the creative efforts that continue to bring us awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stories to this day.
What do you think? Is this price point good enough to consider a purchase? Would you rather experience the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a physical format or digital? Is price a factor in deciding how to enjoy your TMNT comics? Share your thoughts either in the comments below or via facebook/twitter.
We’ve made it to our latest monthly issue: TMNT COMIC REVIEW ISSUE 55. Let’s break down what we saw:
TMNT COMIC REVIEW ISSUE 55
Writer’s Note: Spoilers Ahead
At the end of TMNT #54, we say goodbye to Slash and learn Michelangelo plans to return to his family, even though he still has reservations about their association with the Foot Clan. We first see Michelangelo returning to the ruined Turtle Lair, which is still in shambles from the chaos leading up to TMNT #50. We see a sad series of panels of Mikey reminiscing of the positive memories he has of his brothers.
We then flash to Alopex and Angel (wearing the Nobody suit). Alopex is clearly struggling with Kitsune’s spell. She still does not fully understand what is going on in her head, but it is likely leading to something big. The two are essentially on a reconnaissance mission gaining intelligence on some Street Phantoms. Harold wants to learn more about the phasing technology the Street Phantoms use, so Alopex engages into battle while Angel stays back to film the action so Harold can learn more. Alopex comes out of the battle a bit bruised up, and sensing something is wrong, Angel insists Alopex goes back to get some rest.
In our next scene, we see Casey and April out at a restaurant with April’s parents. Casey is clearly in a bad mood and it feels like Casey is about to blow.
We flash back to Alopex bringing tea to Kitsune back at the base. Kitsune begins to use her mind control over Alopex, who strongly fights back. However, Kitsune’s powers prove to be too powerful, and we see a glimpse at Alopex’s vulnerabilities. Kitsune gains clear control over Alopex and when the confrontation is over, Alopex seems to have no memory of their interaction. Fortunately, Splinter is standing off to the distance watching the encounter, and now has an idea of what is going on.
Driving home from the restaurant, Casey and April continue to argue. It seems that the messages the Rat King gave Casey during the Casey & April miniseries have really been tearing Casey up inside. The overall theme of the educated April vs. uneducated Casey still lingers, and the two eventually end with putting their relationship on a “break” on a very sour note. To be honest, this was the only part of the issue that did not work incredibly well for me. The Casey and April demise has felt like it has been going on for months. With such little snippets, it is tough to feel really attached to them like we once were. Dialynas is a great artist, but for me, his real specialty lies in the mutant drawings. For me, Casey and April look more different in this issue than any other, which I found distracting to the overall story.
We see a quick, yet important page of Harold having an important virtual conversation with Fugitoid. It looks like the two or scheming something big in relation to Burnow Island. Fugitoid’s “mutant friend” is involved, who is presumably Leatherhead. It is unclear what is exactly going on, but what we do know is that (1) the Turtles are also involved and (2) Harold will be staying back to work on the Street Phantom issue.
Finally, we flash back to Michelangelo, who is still poking around the lair. In a heartwarming peace offering, Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello appear with a pizza to share. Donatello explains that there is an upcoming trip to Burnow Island and they would like Michelangelo to join. Smiling and happy, they dive into the pizza, a family restored.
This was a really awesome issue. Besides the lingering Casey and April portion mentioned earlier, Dialynas is a wonderful artist. The page where Kitsune taps into Alopex’s mind is honestly a piece of art for the TMNT history books. Tom Waltz and the rest of the writing gang have been clearly working to build another massive storyline. Between the Street Phantoms, Burnow Island, and Kitsune, we have three major unresolved conflicts in the story. Issue #55 did a perfect job tying loose ends together to explain where the series is heading. Next issue marks the return of artist, Mateus Santolouco, and the Ninja Notes hint that Sophie Campbell will be involved in something in the near future.
Finally, the TMNT creative team is requesting more post-issue Ninja Notes! You can write in your thoughts, questions, etc. to Letters@idwpublishing.com.