Ninja Turtles - Cowabunga!

[MrBlud]

You can only be so original with properties like these. Beware The Batman also went for a similar route of trying to be more original and not rely in the usual Bat villains, and also died a quick death. I think the series might have worked better if the Foot Clan had been introduced earlier, and more fully; rather then just odd Paper Theives with characters completely unknown. I think the "Dark Armor" plot might have helped get interest in the series if it was something introduced near the start rather then about halfway through. Beucase the lore and story really is the strong suit of Rise, but it takes SO long to actually get into it. I feel like anything that gave an idea of the lore would have gotten my attention sooner at least.

Yeah, that’s a problem with popularity. Especially nostalgic popularity. It’s often better creatively for something to completely wither away so you can come back to it with fresh eyes and make real blockbuster “Beast Wars” type changes to the formula.

GI Joe has never been able to escape and die enough that it leaves almost everything behind. Transformers is stuck the same way now. A victim of its own success.

Mattel seems to be having the most success with MOTU and actually giving the new incarnation room to breathe (while still hewing a bit close to established lore) but taking big swings in some cases.

 

[Caldwin]

This came from Amazon today. Ooooh look at that non-biodegradable plastic just begging to be ripped apart. Sends shivers down the spine, doesn't it?

Well, okay, no more mystery. You know what this is now. But there's still so many layers to go through. So...many...layers!

Noooooo! Not more plastic!!!! Why must you torment me? So many layers to go through. Why can't you just let me get to the toy? Why must you build so much antici...

...pation? Well, I think we're finally down to the final box. The toy can't be too far now.

Look at that! LOOK...AT...THAT!!!! We can see it. It's all within sight. Just a bit more plastic and several twist-ties to go!

And here we go! No I will say this, the base to the fly swatter will not snap around the wrist like it should. And yes, I did try different hands and it just doesn't work. So I'll probably just keep the fly swatter in a bin. But look at this! It comes with a Mouser! Sweet!

And here's a comparison to the vintage. The mouser didn't come with the vintage. It was sold separately. But it felt right to compare those. But I'll compare the mousers in the next pic. Here I want to focus on Stockman.

First, you can see NECA has a colored-in turtle on the swatter whereas the vintage, while it does have a molded on turtle, it is not colored. Likewise, you can see a wedding ring on Baxter's left hand. Now believe it or not, that ring is on the vintage. But it wasn't colored, just molded. In fact, it's so subtle, I didn't even notice it for 30+ years until a Youtube video pointed it out to me.

Another thing of note, it could just be decades of sun-bleaching, so I wouldn't make too much of it. But the Neca Baxter is a darker color. Also he came with a gun. I have so many accessories that I could give vintage Baxter a gun, but he didn't come with one.

I also wanted to point out that while vintage Stockman's wings and fly arms were a separate piece that you slid into a place on the back, NECA has the wings and arms built in. Also, NECA looks like it has quite a bit more texture.

Now to compare Mousers. The one on the left is the one that came with NECA. Looks really nice, IMO. The one of the right is vintage. As you can see, there's a little thing on the back that you can press in to keep winding it up and it'll walk and chomp. Just tried it out. Works as well as it ever did (which is to say not too well). It also came with a bunch of sticker applications which didn't age too well. I tried to keep some of them on with Scotch Tape.

The two gray ones in front came with Mirage Style NECA April. I never really cared for battle damage toys. But I like the Mirage style with no Foot symbol on it. But I think over all, I'm going to have to go with the one that I just got from NECA Stockman. It seems I'm inadvertently building an army.

 

[Caldwin]

Dang! I knew that Karai got turned into a snake because I actually have the toy. But so soon after she finally reunited with her father? Dang!

And again, sometimes I'm surprised this show was made for kids! It gets pretty freaking brutal sometimes.

 

[Shadewing]

That is part of its charm, its never as dark or brutal as the Fox/4kids series, it still manages to not pull any of it punches either. It masterfully walks a fine line between being highly silly with plenty of nods and homages to the 80's series and Archie comics, while staying within the realm of the more mature story telling that the previous series had gotten fans to love.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I wonder if we'll ever get a regular Baxter Stockman figure. I have a friend who's wanted one for as long as Turtles has been around, practically.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

Dang! I knew that Karai got turned into a snake because I actually have the toy. But so soon after she finally reunited with her father? Dang!

And again, sometimes I'm surprised this show was made for kids! It gets pretty freaking brutal sometimes.

Oooh, keep going. I forget what other surprises are in store for you. I forget if the Fugitoid was done already or not. I was floored with the new origin of Karai but it was a great new take.

Toy Baxter Stockman was married?!? What the hex?!?

 

[Caldwin]

I wonder if we'll ever get a regular Baxter Stockman figure. I have a friend who's wanted one for as long as Turtles has been around, practically.

I was wondering the same thing. Especially since his ultimate fate varies between continuities, it would be nice to have a base human Baxter.

Oooh, keep going. I forget what other surprises are in store for you. I forget if the Fugitoid was done already or not. I was floored with the new origin of Karai but it was a great new take.

Toy Baxter Stockman was married?!? What the hex?!?

I haven't seen Fugitoid yet. I'm really enjoying this series. I'm glad I decided to sit dow, put everything else on the back burner and finally start marathoning i.

Yeah, I was surprised about toy Baxter too when I found out. I mean, if you look closel, the ring is molded onto the hand. But the paint ap was so lazy, you wouldn't know it.

 

[Caldwin]

Okay, like said in another post, I have no nostalgia for this guy. But it is one of the very few sets that I haven't nabbed yet. So I finally bit the bullet.

It actually comes with ooze. I'll just have to be sure to keep that that closed. I don't think the eye-stalk is supposed to come off of his little buddy like that.
...


Also, I made this tonight.

 

[Shadhausen]

This thread has inspired me to go back and rewatch the 2003 series. I forgot how crazy good this series is. They managed to maintain some of the goofiness of the original series while maturing the writing. I'm a little over halfway through season 1 and damn, The Shredder Strikes Back was insane! Really establishes the Shredder as the ultimate Boss Level baddie possibly better than any other show.

 

[Shadewing]

The Shredder Strikes Back was insane! Really establishes the Shredder as the ultimate Boss Level baddie possibly better than any other show.

Considering the character was originally created just to get jobbed by the Turtles, he's really come along way.

And of course the 80's cartoon didn't help with anything:

 

[Caldwin]

Just finished Season 2 of 2012.

Spoiler

I'm not too worried about Splinter or Leo. Splinter was shown still breathing when he was saved by Karai at the end. Leonardo I'm not concerned about because it's the exact same North Hampton thing we've seen before.

But Irma was a Kraang...a high ranking Kraang at that. I honestly was not expecting that. New York was left in pretty bad shape. That's a heck of a place to leave the end of a season. I guess this is the Empire Strikes Back of this series.

I did absolutely love the fight between Leo and the Foot. The story's been done before, but this had a nice bit of flare to it.

It's nice to see Karai has regained some of her sanity, at least enough to instinctively know who Splinter is enough to save him.

It's getting late, so I'll need to save starting Season 3 for tomorrow. But dang, that was a hell of an ending to Season 2. And honestly, this series is quickly becoming my favorite TMNT series.

 

[MrBlud]

Part of Rise’s difficulty attracting an audience is likely because it had to follow up that series.

It’s so tough when a reinvention just completely nails things so much you can’t really refine it further. It leaves the follow up to be basically “different for difference sake”.

 

[Caldwin]

So I just saw the episode with April's "mother" And, well:

I finally got around to seeing 2012 on Netflix. I'm on episode 14 already. they made Rat King truly horrifying. Leatherhead also looked awesome.

So, tell me again how this was made for kids?

Dang! I knew that Karai got turned into a snake because I actually have the toy. But so soon after she finally reunited with her father? Dang!

And again, sometimes I'm surprised this show was made for kids! It gets pretty freaking brutal sometimes.

I may be proceeding from a false premise. This show wasn't made for kids...was it?

 

[wonko the sane?]

This show was made for the kids... who grew up watching the original turtles, and reading the comics, and playing the games and knew how to treat the franchise. Made by "kids" for "kids".

 

[Fero McPigletron]

That's the barn alien episode, right? That's probably the freakiest episode ever. Worse than how April's dad's mutation looked. Worse than Pigeon Pete.

Although, the roach terminator early in the show was disgusting. Wait, I dunno if the other mutants have been shown yet.

Edit - Btw, my favorite of the brand new mutants that never caught on (like Spider bites or that weed guy) was Monkey Brains. Would that he had more eps with his friends. Dogpound was cool too but, ugh, the 2012 show made is so that the pre mutated humans were soooo much cooler and distinct than their mutated selves.

 

[Caldwin]

So far the worst one for me was the wasp one. I absolutely won't be watching that again. But then I do have a personal problem with wasps.

April's mom I was fine with and even totally enjoyed it. I was just watching it when the thought hit me that, you know what? Objectively, this must have been horrifying for children!

 

[Sabrblade]

For me, the April Derp was the most disgusting of all the mutations.

 

[ZakuConvoy]

2012 Season 3 goes HARD on the horror references. April's mom is probably the height of that. I think Season 3 was just made for the animators, since they all realized that they all loved horror movies.

 

[Caldwin]

I'm getting that feeling. The Thing, Nightmare on Elmstreet, Friday the 13th, Christine, It...and that's just off the top of my head of what I've seen so far.

I'm loving this so...hugging...much!


Edit...
One hugging minute! Is that? Is that? *IMDB*

Gilbert hugging Gottfried! Holy crap I knew it!

And the Tenth Doctor comes in later? Holy hug, I love this show!

 

[Shadewing]

Season 3 is probably my favorite, just due to the Horror Movie references.