Tag Master Splinter

TMNT: The Movie at 30: Toy Chest Theater

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Yeah, I’m a little late on this one. Sue me.

These Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie figures from NECA have practically become a staple of the toy photography community. And for good reason. They’re absolutely amazing.

I’ve featured them here a few times before. But in honor of the 30th anniversary of the movie, I’ve opted to spotlight some of my favorites that haven’t been on the site yet.

Let’s start with one that’s if nothing else, timely…

This shot from Yunus Unen serves to remind us that even our mutant friends must protect themselves from the dreaded Coronavirus. Apparently a tiger at the Bronx Zoo was just found to have it. That’s bad news for Tiger Claw…

Another quarantine-inspired shot, this time from French photographer Joe Hume. According to the Instagram post where this shot originated, it was inspired by #coronamaison, a hashtag that means “corona house” in French. It challenges artists and illustrators to create a quarantine scene using a house with a staircase on the left side of the frame. Other than that, they’re free to do as they will.

I’d say this shot fits the TMNT pretty well. Imagine these guys being under quarantine. They already can’t leave the lair during the day! Now they’re stuck together 24/7!

In the caption for the #coronamaison photo above, Hume mentioned closer shots are more his element. Looking at this shot of Shredder, I can’t dispute that. I’m not sure if this is supposed to be the scene in the movie where he’s talking to all the Foot recruits, or if its another setting entirely. The shot seems to suggest it’s snowing. Which is an interesting idea.

In any event, the shot plays to the strengths of the figure/character design, as well as the character itself. The armor and the mask are easy to see and well defined. But the man behind them is shrouded in mystery…

I like this shot by Duane Perera not just because it goes all in on the nostalgia element, but because of the way the Turtles are posed. It’s very believable that they’re all crammed into some ’90s kid’s little room, playing with all his stuff.

Bonus points for the Donnie and the Dunkaroos. I’m always amazed at how toy photographers are able to miniaturize that kind of stuff. Whether it’s an actual prop or a trick of the computer, it almost always looks so real.

We’ll close it out with something downright spooky looking. You can be a little more moody and menacing with Raph, as it fits his personality. Mike of @fullblowntoys definitely nails it hear with the dim lighting and the green steam effect. Not only does it fit the character, but it fits the look of the film. This could have taken place in the sewers, or just the wrong part of town…

For more NECA TMNT goodness, check out “That Damn Swimming Level…”, “Leo in the Sun”,  and “Bird Box Starring TMNT”.

Email Rob at at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

TMNT: The Movie at 30: Original Trailer

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

If you’d have told me in say, February, that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie was about to turn 30, I’d never have believed it.

But after “social distancing” at home for a mere week and change, I absolutely believe it. Heck, I’d believe ya if you told me it was 50.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is 30 years old as of yesterday. If you’re a child of the ’80s, this is one of the movies that shaped your childhood.

But it’s more than just a great nostalgia movie, or even a great comic book movie. It’s a great movie. Period. It’s about more than martial artists in turtle costumes. At its core, it’s about family. The family you’re born with, and the family you choose.

So as we celebrate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie this week, I invite you to take a look at the film’s original trailer…

Obviously, much was unfinished when this trailer hit screens. Most notably the voiceover work. But thanks to the magic of internet geeks and YouTube, we can now watch a “remastered” version of the trailer with the correct accompanying voice work.

God I love this movie.

Email Rob at at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Weekly Comic 100s: TMNT #100, Dark Knight Returns, Superman

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***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Nothing too in-depth here. Just straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Word recently broke about Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird working together again after all these years for a Ninja Turtles story called “The Last Ronin.” How fitting then, that not only does IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 comes out this week, but we’ve also got a new Frank Miller book. It’s no secret that Eastman and Laird drew inspiration from Miller’s work in the early to mid ’80s.

Imagine what would have happened if it had the modern Frank Miller back then. Back then you had his work on characters like Daredevil and Wolverine. Now? We’ve got the Dark Knight sequels and Holy Terror. *shudders*

TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz (Script)
ARTISTS: Dave Watcher, Michael Dialynas. Variant cover by Eastman.
SUPPLEMENTAL ARTISTS: Mateus Santolouco, Adam Gorham, Dan Duncan, Cory Smith
COLORISTS: Ronda Pattison, Bill Crabtree
LETTERER: Shawn Lee
RELEASED: December 11, 2019

TMNT #100 is more or less exactly what you want it to be. All recent plot threads converge, and as expected, we see the return of a major villain. Can’t say I expected that death, though. And make sure you don’t miss that epilogue…

The only real complaint I have is that I felt half a step behind because I couldn’t keep up on the Shredder in Hell mini. I suppose that’s the problem when you’ve created a world so rich and dense. You can’t always pack everything into one series. But that’s not necessarily a terrible problem to have.

TITLE: Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child
AUTHOR: Frank Miller
ARTIST: Rafael Grampa. Cover by Grampa and Pedro Cobiaco.
COLORIST: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERERS: John Workman, Deron Bennett
RELEASED: December 11, 2019

My impression when I closed this book was that Miller must either have a ghostwriter working with him, or the editors are heavily involved here. Because this is a surprisingly competent issue to have his name on it in 2019. But if it was mostly Miller? Good on him.

No Bruce Wayne here. Which is kind of odd, but fine with me. Carrie Kelley, Lara, and this Dark Knight universe Jon Kent are more interesting anyway. They’re taking on Darkseid here, and Raphael Grampa’s art looks amazing.

A really good start. But keep your expectations tempered.

TITLE: Superman #18
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTIST: Ivan Reis
INKER: Joe Prado
COLORIST: Alex Sinclair
LETTERER: Dave Sharpe
RELEASED: December 11, 2019

Ugh. Why?

Yes, it’s exactly what it looks like. The same thing they did in 2015, in a storyline that, fittingly, was also called Truth.

It’s not that I don’t think Bendis and this team can do a good job with it. But we were just here. And inevitably, when you do this kind of thing you have to come up with some convoluted way to get the genie back in the bottle. So why even bother?

I will say, though, there’s a single silent page depicting the big moment between Clark Kent and Perry White that’s absolutely beautiful.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #4
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTIST: Werther Dell-Edera
COLORIST: Miquel Muerto
LETTERED BY: Andworld Design
RELEASED: December 11, 2019

In this issue, we get a major revelation about the nature of the monsters devouring children in Archer’s Peak. Tynion takes what I’ll refer to as the “Do you believe in magic?” approach. It’s an interesting twist that I didn’t see coming, and for my money, helps separate this book from the pack. Hopefully he’s given the time to expand on it.

As cool as Erica Slaughter is, part of me actually wants to see her killed off so James can take her place and learn about all this monster stuff. Probably won’t happen. But could be cool.

TITLE: Detective Comics #1017
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTIST: Fernando Blanco. Cover by Tony Daniel.
COLORIST: John Kalisz
LETTERER: Travis Lanham
RELEASED: December 11, 2019

A nice little one-and-done. I like when they do these. In the context of Detective Comics, it reminds me of Paul Dini’s run all those years ago.

Our story deals with missing children at the Martha Wayne Orphanage in Gotham. Taylor shows us a more sensitive and empathetic side of Batman and Robin. Also, the art in this issue really stands out, as Kalisz uses a more saturated color palette, while our inks are darker. He even gives us a sort of saturated sepia tone for the opening flashback that sets the scene really well.

TITLE: Go Go Power Rangers #26
AUTHORS: Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino
COLORIST: Raul Angulo
LETTERER: Ed Dukeshire
RELEASED: December 11, 2019

One of the big selling points of this book early on was it was set in the pre-Green Ranger days. Tommy, one way or another, inevitably pulls focus from the other characters. It’s a little sad that the emphasis has shifted that way.

But Parrott is still the best PR writer we’ve seen from this BOOM! Studios run with the license. Oddly enough, what I enjoyed most about this issue was a flashback to Tommy eating a meal with Rita at the palace. As a kid, I always wanted to see him in there interacting with the other villains.

TITLE: Dying is Easy #1 (of 5)
AUTHOR: Joe Hill
ARTIST: Martin Simmonds. Cover by J. Lou.
COLOR ASSISTANT: Dee Cunniffe
LETTERER: Shawn Lee
RELEASED: December 11, 2019

Cop turned stand-up comic. Now there’s something you don’t see every day.

If grim-and-gritty is your thing, this book is right up your alley. If there’s a seedy underbelly to the world of stand-up, this book is smack in the middle of it. Simmonds and Cunniffe do a tremendous job using the colors to create an ominous, foreboding vibe. Ultimately, that pays off on the last page…

Fittingly, the book also manages to be funny in a black comedy sort of way. I’m not totally sold yet, but I may indeed be back for more.

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Weekly Comic 100s: TMNT, Star Wars, Batman Annual

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*”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Nothing too in-depth here. Just straight, concise, and to the point.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #99
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz
ARTISTS: Dave Wachter, Ronda Pattison (Colorist),
RELEASED: October 30, 2019

This damn thing cost $7.99. I’ve been following this main TMNT series since the beginning. But damn. That hurts.

But devil’s advocate: They jam a lot in here. Dozens of heroes and villains battle, with the fate of New York City at stake. Not to mention the lives of various mutants, and even children.

It all culminates in…well, I can’t say I knew for sure they were going in this direction. But after issue #50, I had a pretty good feeling a certain character would be on his way back by now.

TITLE: Star Wars: Allegiance #4
AUTHOR: Ethan Sacks
ARTISTS: Luke Ross, Lee Loughrige (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Marco Checchetto.
RELEASED: October 30, 2019

Again, no Kylo Ren in this issue. Not even a closing shot of him in the last few pages. Lame. Sauce.

On the way to The Rise of Skywalker, Allegiance basically tells us two things: What the Resistance has been doing since the Battle of Crait, and how they obtained some of the resources they’ll undoubtedly have in the movie. It’s not the most fun Star Wars book you’ll ever read, and I doubt it’ll hold up to repeat readings. But as a little appetizer for the release of Episode IX, it works fine.

TITLE: Batman Annual #4
AUTHOR: Tom King
ARTISTS: Jorge Fornes, Mike Norton, Dave Stewart (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
RELEASED: October 30, 2019

This issue quick-fires a bunch of mini-stories at us, narrated via Alfred’s journal. “Everyday” moves day by day from April 7 to April 24.

I’d like to think these are a bunch of cooky ideas Tom King had while brainstorming for his Batman run, but couldn’t squeeze in. Based on what we’ve seen, some of these ideas really feel like his. Batman fights a dragon, takes on an MMA fighter for charity, solves a whodunnit, etc.

Mike Norton tags in for Jorge Fornes for several pages. So we got from a David Mazzuchelli, Year One-ish look to something more akin to Michael Lark.

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Astonishing Art: Fatherhood Edition, by Pena Nezuki

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Three days ago, my daughter was born. I’m not yet sure what I’ll refer to her as on this site. My wife has been Mrs. Primary Ignition. So…Li’l Primary Ignition, maybe?

Naturally, emotions are running high. I spotted this piece by Puna Nezuki on Father’s Day. It smacked me in the feels then. But now…

What makes the image for me, outside of the quality of the character renderings, is the variance between young Splinter and old Splinter. The former standing up straight and tall in his early days of parenthood. The latter with a bit of a hunch, facing old age, but able to look around at a job well done.

Thankfully, I only have one to look after, as opposed to four. I’m also not raising them in a sewer. Truth be told, Splinter might be the most overlooked father in all of pop culture.

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Toy Chest Theater: Leo in the Sun

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The right lighting really does make all the difference.

Of course, this pic from SGT Bananas Toy Photography calls back to a scene from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie. It’s the scene where Leonardo hears Splinter calling to him from the astral plane.

For comparison’s sake, here’s a corresponding screenshot from the movie…

I don’t see the image as a recreation of this moment, but rather the creation of a similar scene set in the early morning. There’s something surreal, and somehow beautiful about this absurd fantasy creature bathed in the natural sunlight.

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Astonishing Art: TMNT by Matt DeMino

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

It honestly wasn’t my intent to do another “Astonishing Art” so soon after the last one. Much less another dedicated to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But today’s piece popped up in my Instagram feed today, and I simply couldn’t resist.

Chances are at some point you’ve seen the image at right, or at least some version of it. It’s the classic Norman Rockwell painting “The Runaway,” which made its debut on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post in 1958. It’s textbook Rockwellian America. A naive young runaway sits in a diner under the protective eyes of a policeman and the counterman. As one might imagine, artists have been tipping their hat to it for a long time.

Cast in point, our subject today: A TMNT-inspired spin on “The Runaway” by Matt DeMino. This piece first appeared on the official TMNT Twitter account yesterday.

Damn. Right in the feels. Especially as an ’80s kid who grew up on a steady Ninja Turtles diet. Who among us didn’t run around with a pillow on our backs and a ninja headband on? The boys in green were our heroes, This image could have been plucked from the dreams of a million kids back then. It still could today.

But this one is clearly for the ’80s/’90s crowd. The references to the three original live action movies are pretty blatant. Casey Jones is sporting his look from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie. You’ve got the Shredder helmet from that same movie on the counter. The scepter from the third movie is sitting at Raph’s feet. And on the lower left, you can see the broken canister from The Secret of the Ooze. Yeah, you might say I’ve watched those movies a few times…

This isn’t the first time DeMino has been commissioned to work on the Ninja Turtles. The piece at left came out on Thanksgiving last year. Note the same analog Coke can design in both scenes.

Clearly, DeMino’s take on the Turtles and Splinter is very reminiscent of the old movies. Hey, that’s how I’d do it too. That original Steve Barron film is still the definitive presentation of the TMNT, for my money. After all these years, it still holds up.

Email Rob at PrimaryIgnition@yahoo.com, or follow Primary Ignition on Twitter.

Astonishing Art: TMNT by Royden Lepp

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I’m usually turned off when artists get too cute with the Ninja Turtles. I like my TMNT a little darker and grittier. That’s more or less how they were originally conceived, after all. But of course, there are exceptions that make the rule.

As it turns out, Royden Lepp is one such exception. I’m a big fan of Lepp’s Rust books. So perhaps it’s no coincidence that this digital rendering of the TMNT features a little bit of the sepia tone Lepp uses in Rust.

The Turtles are all wearing their red bandanas here (again, as they were originally conceived). Thus, it’s harder to tell who is who. I’m sure Lepp knows for sure. But my theory is from left to right it’s Donnie, Mike, Leo, and Raph. I can just picture them running alongside Jet Jones, a trail of fire and smoke in their wake.

Rust: Soul in the Machine, the final installment in the Rust series, is out now.

Email Rob at PrimaryIgnition@yahoo.com, or follow Primary Ignition on Twitter.

A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65 Review – Sewer Christmas Party

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65, 2016, cover, ChristmasTITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65
AUTHOR: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
PENCILLER: Mateus Santolouco
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: December 14, 2016

***Need to catch up? Check out last issue!***

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I didn’t expect to like this issue as much as I did, primarily because of what happened in issue #61. I’ve called that “the meeting issue,” because it contains one of the oddest scenes I’ve ever seen in a TMNT book. It’s essentially a big war council scene with all the good guys talking strategy. The promise of all these characters being together for a Christmas party, along with my general distaste for “Christmas episodes” (bah humbug), made me nervous. Thankfully, this story about a Christmas party stays fairly upbeat, and weaves in some nice character work.

The boys in green are more in need of holiday cheer than ever. They now find themselves estranged from their Master Splinter after the events of issue #64. Mikey throws a Christmas party in an attempt to boost morale. But one question remains unanswered: Who invited the Mutanimals?

tmnt-65, pepperoniMateus Santolouco is back on the pencil for this issue. I’ve been a little critical of him in recent months. But given how long he’s worked on this series, his art does feel like a homecoming of sorts. Santolouco is also tremendous at injecting excitement and enthusiasm into his characters. Look at Mikey on the cover. Look at the way he draws Pigeon Pete. Cartoony? Yes. But also a lot of fun.

This issue was also my first exposure to Pepperoni, Raphael’s pet baby dinosaur. Having skipped Turtles in Time and Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything, I was woefully unprepared for this little pink creature running around. On the upside, Santolouco makes him an adorable addition.

While I’ll keep things spoiler free, Splinter makes a brief appearance in this issue. Tonally, it’s odd. We left things in a very somber, painful place with Splinter last month. This month he’s feeling rather…Christmasy. It’s a cool idea. But Splinter is the one character I would have kept immune to all this holiday cheer.

This issue also introduced Angel/Nobody to Woody the pizza guy. This had sort of a Steve-Urkel-meets-Laura-Winslow vibe to it. (Look it up, kids.) This could very well have been a one-off. But it was charming enough to merit a revisit down the road.

TMNT #65 was a nice bit of levity, and a break from the intensity we’ve had in the last few months. Though I suspect next month we’ll crank that intensity right back up. So we may want to enjoy this respite while we can.

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A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64 Review -Toothpaste and Orange Juice

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64, 2016, Kevin Eastman variantTITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64
AUTHOR: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
PENCILLER: Dave Watcher
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: November 23, 2016

***WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead, and they’re coming up quickly!***

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

This one was a head-scratcher, and not the first one TMNT has turned in since this whole “Splinter leads the Foot Clan” thing started. What we have is an issue that starts out very strong, builds to fitting climax, and then veers off in an unexpected direction. It’s not necessarily a good direction, either. It’s almost like taking a swig of orange juice after brushing your teeth.

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64, our heroes storm the base of Darius Dun and the Street Phantoms, hoping to rescue their ally Harold. But in the process, things go south. Allegiances change, and more importantly, families are split apart.

Let’s jump right into spoiler territory, as that’s where my main point of contention with this issue is. During the climax, Splinter has Darius Dun killed. This leads Don, Raph, and Mike to immediately leave the Foot. Splinter tells Leo that the Turtles aren’t safe by his side now that he leads the Foot Clan, and he’s been resorting to drastic measures to break their loyalty and push them away. As you see below, the exchange ends with Leo saying he understands, and walking away.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64, 2016, Dave Watcher, Splinter explanationI’m glad he understands, because I’m not sure I do.

Let’s unpack this: So Splinter’s end game, at least recently, has been to keep the Turtles safe. So why make this move now? Why not back when you were going against the Foot Clan? Why not when Donnie had his brush with death? Why not after they were reunited with Raph way back in issue #4? This entire ninja crusade was Splinter’s idea to begin with. But now that he’s in a position to control the enemy forces from within, he’s suddenly got cold feet about the whole thing? So much so that he’s willing to alienate himself from his sons? It all feels very forced. I can only assume there’s something else going on that we don’t know about. Otherwise, you’d think Splinter would know what the readers already know: This will only lead to the Turtles coming back to try and save Splinter from himself.

As it’s still so fresh, I’m hesitant to judge this development too harshly. But this feels like a case where an extra line or two would have done wonders. We can’t tell just how much Splinter is second-guessing himself at this point. But something like “I’ve gone too far” seems appropriate.

Adding to the awkward nature of this scene is the build-up to it, which is really actually really good. In the opening scene, Casey Jones explains Splinter’s plan to make him the leader of the Purple Dragons, “to help you guys run the city after we trash the phantoms.” The letterer emphasizes that word run, and for good reason. It’s rare that a single word literally makes a scene. But there you have it.

TMNT #64, 2016, HaroldWe also have some nice stuff between Harold and his estranged ex-wife Libby. Harold’s been around for awhile, and has been a nice supporting techie character. But I never expected they’d give him this sort of depth. It all comes about quite organically. It’s a pleasant surprise.

While I’m still picking on him over the whole bandana/beak thing, Dave Watcher has become one of my favorite TMNT pencillers in recent memory. His stuff has a sketchy quality to it, which for me evokes memories of the original Kevin Eastman/Peter Laird stuff. His renderings of Harold and Libby make the scene very accessible. He’s also very good at drawing TMNT tech. Look at what Libby’s wearing in the above panel. It somehow looks believable, doesn’t it?

I’m not much of a variant cover guy. But I almost always make an exception for the ones Kevin Eastman does for this book, such as the one shown above. I love the concept, and I love how shadowy and moody it is. The one thing I don’t love? Splinter’s tail. It’s curvature is too sharp, and it pulls you right out of the scene.

After all this time, I still maintain that this TMNT crew missed a huge opportunity by not taking advantage of what they established early on with Raph. Unfortunately, what we’re presented with in this issue could be just as big a misstep. We need more information on why Splinter is doing what he’s doing, or this story might lose a lot of punch. But I’ll give them this much: They’ve got me coming back for next issue.

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