#tmnt month

[popculturebuffet]

TMNT Month: Rise of the TMNT: The Evil League of Evil Mutants: The Very Model of a Terrificish TMNT Episode (Patreon for Brotoman.EXE)

Hello all you happy mutants and welcome back to TMNT month. As we wind down, it's only fair we visit one of the most recent TMNT cartoons, a fan faviorite of some renown and a show I dearly love for doing something fresh and unique with the franchise. While the Franchise is still in first class hands in it's new Mutnat Mayhem era and i'm proud to say it's a worthy succesor to Rise, I still miss Rise and wish it'd gotten the love from the network it deserves. A throughly goofy show that didn't lack heart or pitch perfect action, wasn't afraid to be silly or change major core sof the franchise, and was always gorgeous to look at, Rise will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the other tmnt runs and while it's short run meant it didn't get to go the distance, it at least means unlike all other three shows it didn't stumble as it went either. It only got better , ended on a high that got the second best tmnt movie ever as a coda one I would'v ecovered this month had nthe sheer exaustion of the year and a slight cold not caught up with me. Still brotoman threw me the best consolation prize possible.

The Evil League of Mutants is Rise's mid season finale for season 1 and a big turning point in the series. Up to this ep, the seeds for a story had been planeted as we saw Draxum in the premire and a followup and the Foot Clan in the second episode and a few after. The main villians were there.. but the seralized story hadn't fully kicked in. This was a problem at the time, as some wondered why they spent all this time on all this wacky nonsense as the turtles dealt with a famous tv chef trying to eat other mutants, a news anchor who thought he was their arch enemy, a new zeland hippo stage magician, a repo man..tis, anamatronics gone amok, april's inability to hold down a job and of course Splinter stealing his son's car for a joy ride. It was mostly antics.. because while the series has great characters, some development and a nice story at the spine... doing goofy antics is kind of i'ts mo. The turtles are sillier without being complete jokes, a needle that was hard to thread in the era of everyone trying to do a teen titans go but was done well. The boys here.. are goofy morons, something Mutant Mayhem would take and run with while making a touch more realistic (Including hiring actual teens), the most teen the characters had been up to mutant mayhem.

Their not four ninja warriors who are also goofy people in thier spare times, but four goofuses with the bare minimum of training lead by someone who can barely rangle them. It dosen't make them any less likeable but explains why the series bends more towards comedy while still keeping the action tight: these turtles splinter , due to his own trauma and laziness, didn't take their training all that seriously so they still have skills but start a few pages behind their other versions, who even when not trained well to start or having their past lives skills and years of training like the idw comics. All versions of the turtles grow, get better with time and have a steep learning curve, but the rise ones start at rock bottom and climb up. These boys are teenagers first, fighters second.. and that works. It works with who this splitner is and what this series is and makes their growth even more noticable than usual as we see them go from barely being able to use their mystic ablities to ending the series on a knock down drag out fight with an evil godlike shredder using all their powers in concert. It's a clear evolution done masterfully and it begins here as the turtles are first slapped in the face with both their biggest obstacle and their lack of training, and left without their magic superpowers to fall back on. Cna our boys hack it.. well yeah this is only the mid season finale. But it's a solid ep that paves the way for the series to rise further and has a truly awesome music number from john fucking cena. What's not to love? So join me under the cut as we see why he's the very model of a warring warrior scientest

We open with the boys fighting the Sando Brothers, two crab mutnat acrobats who easily floor our heroes. Their played by voice acting greats and How Did This Get Made? Co Hosts Ben Scheer (the future Chip Whistler) and my boy Jason Mantzokus (Alex from Close Enough and tons of other voice work). IT's nice ot see the two together, close friends in real life and reminds me of the later pariing of scheer and his wife June Diane Rapheal for Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

The boys are floored by what would normally be one off jobbers for them, trying to use their powers.. but not really succeding with Leo still at that phase where he can't portal his way out of a paper bag. It's a fun fight with the sandos really showing off why they should've been used more: they have great cordination, a killer look and neatly tuck their heads inside their shells to avoid damage, something Mikey can also do in this incarnation if not nearly as well. It's a shame they didn't get more screentime, if understandable: the show already had some more well developed villians it found more to do with. There just here to set up the plot and pad out the villian team.

Speaking of which before they can dine on turtle soup their mysteriously teleported away. The Boys have no idea what happened, as it wasn't Leo (He makes that very clear), and Raph is forced to do the one thing his brothers have dreaded: they have to train

Leo is naturally the first to moan, which still feels weird to say even with how much I LOVE this version. All four frankly: I like Raph as less of a rage head or a smart ass and more a joyful if still impulsive booster, mikey focusing on his fun side and heart instead of his stupidity like 2012, Donnie as an amoral but loveable mad scientest, and Leo as the slacker for a change, taking Raph's role while still being unique in it: Unlike Raph in most versions he dosen't WANT the role, as he fears the responsiblity. He can do it, he just chooses not to since someone else wants to.

Still Raph convinces them: They need to be able to handle guys like this like a boss and need help. Enter splitner and like the rest of the cast I love how diffrent Splitner is. Dont' get me wrong, I love the classic versions and each version tweaks them slightly, but when your four cartoons, four major comic continuities and way too many other iterations for me to take the time to count it's okay to you know, switch it up. Try something different. And I like Splinter as a good dad, who geninely loves his kids.. but also a burnt out husk of a man with a ton of baggage who prefers to be lazy, can't seem to learn his childrens names, and will steal their car to go on shenanigans. He's a mess and had he just stayed a comedic mess he might've worked.. but the series slowly gives him depths and it starts here: Most versions of Hamato Yoshi took their transformation with grace. This one, already having tons of baggage we find out over the course of the show... just kinda gave up. He gave his sons a good life and good training, but he's not this steadfast wise warrior. He's a man who lost his old life completely and wears a kimono less out of a symbol of heritage or because it fits hima nd more because it means he dosen't have to put on pants.

It says something though despite what we learn later and what we've seen at this point that the second the boys ask for more formal training... he's EXCITED. He was happy to just give them the basics, but it's clear getting to share who he was as Lou Jitsu... is just nice. He won't actually tell them due to his own issues, but it's clear getting to share his techniques with them is great. It's also telling given his strained issues with the rest of his clan that he teaches the boys HIS techniques: specifically using fish and ladders as weapons... which is situational as fuck, but is a valid lesson: use what you can grab and don't rely just on your weapons. It is something the boys needed to learn: they have great power with their mystic weapons, but using something else isn't bad. Granted this being the show it is it's SPECIFICALLY just fish and ladders, but it's a ncie point snuck in there.

Sadly the boys.. dont' get the point, mock splinter and are genuinely dicks wanting to get to the good part without getting what all training in martial arts fantasy and reality is: hard work that takes time. THey have to work up but assume SPlinter doing this is just him. It's an old cliche.. but it works here because the boys are both that impulsive and Splinter take sit personally, taking their weapons and being understandably hurt.. yet still not able ot tell them why. By spitting on lou jitsus' techniques.. their rejecting what HE made for himself after leaving his past as Hamato Yoshi behind. Who HE is and given how little the poor man has left outside of his boys it's heartbreaking.

The boys have bigger issues though as we find out WHERE the sandos were sent.. a raddison hotel.

Their mysterious backer has also kidnapped a buffet of previous foes and for those of you who haven't seen rise, or need a refresher we have: Meatsweats: My favorite out of the Rogue's Gallery, an angry gordon ramsey style chef turned deranged pig mutant who wants to eat his fellow mutants. Hypnopotomus: A hypnotist turned hypo. What I like about this guy besides being voiced by Rhys Darby, which will always be a plus, is that while they do do the "supervillian has a stage magician gimmick" they go for a diffrent flavor with him being a hypnotist: he has a turban and instead of using the usual gimmicks as his main attacks uses that simple connecting ring trick as controllable glaives. It's really cool visually and a nice change of pace.

Repo Mantis: A... we don't really know his origins, just that he' sa repo man whose also a mantis. He employed MIkey and Donnie breifly but that broke down after they tried to make him repo Todd: Truly nice guiena pig mutant. Rescues puppies. Not actually evil. Only here because he makes good lemonade.

And crashing the meeting

Warren Stone: An egotistical anchorman turned earthworm who thinks he's the turtles greatest enemy and stole a guaantlet, later turns out to be a piece of the shredder long story that, that gives him one musicalr arm he has to drag around

Todd accidntly throws on the light revealing who brought them here: Baron Draxum. He wants revenge on the turtles for turning on him which.. might've gone better had he not thrown leo off a roof once, something he brings up this episode. Also probably not helping he's calling his new band the league of evil mutants. I mean I get Magneto retconned it as an ironic thing or a "let me be evil situation" but I don't get why Draxum does it given he thinks h'es righetious, wanting yokai and mutants to rebel against humanity.

So the rest of them understandably wonder "Hey why should we listen to you" .. and also keep interuptting with lemonade. This episode has a LOT of good jokes and Draxum's increasing irritation is great as is his own delighted expression when having some later. John Cena is great comedically even in a more dramatic role. I also like the voice Cena used for Draxum, something diffrent from his normal register, a bit lower and more authorative. A shame he coudln't of stuck around

So Draxum's gargoyle minons hugin and munin decide to hype him up, one voiced by sam richardson of I think you should leave fame. Not really necessary to note that but it's important to me. I love him. Hope he gets a better scooby doo role some day.

So they sing the episodes centerpiece, warring warrior scientest, a parody of Modern Major General from HMS peneafore. Why did the crew do this? Because they could. Was it worth it.. yes. This is one of the shows best moments. It has a crack or two: the chorus is kinda distracting as it's clear none of the voice actors for these characters are actually singing it. But it's just so enjoyable, not only breaking down a tone of fresh lore but also nicely setting things up, and I love the lighting on this, using bright pink to show off the crowd. And of course it climaxes with Draxum himself singing the song, proudly as he uses his plant powers, rivals his new team and says he'll need all their skills including anchorman.

As for the lore.. it's a lot as this reveals Draxum CREATED the turtles in this continuity, planning as part of his revolution to create an army of mutants and modeling them off the strongest fighter he could find, king of the battle nexus and movie star.. Lou Jitsu. Lou didn't exactly ike the plan, something a later flashback in season 2 elaborates on, and rebelled with the turtles and lou seemingly pershing... instead.. Lou became splinter. Draxum dosen't know it, the turtles don't know it, but we do.

Since this has been common knowldge for a while you have to understand when this was revealed.. it instantly made Splinter a deeper character. He went from an obnoxious asshole to a tragic figure... who was still a bit of a dick, but you understood WHY he was so lazy and hands off training, evne more as more backstory got layered on.

So with the team assembled they just need to lure the turtles who have snuck out. I love the gag of Donnie having left very obvious dummies behind banking on Splitner's lack of awarness.. and it works. The turtles get a suspicious invite to a dinosaur dj in jersey. Raph is against it because.. jersey. I mean come on man ther'es some really neat people in jersey

Naturally it's a trap and we do get some more good gags with Mikey somehow thining Draxum dj's on the side which no.. but he did used to rap so tha'ts something. And their shock at TOdd being there.

The fight begins and the turtles.. naturally get beaten pretty badly.. until they land, lamenting that splinter was right. They shoudl've listned etc etc heart of the cards, and then notice their in a fish and ladder festival being set up.

The following fight.. is gorgeous. Rise is awesome at action scenes and it's something that really helped it stand out: most shows going for an action comedy tone kinda focused more on the comedy part, like Teen Titans go. In contrast, the action here is fluid, smooth as butter and the fight is exciting as hell, with us seeing why this strategy works so well: it's not about the fish and ladders, even if the boys think that because they share one brain cell, it's about the improvisation, not leaning on thei rpowers but on their skills and dominating.

This.. rattles Draxum who reocgnizes the techniques realizing Lou taught them.. and revealing to the turtles who their dna daddy is. And their actual father but they don't connect those dots. They fanboy out and Draxum, with his forces decimated, decides to just kill the boys himself.. until HE gets yanked away. Our heroes have won and go back to splitner.. who apolgoizes, and they do in kind, not only revealing they know who their mutant dad is.. but that they don't care. Splitner raised them, they love hima nd they respect them. And Splitner.. decides to keep the lou jitsu thing to himself. For now.

Draxum wakes up pissed to find the foot clan, in this series reprsented by a smaller wrinkly guy and his brute muscle/sidekick/best friend. They happen to have a shared enemy... and could use someone like Draxum. He agrees and that's something to be covered anothe rday.

For now.. this episode is solid. IT's not the series peak just yet, it'd blend action and comedy better and better as it goes, but it's the start of things taking a slightly more serious tone, while still keeping the comedy, slapstick and goofiness of our heroes in tact. But the jokes are pitch perfect, making me mad at my past self as I wanted the series to sober up a bit.. when really.. it was good at that and unlike the 2012 series righ tbefore it it ballanced the tones better. 2012 is a solid enough series, woudln't mind covering some of it someday... but it's decline was in part because it's penchant for wacky nonsense like the sasquatch what fell in love with donnie or the nightmare on elm street beavers clashed with the esclating stakes. It was fine to have a one off about mikey fighting a pizza monster when new york wasn't being occupied by alien invaders ya know? Rise knows when to fold that, but keeps the stakes in the background, the villians to the shadows so our heroes dont' tend to jackass around when bad stuff's going on. It strikes a perfec tballance of comedy and action and still holds up as one of the franchises gold standard, one I need to watch more of. This ep may not be it's best.. but it's still so good it reminds me why I miss this show and it's characters so much. Thanks for reading and remember: i'm pulling for you we're all in this together.

[holycrimin]

that one Laios meme but with the 12 bros, saw the rise one and got inspired <33

(don't tag as t-cest)

original under the cut!

Original by @/sweepswoop_ on Twitter

[theelvishfiddler]

so much time has passed since we were kids,

so many things have changed,

but it's still the same. isn't it?

There is an accidental trend in my tmnt fanart. Its almost as if... many of my fondest childhood memories were spent playing games with my siblings. The rise & 03 ones have been posted before, I just wanted them all together.

[hatekawa]

Unhelpful Part 12

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Masterpost

[nonat3llo]

Happy Pride!! 🐢 🏳️‍🌈

[anixolt]

Happy pride! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[turtleblogatlast]

“…humming a tune.”

I am very unwell about alternate Leo.

(Song: 'Dream Sweet in Sea Major' by Miracle Musical)

[zipper-vhs]

this was a redraw of a redraw so i’ve been drawing this guy for three years now dang

[dying-marshmallo]

☆ Be who you are ~ [Low Quality version + Close ups / Singles under cut !]

[charcoaldustonmyfingers]

Sick Days

[ 1 - 2 - 3 ]

Whenever I feel sick, I pull every blanket and pillow from my room and curl up in a corner on the floor. I drew this inside of said blanket pile :(

Despite being genetically engineered magic super soldiers, I’m sure the kids have had their share of off days, what with them running around New York sewers and all. Reptiles can be pretty sensitive to environmental conditions.

According to some googling, reptiles can’t actually get fevers though as they can’t raise their own body temperature. They also don’t truly shiver, though they can simulate it voluntarily. As mutants, the boys probably aren’t purely cold blooded, and have some control over their internal temperature due to their mammalian traits.

[kathaynesart]

The @tmntaucompetition is no place for a tiny tot to be left alone, especially with all these rowdy teens running amok. My heart just broke when I saw little Kid Leo crying, @angelpuns and @red-rover-au, and I knew Replica Leo's would too. Problem is they're probably going to be searching for a while cuz Replica Leo is looking for other unsupervised children. Oops.

This is in response to these couple of threads I've seen going around: COMIC 1 - COMIC 2 - COMIC 3 - COMIC 4 - COMIC 5

You kids need to all calm down!

[tizeline]

Haha yeahhhhh no so it exploded. Because what else would you expect. Not the worst situation for the Draxums though, they still managed to get the oozesquitos, and they were gonna release them anyway. Still, gonna be annoying to clean up the mess....

And also everyone managed to remain unharmed from the blast..... hold on though are we not forgetting anyone?

In all the chaos Donnie, April and Mayhem managed to regroup and they understandibly teleport out of there as soon as possible because fuck this whole situation. So YAY they managed to escape! :D But also aw man Long Lost Little Brother ran off... :(

(and don't worry about Huginn and Muninn they're alive!..... probably)

And GODDAM that's the final part! Finally got episode one of the AU over and done with yippee! :D

Of course, we do still have some plotpoints left we need to adress. For example, dunno if anyone has thought about this, but Donnie never got to explore Draxum's fancy mystic weapon room in this version fo events, which means he never got that mystic crystal! And if he doesn't get that crystal, then how is he gonna get the ability to detect mystic energy, I wonder 🤔🤔🤔

Also, Donnie's only gotten one side of his Secret Backstory and he's gotta go get some answers from Splinter, but either way we'll get to all of that in future updates!

<- Previous I << First

Family Secrets part 1 (follow up comic) ->

Mini epilogue lol:

[notacroook]

Ive missied drawing her

[hatekawa]

Unhelpful Part 11

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[trochaic-mutant-ninja-tetrameter]

🎶Happy Halloween month! Tumblr Christmas!🎵

[ditzyblues]

she's got a way with those subtle words of hers