#Donnie needs to step up his game on his romantic life

[fabuloustrash05]

Sorry Jonatello fans, I'm only counting love interests he (or the girl) had canon romantic feelings for in the franchise.

Leonardo | Raphael | Michelangelo

[androidships007]

Oh no, you're not doing so good! Maybe it was a training accident, or a run in with the foot clan. Maybe you're too sick to care for yourself. All you know is you can't go to a normal hospital. At least your friends in the sewers are always ready to help.

💜 Doctor Donnie💜

• Donnie is the brains of the group so it's no surprise he has a good grasp of most medical conditions, and what he doesn't know, he isn't afraid to look up.

• Donnie has no problems setting broken bones, stitching wounds closed or even making medicine in his lab that would normally cost the same amount as that arm he just fixed up for you.

• Dude is really earning his "life saver title", that said "doctors" don't do bedside manners. Donnie is a busy man. He's happy to help but he can't sit with you *all* day. Once you're stabilized, Doctor Donnie is out.

• Even if you're dating don't expect him to suddenly develop excellent bedside manners. It's not that he doesn't care, rather it's the opposite. He can help you more by making you medicine or checking his monitors and recovery rates while giving you space to rest.

❤️RN Raph❤️

• Raph picks up where Donnie leaves off. Here's your bedside buddy, unfortunately he believes in tough love. If your condition is somehow your own doing then expect an earful while he fluffs your pillows and makes sure you take your medicine. If your condition isn't your fault you might still get an earful but mostly because he feels guilty.

• seriously though, dude is dedicated. He's not leaving your side unless he has to. Donnie makes a plan of care and raph takes over from there. It's the only time you'll ever see his following someone else's orders so willingly, it's almost eerie.

• Raph has had his fair share of injuries and illnesses, but he hates asking for help so he got really good at basic first aid. And while he won't admit it, he's actually pretty soft, so when you aren't feeling well he wants to help however he can which mostly involves sticking to your side and nagging at you.

• pizza supreme in the sky, help this turtle if he has any romantic feelings for you while you're under his care. Expect water works and heartfelt confessions. It's all honesty a bit much while you're trying to recover, but it's still kinda sweet.

🧡Master chef Mikey🧡

• Raph and Donnie have most of your medical care covered honestly but Mikey is a real star. Can't recover without food right? That's where Mikey comes in. He's got all your meals covered and a dazzling personality to brighten any dower moods raph may have left you with.

• Turtle knows his way around the kitchen and while he's normally known for his more experimental palette, he really cracks down when he's taking care of you. He knows all the traditional recipes for "instant" cures. Honestly his meals might rival Donnie's medicine and they taste better.

• In addition to his catering services he also provides some I'm home entertainment for your bed ridden butt. This is normally around the time raph gets to take a small break, so you get to have meals with the charismatic and energetic Mikey. Get ready for jokes and bright smiles while he spoon feeds you, don't even bother arguing he'll just turn it into a game. It can be a real breath of fresh air compared to raph's more serious approach.

• Normally Mikey can't stay for long, seeing you suffering breaks his heart. Plus all the excitement he brings is the opposite of resting but if you two happen to be a thing then raph's "breaks" might take longer and longer the better your condition gets, and what's this? Mikey just happened to make extra snacks for the third time since lunch and he just had to share them with you? You can watch raph roll his eyes and step out so you have some privacy.

💙 Last but not Least Leo💙

• For once Leo really isn't in charge here. All the roles are filled but that doesn't mean everything always runs smoothly. Leo steps up where he's needed. A jack of trades. Leo tends to the medicinal gardens so Donnie and Mikey always have fresh picking to help you. He takes shifts with Raph so he's not over working himself. He makes sure Donnie isn't depriving himself of sleep for your sake and that Mikey has a shoulder to cry on when the situation feels impossible.

• He wishes he could do more, show off his skills or something, but honestly he knows his role is important too. The quiet enforcer, keeping vigil as you recover. His actions may not be as noticeable, but that doesn't mean he isn't giving it his all to ensure you recover quickly. His truest calling card may be the fresh flowers he places near your bed to give you hope, or a hot brew of tea, or the clean blankets he always brings with him. Actually the room is suspiciously clean despite you never seeing nurse raph tidying up. Leo does pride himself on his ninja skills.

• On the rare occasions Leo is the only one who can sit by your bedside and watch over your recovery, you'll note a certain air of calm the others lack. Even Donnie seems more hectic that the master of zen before you. He doesn't say much, he's sure you already know what he's thinking anyway. He's probably wrong, but his presence is comforting regardless. He also seems to be checking out the list raph and Fonnie left for him a lot. It's almost impressive to see him seem so out of his element yet so in control.

• Truthfully though, seeing you like this is hard on him, he's relieved when Raph pushes his way back in and takes over. Especially when it's *you*. He's responsible for so much, but your health and well-being are just too important for him alone to carry. He needs his family's support as much as he needs you. He's a mess inside so he goes above and beyond making sure everything around him is clean, tidy and peaceful. And when you're better expect a handwritten letter from the blue hearted terrapin expressing his deep admiration for you, after all you're an inspiration and your well being means the world to him.

🐀Story time Splinter 🐀

• That's right the whole family is here for you even master Splinter has a role to play. He recognizes that his sons have this under control, but as a single dad who raised four rowdy children alone in a dirty sewer he's seen his share of medical emergencies. Not only that but all his sons have survived thanks to him. He'll be the first to admit he lacks any professional medical training but he knows plenty of old world medical treatments.

• That said, he really does trust his sons on this one, so don't expect him to do more than bring you tea, and share some old stories with you about the guys. Did I mention Splinter has a bit of a tv drama addiction? Well it shows when he starts recounting old tales to you. No matter how awful you feel, you're completely sucked into his stories, on the edge of your seat desperate to hear what happens next.

• The guys hate "story time" with dad so he waits until they're out or distracted to slip in and regale you. That time when Leo couldn't stop crying because he lost to Mikey in the dojo. He was only 7, he swears it wasn't *that" dramatic. Or how raph would hide behind Leo whenever Splinter was scolding them. When Donnie snuck out on his own but got stuck in a drain pipe because he got the measurements wrong. Even when Mikey's April fool's prank backfired spectacularly. Each new story thrilled you and shed light on your sewer dwelling companions.

• unfortunately these stories tended to raise your blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels as you nearly laugh yourself to death. Donnie will come bursting in full of dread and demand splinter leaves for your sake and for his son's sake. Splinter will calmly explain that laughter is good medicine as he gives you a playful wink to his sons' horrified embarrassment as he is shooed out of the room.

Big thanks to @happymoonangel and @tinkabelle19 for the encouragement and ideas. Hope everyone who's hurting feels better soon 🫂

[boots-with-the-fur-club]

Another auvember prompt!! This one is a song ficlet for an au where Splinter and the turtles are human. He adopted them with his partner I have left very vague.

Here is the link to the song, it’s from a musical you can find on YouTube for free called Nerdy Prides Must Die!: https://youtu.be/ebetUH8KWfg?si=5tQtF1bW_SKCCr8M

@daboyau

@tmntaucompetition

BBQ

Yoshi stepped inside, closing the sliding door behind him. The noise of the party outside became muffled. His partner was left outside to handle the grill.

He just needed a second away from everything.

Several more steps and he found himself in the living room. There had an opportunity to see the font yard in full view. It was empty since all of the guests were in the back.

Saturday we installed a new bay window,
And it was something right, out of a dream, I never had.

He didn’t hate the window. It just wasn’t what he wanted. It was a compromise. Life and marriage is all about compromise.

He glances into the kitchen where snacks were still strewn about the counter.


Saturday belongs to soccer practice, 
I pack their little cakes, for after the games, they never win.

It’s not as if he was truly disappointed in his kids. Even if they did win the games, what would they get? A little trophy? A medal? It was just for them anyways. They had more of a right to be sad. It was something they all wanted to do.

Except Donatello, he’d rather collect data on the games he watched and dryly cheer his brothers on.

Many found it strange, he found it….endearing. Some children, like Mikey, draw their parents pictures. Donnie codes a drawing.

He wished he could put it on the fridge. Donnie figured out how to print it. It looks nice up there.

And life is full of all of the trappings of the well-to-do
And life goes on, as I shop for shutters to obstruct the view.
And life is fine, if only it were mine.

He wouldn’t trade his current life for anything. Still….he missed his former life as well. Not the part where his ex/former agent forced him to take on roles he hated and burnt him out to all hell of course.

But just for once I’d be the center of attention.
Just for once, remember what a life can be.

Before that, when the spotlight was his, utterly and completely his. When people were entertained by what he wanted to do. When people called him by a different name and cheered it, had him sign it, loved it.


Just for once I feel the light inside, the burning of a candle.
Living just for once,
Living just for-

He enters the bathroom and catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

39, I lose my hair under careful chemo treatment
And I was not unhappy, about the attention I ensnared
Judge me

Cancer was nothing to joke about. Well, he had to joke to cope. He had to joke to keep his children from panicking. Attention was on him while he struggled.

He remembers when his first injury, his first illness, finally managed to be the thing that pulled him from his toxic romantic and work relationship.

This time was a bit different from that.

There were people who stuck around him, wanting him to beat it.

There’s a magazine nearby with her on it. Big Mama, her stage name, hanging on the shoulder of another idiot who fell for her lies.


It fucking worked, I’m fucking here, he’s fucking her
I’m disappointed

He couldn’t warn anyone about her. A strict contract, an NDA forbidding it.

He feels the fabric underneath his feet the longer he stood there.


There’s still carpet in the bathroom
And of the two, who’s the worse for wear
Me

There’s scratching at the door before a dog pushes it open, realizing it was never fully closed.

We love our dogs, especially Captain
He’s a bullshit mix

Raph would bring home stray animals as often as he saw them. 90% of them had to go to some other good home.

They kept two dogs to make it easier to say no.

He splashed water on his face before leaving the bathroom with Captain. They went back to the sliding door and he let him out.

Captain ran off to the pool area where all the kids are having a nice time under careful supervision.

He glances at his partner.


The pool is out, the neighbors come rushing
Maury Prefers their kids

When he was younger, he would get compared to other kids constantly. They had better grades, they respected their teachers, they didn’t talk back.

Most of those kids didn’t have a father who ran off while also having a mother who died.

They didn’t have to listen to their grandpa act like they weren’t trying, probably.

His children had two parents.

He was there, but was he truly around?


And the world's a stage when you’re middle of age

But just for once my life could be just what I wanted
Just for once I'd feel the spark that I once knew

Everything in his life had been working against him.


Just for once I’d feel the fight inside, the burning of a candle
Something more than I can handle
Just for once

His partner ushers him over. He needed to watch the grill now so that there was time to talk to the guests. Enough was spent taking a break already.

He holds the spatula and stares down at the meat sizzling in front of him.

Should I flip the burgers now
Should I double check it's well done on the outside not within
Oh


If he messed up the food, Donnie would refuse to eat. Raph wouldn’t care, Leo would dump ketchup on it and chow down.

His partner would probably be slightly angry.

He feels Mikey pull on his apron.

Should I let the coals burn out?
Should I let the years cook my body down in front of him.


Mikey smiles up at him with his wide, gap toothed grin.

He babbles about burger grilling techniques he saw on his favorite cooking TV show.

Yoshi smiles and picks him up with his free arm. If his body was not well enough for performance, he was glad it was healthy enough for them.

Mikey happily keeps talking as Yoshi grills.

Oh-oh
Just for once
Just for once
Just for once

He sees one of the neighbor kids talking to Leo about her dance classes. Leo loves anything where people have to watch him do something.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The other day the Johnsons borrowed my tap shoes
Their eldest daughter is beginning tap
It was no bother, I never ever use them.

He hopes that none of his kids turn out like him.

He wants them to be better.


I used to dance
I used to dance

[tabloidtoc]

Star, May 3

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

Page 1: Christina Aguilera at 40 -- she talks about child stardom, learning to love her body, and what she wants her daughter Summer to know

Page 2: Contents, Renee Zellweger, Phoebe Dynevor and James McAvoy at the BAFTAs in London

Page 3: Mariska Hargitay and Law & Order: SVU co-star Ice-T take a selfie during a break from shooting the cop drama in NYC, Heather Graham at the beach in Mexico, stepping into the America's Got Talent studio Sofia Vergara elevated her casual cropped jeans with strappy platform sandals in L.A., Jason Momoa cutting a rug with an unidentified partner ahead of filming a scene for his upcoming fantasy film Slumberland in Toronto

Page 4: Colton Underwood comes out -- saying he's the happiest and healthiest he's ever been, the former Bachelor clarifies his orientation

Page 5: Lena Dunham is no stranger to controversy, so it comes as no surprise that her foray into fashion design has also come under fire as she partnered with a plus-size label to create the capsule collection 11 Honore x Lena Dunham, but the kicky line quickly came under fire as critics are calling it tone-deaf, mediocre and not inclusive at all since its largest size is a 26 and some are even going so far to call Lena a grifter who gained weight in order to make money off the plus-size community but Lena, who underwent a hysterectomy at 31, has pointed to early menopause as the cause of her straight-up gut -- while Lena refuses to be intimidated by bullies, she is listening to the complaints about sizes and is planning to address it

* Once a cautionary tale of the perils of child stardom, at age 40 Macaulay Culkin is a father himself as he and girlfriend Brenda Song welcomed a son, Dakota -- he's finally overcome his demons and Brenda has been a huge influence on his life and helped him get back on the straight and narrow and he's even pursuing acting again, shooting season 10 of American Horror Story; his life has taken such a positive turn

* A year after announcing her split from Jay Cutler, Kristin Cavallari is seeing the upside of divorce, saying it's made her a better mom in some ways because she has her kids half the time now so when she has them for her week, she is so incredibly present with her kids Camden, Jaxon and Saylor and she is not distracted by her phone or anything else; she is with them -- Jay and Kristin each have the kids 182.5 days a year and court papers also revealed that her ex is allowed two phone calls and two FaceTime or Skype calls a week and vice versa so now every moment is precious and if someone is having a temper tantrum or something, she remains calm because she knows that she is losing them in a few days

Page 6: Gwen Stefani is widely thought to have had some help in the nips and tucks department, and as her wedding to Blake Shelton approaches, he is starting to object to her constant tweaking of her face -- she's always messing with it by getting more fillers and Botox and Blake is afraid of what he'll see at the altar and he's freaking out at Gwen's increasingly extreme beauty routine which is becoming increasingly over-the-top; Gwen can barely move her face to smile at him anymore and it looks weird -- while he frets, he's trying to reassure his wife-to-be because Blake thinks she's beautiful just the way she is

* As an executive producer on the long-running Law & Order: SVU, Mariska Hargitay has tasked the writers to come up with more storylines featuring one of her favorite characters: defense attorney Trevor Langan, played by none other than her husband Peter Hermann -- Mariska and Peter originally met and fell in love when Peter guest-starred on the show and she loves to keep that magic alive by bringing him back to play Trevor but the trouble is he is busy with his own gigs as a series regular on Younger and his recurring role on Blue Bloods and Peter loves working with his wife, but he has his own acting career apart from Mariska -- still, he may soon have his day in court because Peter understands how Mariska feels and is trying to work his schedule to allow him some guest spots in the near future

Page 8: Star Shots -- Lenny Kravitz with a guitar flaunted his well-sculpted midsection during a stroll on the beach, Suki Waterhouse with her on-the-go grub on the set in Liverpool

Page 9: Louisa Jacobson and Taissa Farmiga and Denee Benton on the set of The Gilded Age in NYC, Conan O'Brien sipped on a soda at lunch in L.A., Katy Perry in the American Idol bathroom

Page 10: Kate Hudson with mom Goldie Hawn and kids Ryder and Rani, Kate Hudson twirled solo modeling in a pal's swimwear collection, Jude Law's daughter Iris Law who will make her acting debut in Danny Boyle's upcoming Sex Pistols biopic makes a call in London

Page 12: Kelly Osbourne handed out items at a food distribution event as the Islamic Center for Southern California, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the gym, despite a no-social warning a cheeky Nicole Kidman shared a pic from the set of Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos in which she portrays Lucille Ball

Page 13: Anabella Sciorra and Donnie Wahlberg gloved up for a Blue Bloods scene in NYC, Heidi Klum and husband Tom Kaulitz started their morning during a walk on the beach in L.A.

Page 14: Travis Barker showed off his body art stepping off a Hollywood tour bus shirtless after filming a music video, a cheerful Britney Spears gave a fun look into her wardrobe in a pink floral frock, Scott Disick and Amelia Hamlin color-coordinated for a walk near the beach in Miami

Page 16: Lamar Odom and Aaron Carter put up their dukes to promote their Celebrity Boxing Match in Philadelphia, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and husband Nick Jonas at the BAFTAs in London, Ellen DeGeneres on the phone during a stroll in her main hood of Montecito

Page 18: Normal or Not? A denim-on-denim clad Jay Leno scratched an itch while filming a project in Los Angeles -- not normal, dressed in a Siggi sweatshirt Katie Holmes picked up some seasonal blooms on Manhattan's Upper East Side -- normal, Kate Beckinsale multitasked during a car ride by applying undereye patches -- not normal

Page 19: Gavin Rossdale appeared to be pleased with his Kitson purchase by doing a little dance after leaving the popular L.A. store -- not normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars wow in statement-making capes -- Gisele Bundchen, Charlize Theron, Zoey Deutch

Page 21: Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning

Page 24: Justin Bieber: How Love Saved Me -- the formerly troubled pop singer gives praise for wife Hailey Bieber

Page 25: Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles' romance has already cooled and the pair are giving each other space -- turns out Olivia and Harry don't actually have much in common -- the two jetted to London after wrapping Don't Worry Darling, but they were soon waylaid by their respective responsibilities as Olivia has been spending time with her kids Otis and Daisy while her ex Jason Sudeikis shoots Ted Lasso while Harry, who was spooked by how quickly intense things got, is gearing up for his role in My Policeman -- for now, the two have decided to reassess things when they're back in L.A., which leaves the window open for Jason, whose strategy was to let her and Harry fizzle out, then see where she is at, and it's going according to plan

* Jennifer Lopez calls off her relationship with Alex Rodriguez

* Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher are better than ever after overcoming a rough patch, one that had their inner circle convinced they were headed for divorce -- Mike had a serious roving eye that made Carrie anxious and she would treat him like he was Mr. Underwood and tensions between the two were at an all-time high when the pandemic hit, forcing the two into extra one-on-one time, but as it turns out, their new routine is just what they needed because they set boundaries, divided up tasks and put time aside for fun things and they prioritized romance, which has made all the difference -- Carrie and Mike are re-committed to their marriage and they've been through so much so much and neither wants to throw it away

Page 26: Cover Story -- Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's model kid -- Shiloh Jolie-Pitt the gorgeous teen is ready for her close up, but Brad and Angie are at odds about Shiloh's new passion -- Shiloh's been experimenting with girlier styles lately, including growing out her hair and she's at the age where she's starting to change things up -- Brad isn't thrilled about Shiloh's modeling dreams and idea of her walking into the lion's den gives him cause for concern -- Angelina began modeling at 16, just one year older than Shiloh and Shiloh knows that's what set her mom on her path to fame and Shiloh is constantly asking Angie about the pros and cons of the modeling world

Page 29: Model Kids -- these celeb offspring also know how to strike a pose -- Hailey Bieber, Sofia Richie, Amelia Hamlin, Lily-Rose Depp, Brooklyn Beckham, Paris Jackson, Kendall Jenner, Corinne Foxx, Ireland Baldwin, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber, Leni Klum, Patrick Schwarzenegger

Page 30: Prince William and Prince Harry: Behind Closed Doors -- the estranged princes are forced to reckon with their rift as the royal family gathers for Prince Philip's funeral

Page 32: High Anxiety -- it's not so simple for celebs who struggle with panic attacks -- Emma Stone, Stephen Colbert, Amanda Seyfried

Page 33: Hugh Grant, Ryan Reynolds, Ariana Grande

Page 36: Beauty -- nail it -- self-care essentials to score the perfect at-home manicure and pedicure -- Kaley Cuoco

Page 38: Style -- cute cases -- step up your tech, and fashion, game this season with a trendy cellphone cover -- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Page 40: Entertainment

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Corey Feldman embraced wife Courtney Anne Mitchell as the two ventured out for a romantic outing in L.A.

[theromanticscrooge]

Thoughts on Apriltello Across the Animated TMNT Series

After watching the Rise of the TMNT episode “Donnie Vs Witch Town,” I’ve been wanting to chime in on this topic.

My big introduction to TMNT in general was the 2012 series, so I’ve kept a few tabs on Donnie and April in the 2003, 2012, and 2018 series. From what I can tell, there’s been more of a highlight on these two as each new animated series comes out. It just depends on how Donnie or April are set up and written in each one as to what kind of dynamic they share.

2003

In the 2003 series, April seems to be a few years older than the turtles. Over the course of the series, she becomes the older sister figure of the group. She and Splinter are the guardian/parental figures of the group in certain situations. The turtles are ready to deliver nosy sibling banter and jokes when she goes out with Casey. And she’s lived in the sewers with the turtles as often as they’ve taken temporary residence above her antique shop.

In combat situations or missions, April usually acts as back-up, filling the role of ongoing research assistant to the turtles when they’re out in the field. Or, for a better description, she serves a role similar to what the Oracle does with Batman.

In regards to her dynamic with Donnie in specific, I’d say that they’re best friends and lab partners. They share strong mutual interests in science and technology. They even collaborate often enough to where Donnie has commented on how valuable her feedback is to him.

There’s one scene in particular where Donnie gets excited after April makes the comment “I could kiss you!” after he steps in and tries to rescue her. This is a one-off scene, though. April’s romantic interest is focused on Casey. And Donnie never expresses interest in trying to make any moves or pursuing any kind of romantic relationship. I think Donnie would go for it if April showed genuine interest. Otherwise, he’s satisfied being just friends.

2012

In the 2012 series, April is fifteen; the same age as all four turtles. She’s a friend, confidant, fellow kunoichi, and an adoptive member of their family.

Donnie is smitten with April from the moment he sees her and his infatuation grows deeper over the course of the series. His feelings are painfully obvious, he can get overbearing with his attempts to flirt with or impress April, and he can come across as clingy and creepy. He places April on a pedestal to the point that he can’t relax around her enough to get to know her as a three dimensional person rather than an idealized love interest.

One episode shows Donnie developing enough self awareness to approach April and tell her he’ll be better about giving her space. But it doesn’t really stick. Or, more specifically, there aren’t any other significant scenes or moments that show a deliberate shift in Donnie’s behavior or his dynamic with April.

On April’s part, she likes Donnie well enough. He’s her favorite turtle and she’s been openly affectionate in expressing her gratitude or fondness towards him. She appreciates him going out of his way to help her and her dad. The largest problem is the lack of communication. Donnie and April don’t really share their feelings well: Donnie is too forceful and can’t read the room where April seems reluctant to outright address Donnie’s feelings for fear of hurting him or otherwise.

It’s dubious how much Donnie and April have in common, too. Science and technology are the center of Donnie’s life. Sometimes, April calls one of his inventions “cool,” but there’s also been a scene where she looked bored to tears as he was describing one of his latest inventions. Donnie and April watch TV together in a big group, but there’s little to no hints at mutual interests they share or activities they’d exclusively do together.

Compare Donnie and April with Casey and April. Casey and April share chemistry from their first scene onward. He has just the right amount of self-confidence and awareness that his flirting is cool and casual. They’re comfortable around each other. April openly flirts back, banters, and has fun with Casey. She even uses “date with Casey” as a plausible cover for her outings with the group at large. If April did start up a committed romantic relationship with any character, Casey would be the most likely choice. It’d just take a couple of scenes where they had a more meaningful stare, kiss, whatever. In short, the groundwork was there. Casey and April have exactly what Donnie and April lack in more casual settings and situations.

There’s hints that Donnie and April are together in the last season. Because of how big a part Donnie’s crush on April is to his character, I’m not keen on hand-waving that all of that development happened off-screen. When romantic relationships contribute to a character’s growth or writing in a significant way, I want to see what leads up to that and how it impacts that character.

As a concept, I think Donnie’s intense crush is an interesting setup and painfully relatable. The way he acts is believable and accurate to what a lovesick socially awkward nerd can be like. But I wanted to see Donnie back off and actively work on how he acts around April. As in, he catches himself before he makes yet another awkward gift or unwanted over-the-top gesture. For me, the ideal end result would be an organic, gradual shift towards Donnie developing a healthy friendship with April.

2018

In the 2018 series, April is sixteen. According to the ages listed in the fan wiki, she’s a year older than Donnie. She’s considered part of the family to the point Splinter coaches her as much as his own kids and makes a point of wanting to meet her parents. She’s good friends with all of the turtles and it’s implied she hung out exclusively with them until she met Sunida.

But Donnie is definitely her best friend. He’s the first one she calls for help with tech related issues. They have the same taste in Jupiter Jim movies and video games. And Donnie designed part of his metal shell to accommodate April if they travel by air. There’s also a handful of episodes that specifically follow Donnie and April; and these two are the most likely dynamic duo to star in a one-off episode out of the main cast.

Unlike the 2003 and 2012 series, there’s plenty of scenes and dialogue to articulate what kind of dynamic these two share. They’re visibly comfortable around each other, share fantastic chemistry, and have complementary personalities. Donnie is snarky, arrogant, and puts on a front to mask his insecurities or doubts. He doubles down unless someone pulls him aside and talks things out. More often than not, April’s willingness to be blunt and no-nonsense helps reign him in. Where Donnie helps April troubleshoot tech, she keeps him grounded.

These two have a solid enough dynamic that a friends to lovers setup could play out in a satisfying, well done way; as long as they still had the same open communication anyway. That said, though, I prefer them as just friends in canon. They’re one of the better guy and girl friendships I’ve seen in a more comedy-centric episodic cartoon in awhile (after Rad and Enid in O.K. K.O.). 

Conclusion

Rise of the TMNT has the best Donnie and April dynamic in my opinion.

It pretty much boils down to Rise giving characters individual attention and writing as well as Rise knowing exactly how this take on Donnie and April works, how they fit, and why they fit. The 2003 series was more focused on telling a grand, ongoing adventure than much emphasis on the characters themselves. There just wasn’t as much of Donnie and April highlighted in the ’03 series as there is in Rise. The 2012 series was bogged down with enough exec mandates and other writing issues that Donnie and April probably got sidelined in favor of other plot points and character writing. It needed more time and focus to feel more fleshed out and cohesive than it turned out.

I used to write long, rambly takes called The Shipping Corner on why I thought Character A was a good fit for Character B. When I’d sit down to cobble something together, I felt like I had my best results if I could unpack why a character acted a certain way and articulate how the other character fit into or impacted their life. If given a week or so, I think I could write up a Shipping Corner for Donnie and April in Rise. I don’t think I could write one for them in the 2012 TMNT.

It’s been a few years, but The Shipping Corner still determines some parts and pieces of my shipping interests or even how I analyze some characters.

[leemaoo]

Leaves From the Vine

Warning!! This fic has the following: character death, slight gore, a whole lot of angst, a snippet of a romantic self insert, leaves from the vine song, slight ooc moments for some characters and just pure angst

iteration: can be applied to any iteration tbh

word count: 1385

notes: okay when i found out the va for uncle iroh was the same va as master splinter from the 2007 tmnt movie i had to write this up. this fic is a somewhat prequel to that sad bayverse fic i wrote a while ago, but you can apply this to any version

-- 

Splinter was always known for his calm manner when it came to comforting his children. His words of wisdom always soothed them when they turned to him in their time of need. His wisdom, along with a warm cup of tea, never failed to calm their intense emotions. However, even he will eventually break. That's what happened when his second eldest son came home with news he never knew would come.

His beloved eldest son had died.

He has never felt a pain so powerful hit him so hard when Raphael hesitantly brought the news, he can sense the pain in his voice. He wished that he could comfort Raphael, he knew how much Raphael loved Leonardo, he loved him unconditionally despite their fights in the past.

But all Splinter felt was the dull ache in his heart as Donatello and Michelangelo tearfully carried Leonardo's body out of their battle truck and placed him on the platform near Splinter's room. His body was bloody and his shell was cracked badly. Part of his face, arms, plastron and shell was blown off, leaving open and bloody wounds. His gear was taken off him, including his bloodied mask. His eyes were closed, he looked as if he was only unconscious from the battle.

Splinter felt his ache grow as he looked closer at his son, he looked so peaceful, it was like he was only asleep. But when his palm felt the cold skin, he knew that he has lost his son. He stepped back, went on his knees and bowed. The brothers followed suit, silently mourning the loss of a brother and a son.

By the time they had the funeral ceremony, Splinter was so full of grief that he could not speak in front of the small group. He remained in the site when the others left. He stepped closer to the carved stone, a small framed photo of Leonardo was placed in front of the stone, it was from the many photos Donatello took when he found a used Polaroid camera when they were younger, he looked so happy in that small photograph, it was impossible to imagine this happy child dead and bloody and yet here they are.

Autumn was making its way to the city, it meant that the brothers' birthday was drawing near. A cold breeze gently blew across the air as Splinter knelt in front of the stone, “Leonardo..”, he began, “My son..”

Splinter held the photograph in his hands, “If only I could have helped you..”, he felt tears fill his eyes as he gazed into the happy child's eyes.

He remembered a song he used to sing to the turtles when they were younger and was afraid of thunderstorms, it was from a show they loved to watch in the small TV Donatello managed to fix. He would always hold them in his arms, stroke their heads as he sang the song calming them down.

“Leaves from the vine...”, he managed to sing, “Falling so slow... Like fragile tiny shells”, he closed his eyes as tears fell down, “Drifting in the foam...”

“_Little soldier boy... Come marching home”, _he held the photograph closer to him as he felt the pain grow stronger, “Brave soldier boy... Comes marching... home...”

Those leaves did grow... From branches overgrown...

Raph dropped on the couch heavy with emotion, his eyes were red from tears but he had to remain strong for Leo's sake, he knew that bonehead would've wanted him to be strong. Strong for Donnie, Mikey, master Splinter, April and everyone else. He knew his place in the family, he had to be strong. Now that he's next in line to be the new leader.

Drifting slowly down...

Mikey lay on his bunk staring at Raph's mattress above him, Mikey's eyes were red and swollen from crying hard. He was the last person Leo pushed off before the bomb went off, if he went quicker, Leo would've had enough time to get away. It was his fault that Leo isn't there anymore. If anything Mikey should be dead, not Leo.

Donnie sat on his computer, he switched on to surveillance footage he was meant to monitor, it was a job he took when Casey got promoted and started his degree on his detective career. Although he followed Leo's direct orders to get out as soon as possible, he felt like it was his fault that he didn't find a way to dismantle the bomb. He knew what he could've done but he was too scared to do so. If he only had the guts to do his job, Leo would've been here. Donnie felt as if he was the worst “genius” in the team.

Resting on the loam...

April had dropped Lee to her apartment building, Casey needed to head to practice, he had a game next week. She sighed as she drove to her shared apartment with him. When she got the news from Donnie, she was taken back by surprise. She couldn't imagine the strong leader being blown up because he didn't have the time to save himself, not in this reality. She will never forget the sound of her friend crying out in heartache when she saw the body or the painful expressions on the brothers' faces during the funeral or Splinter's empty face during the whole ceremony. She wished she could've helped them, he was her friend too, after all.

Little soldier boy... Taken from home...

Casey panted as he skated towards his team mate and failed at retrieving the puck. He groaned as he fell down on the ice.

His team mate helped him up, “Jones, you alright?”, he asked, “You missed again, that ain't something usual from you”.

Casey nodded, “Yeah, I'm alright”, he said, “Just got out of a funeral, my best friend's brother died, I had to be there”.

His team mate winced, “Ah shit, sorry 'bout that, dude”.

Casey waved it off, “Nah, it's alright”, he looked down, “He did what he had to do”. He was there when it happened. He couldn't get the image out of his head, Raph sat there shaking Leo's shoulders yelling at him to get up, Donnie frantically checking for any signs of life and Mikey just panicking in the background. He had to keep Raph together when Donnie concluded hesitantly that Leo was dead.

He gripped on his hockey stick tighter, “C'mon, one more round”, he finally said, “We gotta win that game next week”

Forced to fight a war... That's not his own...

Lee lay in her bed under the sheets alone for the first time in a while. She held her faded blue book in her arms, her pillow was soaked in tears from crying. She didn't want to spend the night in the lair, it was too cold and too painful to stay there. Especially after all this mess. When she got the call from Donnie, she had the looming fear that something happened to Leo, but she was still thrown back when she saw his body. All she could hear was a ringing in her ears and her own loud screaming. She has never felt so empty yet so full of emotions. She wondered why was she in this in the first place? Why did she end up loving someone whose chances of dying a horrible death was higher than the average person? She could've just stayed single and dated multiple guys from her high school instead, but the universe decided to mess with her life in so many different ways. It felt so bad to even think about it, but Lee wished that she never met the turtles, maybe then she wouldn't be this broken tonight.

“Leaves from the vine...”, Splinter continued to sing, “Falling so slow... Like fragile tiny shells... Drifting in the foam”.

He opened his eyes and placed the framed photo down behind the candles, “Little soldier boy says, “Carry me home”...”

He set his eyes on the small tealight candles, their flames danced around as the breeze flew by gently.

“Sleeping soldier boy...”

Splinter went on his knees and clasped his hands together and looked up at the starlit sky. Maybe somewhere up there, he's watching them all, wishing that he could be there to comfort them.

Is carried home...

[taraninja]

Review of A Ghost of a Chance

Just in case my review is too long for fanfiction.net, I’m posting it here. 

To start, I want to apologize for the tardiness of this review. I actually began writing it after finishing Chapter 34, but thanks to College finals and the holidays it’s only getting out now. I like my reviews to in some way reciprocate the amount of effort the writer/writers spent in their fanfic, so this was definitely a multi-day project.

Firstly, I’d like to go over the characters and characterizations. Others have pointed this out as well, but you truly do get their personalities down perfectly. There were multiple occasions where I was tricked into reading this as if it were an episode screenplay, which is perhaps the highest praise any fanfic could achieve. Master Splinter is as elegant and effervescent as always, but you delve more into his character than the mere surface level; he also shows off humor, worry, empathy, concern, and of course, the love he feels for his sons and daughter is truly palpable. A great example is in his dealings with the Lotus; he is able to disagree in a way which shows honor and maturity, and even when the Lotus leave, he does not press the issue but let’s both parties (Donnie/April and the Lotus) have their disagreement and move on. It sent a perfect message to Leo that sometimes, interference is worse than simply letting an argument run its due course. I wish someone had taught that message to 2003 Leo, so maybe he could have avoided getting entangled in the gang wars.

Speaking of Leo, there are several facets of his character which have been masterfully delved into here. Something I prefer in the 2012 show is how they show that Leo is much more than just a serious and dutiful leader; he can also be awkward and silly at times, and this is perfectly encapsulated in his conversations with Karai within this story. Instead of distracting from the main plot, it melded perfectly with it and even helped to add to the plot. Karai has trouble getting used to life in the sewer, but has no problems understanding Leo and getting him to hopelessly unravel himself when talking with her. In contrast, Leo seems unsure of where he stands with her, and sometimes doesn’t know what the right approach is. Should he flirt back, or would that be too forward? Are their conversations one big game, or do they mean something to her? And are her questions meant to be taken literally, or as part of a running joke? As a master of deception, I can imagine how confusing talking with her must be. But on Karai’s part, it must be lots of fun, since it’s really more like she’s gently prodding him into taking the first step. I can still vividly imagine the chapter where they spar together, both teasing each other and then that one moment Karai thought she might have pushed too far. The tension between them was so thick that I could feel it past my computer screen, and I inadvertently held my breath as Leo drew closer and almost, ALMOST kissed her, but then revealed that he had just been teasing her back. That scene was perfect poetry, and it really showed me that you get their dynamic. You understand how and why they work, and that’s always great to see in a fanfiction.

Of course, Leo and Karai aren’t the only two lovebirds who have amazing development here, and the next two I want to gush over are Raph and Casey. I’ll admit that I didn’t really ship them before, but after reading this, you’ve made me a believer! There are of course, multiple ways a gay romance can go wrong; it can either feel too pushy, or not pushy enough, depending on the way it’s written. However, I think it was perfectly handled here. Our titular Raph and Casey start as more on the ‘bromance with benefits’ side, which works; a slow beginning helps get new shippers like me to see just how it can develop. Both of them have very similar outlooks and personalities, so there’s already that common ground between them, and then the scene where Casey gets drunk allow us to see them acting uncharacteristically caring for each other. Seeing adult Casey and Raph making out is definitely a—unique way to kickstart the romance, and a rather believable one. As someone who’s bi, I’ll readily admit that curiosity is what often causes a spark in a relationship like theirs. And again, the slow burn is the smartest move when it comes to them. Their kiss was left open-ended, as you could say ‘oh, they didn’t like it’ and not ship it, or you could think ‘hmm, I don’t think their answers were all that truthful’ and continue to ship it. I personally count myself among the latter category, but either way, their scenes have been written exceedingly well so far and I can’t wait to read more of them.

And, of course, my personal favorite ship, the one that made me get off my butt and read this fanfic; Apritello! After Chapter 34, I was squealing for literally hours. It got so bad that my roommate, who is not even a little into TMNT, forcibly grabbed my shoulders and ordered me to stop jumping around like a ping-pong ball. So suffice it to say, I have a lot to comment on when it comes to this dynamic within your fanfiction.

To begin with, I am SO glad that the music box was brought up again! When April pushed it aside in the “Bigfoot” episode, I felt so sad for Donnie and was more than a little peeved at April. It was no wonder that Donnie felt like ‘just a mutant’ with the way she was treating him; she pushed aside his heartfelt present, never lets him speak about his feelings with her, and yet continues to lead him on with hugs and kisses instead of actually being clear with her emotions. This is not to say I entirely faulted April, as having two boys crushing on you is never fun and is a situation I’ve had trouble with in the past. But nevertheless, it felt like a breath of fresh air to see the event be brought up and mentioned again between the two of them here. It gave the ship some well-needed groundedness and maturity, so that it could develop beyond just two lovesick teenagers. And oh, how beautifully developed it is! Of course, it begins rather bumpily (April, why d’ya have to take your anger out on Donnie? Him who would never fault you, ever?) with April asking out Casey for dates, keeping it a secret from Donnie, and then trying to get closer with him while not revealing anything to him. But there’s been tons of cute build-up too! The whole ‘evil scientist and best lab assistant’ bit has to be the most adorable love-speak ever, and of course, the silent glances at each other and the secret armor Donnie built is super sweet as well. And there’s no possible way I will ever forget when Future Donnie shook current Donnie to his senses and sent him chasing after April, which resulted in the most romantic scene of all time. Oh yes, it was certainly sappy; but it was a sappiness that felt VERY well-deserved and had been a long time coming. And I’m also really happy that you had Splinter inform and reassure Kirby on all the goings-on; I always feel bad for parents when their children hide things from them within stories, and it was yet another source of relief when Kirby was not only fine with April and Donnie but gave them the go-ahead. I knew he was a good father, but now I’m absolutely certain of it. And that means that April can continue her relationship with Donnie and the others without fearing for her father or focusing solely on college. Not to mention, dating Donnie can only mean good things for a future college career.

Oh yes, and then THAT ABSOLUTE BOMBSHELL in episode—I mean chapter (oh boy you know it’s good when I start calling it an episode!) 35, where April had to watch Donnie get knocked out in front of her. My heart definitely wasn’t shattering into a thousand tiny pieces at that moment (sarcastic tone intended). I’ll get into more detail later when I discuss the pacing, but man, did that scene hit like an oncoming bus.

Of course, I can’t leave out Mikey, the Future Turtles, or the Lotus from my gushing on the characterization! Mikey was at his most hilarious within this fanfic, and I’d even go so far as to say he was handled better within this story than in the usual 2012 episodes. Able to be light-hearted, a prankster, a gamer, and life of the party while still having a certain level of gravity and groundedness goes a long way to show that though Mikey may be the party dude, he has a charm and worth that is so much more than just cracking the odd joke here or there. While Leo and the others were certainly excited to have the Lotus staying with them, it was Mikey who went the extra mile to try and learn as many names as possible. And Mikey is the one who coordinated their family movie night to try and get ‘Karaiwa’ cheerful again. He’s an absolute gem who I want to protect, yet I also know that he is beyond capable of protecting himself.

I’ll admit that the Lotus took a bit of getting used to. When I heard there would be another ninja clan, my impromptu thought was ‘ah yes, the perfect way to insert OC’s’ because that’s usually how I’ve seen it handled within other fanfictions. But it definitely didn’t feel that way here. Though they were all original characters, they only served as big of a part as the plot required and were beneficial to the story’s development, instead of detracting from it. Hachisu-no-Hana served as a great parallel for Splinter, as both are heads of a clan who had been wronged by Shredder, but who took very different responses to said wrong-doing. Wakai wasn’t around long, but he emanated a youthful simplicity that made it hard not to like him, and of course Juro and Atsuko were easy to like as well. In the end I found myself liking the clan quite a bit and was hoping for their well-being just as much as I hoped for Karai’s.

Finally, we have the Future Turtles. It’s a bit harder to speak on their personalities, since they are literally different versions of the same characters within the story, but I think they were sufficiently developed enough to stand out from their current counterparts and show how the passage of time can truly make a difference. Leo has of course become a lot more serious, and along with all the other future characters, his moral compass is more black and white. Either you are on his side, or you are an enemy that deserves death; there is no in-between. This change is devastating to see when compared to how Leo currently is, and I would certainly be interested if you ever decided to do a spin-off fic detailing how the future turtles got to their current states. A lot of details have been divulged already, but like any good reader, that just leaves me wanting even more.

Future Raph and Casey seem to do a lot more laughing and have lot more fun than I would have thought, but it makes sense in the context of their relationship and is yet another great addition to their dynamic. Being in a relationship not only strengthens their bond, but themselves as people. Current Casey definitely can’t be described as sensitive, but Future Casey is not only willing but able to lend April an ear along with some solid advice. And Raph is seen helping Leo out more than arguing with him, which really warmed my heart. After Future Splinter’s death, I can imagine how hard it must have been for the turtles; but especially for Leo, who already had a heavy burden as the team leader, but with Splinter gone, that burden can only have hardened. I’m glad Raph decided to step up somewhat and help support him, instead of escalate their rivalry. It shows maturity and caring on his part, both attributes which I believe Raph already possesses, but doesn’t choose to emphasize.

In contrast, Future Mikey and Donnie seem much more solemn than their current selves. Mikey still has that fun-loving spark, but through his calmer mannerisms and way of speaking it is evident that the future events have tampered him down just as thoroughly as they tampered down his brothers. And while Donnie’s seriousness could be attributed to the important matter at the forefront of their time-traveling visit, I believe there’s more than the fate of his family which keeps him grounded. He’s always been the problem-solver of the group, and his brother’s reliance on him can only have escalated after Splinter’s demise. Plus, he lost the ‘best lab assistant in the world,’ so there has been an additional mental and emotional burden for him to carry. And though you didn’t go into the repercussions for this in too much detail, I imagine it must have been absolutely soul-crushing to see Casey go from dating April to Raph. The thoughts of “April is so great, I would have done everything in my power to make her stay,” “how could he abandon her like that?” “Maybe April feels the same way; maybe she was never into guys” and even “maybe she only dated Casey so she could finally get away from us mutants, and now that she has, she doesn’t care anymore.” I don’t know if he’d actually think like that or not, but I can envision him doing so. It must have caused at least a temporal shift between him and the two lovers and cooping himself up within the lab has obviously become a habit at this point. If he still remains within the lab while brought back to the past while his father is alive, then there’s no stopping it at this point. But hopefully he pulls himself together in a similar fashion that current Donnie did, and fixes his relationship with April. That would certainly be an ideal ending, if not an altogether realistic one.

Alright, now to more boring aspects of the story. First off; Grammar! While this has for the most part been on-point and smooth, there are some small things which could have been better to give the story a better flow. Most of these are nit-picks, because there aren’t many faults within this fanfic, but I think they bear mentioning. There were some misplaced words here and there, like “to” instead of “too” (slightly hypocritical since I KNOW I’ve probably made a similar mistake in this review alone) adjectives which were repeated three or more times in a paragraph, and one particular (and this is the most nit-picky comment of all) word phrase which stuck out and really bugged me, which was ‘portable portal.’ I believe the first time you used it, you had just described how the portal was transferrable, and my first thought was “well, if you wrote a whole section describing it as mobile, why did you describe it as portable again?” And then I saw that phrase repeated more than five times, which just led my OCD brain to go crazy. It might also have more to do with the fact that both words have a “po-“ beginning and an “able” or “al” ending, so it sounds like a repetitive description word, but nevertheless that’s more of a me problem than an overall issue.

Next, there is the plot. I read somewhere that the best plots can be outlined in a sentence and described in ten paragraphs, which I believe definitely applies to this story. While my descriptive powers are not great enough to fully divulge ten paragraphs, I shall do my best to review it properly.

It starts out simple enough; Donnie gets a message from his future self and learns that not only can he communicate with himself past the bonds of space and time, but eventually he can meet his future self without the fear of a time paradox. As Donnie and his brothers prepare to meet their future selves, they meet up with a fellow ninja clan who also has a beef with Shredder, and multiple cases of drama ensue as a result. However, there is so much more than that to pick apart in the plot. There’s action, mystery, romance, secrecy, plus a lot of confusion and mixed feelings which help to add tension and character development. And all the character dialogues don’t seem abrupt, out of place, or like mere exposition; they all blend perfectly together to give the story the feel of a big mixing pot, with multiple themes, characters, and motives blending together to give the story/soup an exquisite taste.

I could be wrong, but I think the main message behind this story is that ‘it is not our actions in the past that define us, but our actions in the present.’ In the very first chapter, we see a lot of characters mingling together who all have argued or slightly resented each other in the past. There’s Splinter and Karai, who used to believe she was Shredder’s daughter and wanted revenge on Hamato Yoshi; Casey and April, the former who used to see Raph as a villain, and then later saw Donnie as a romantic rival; the latter who blamed the turtle’s for her father’s mutation, and avoided them for weeks afterwards; and though it’s more minor, the turtles have all had big arguments with each other in the past. But the fic starts with them all united, sharing ‘Sensei Day’ together and really rallying together as one big family. Yet even though they’d love that moment to last forever, it can’t. There’ll be new hardships, arguments and struggles they’ll have to go through, and sometimes it may seem that the bad outweighs the good, like when Karai leaves the lair to go with the Lotus. But if they don’t keep striving for tomorrow, to make the best of fate while at the same time carving their own destiny, then they’ll never know just how beautiful life can be. This is the message I think Future Donnie learned when he urged current Donnie to run after April, and what all of the Future turtles realized when they learned they could time travel to this point. It may have happened in the past, and it might be too late for their happy ending; but who says they couldn’t help bring a happy ending to other versions of themselves?

And of course, this message is closely intertwined with Splinter, Karai, and Oroku Saki. Shredder chose to follow in the footsteps of his former clan; to carve for himself a path of bloodshed and vengeance, which would dictate all the future choices in his life. Splinter had the choice to follow a similar path, but instead took the path less traveled on; the path of peace. This has opened new options for him, as he gained a new family, obtained happy memories to replace the bad, and got to know many amazing people he wouldn’t have otherwise. Who knows if he would have met April, Kirby, Murasaki, Leatherhead, or Kurtzmann if not for his sons? And while Splinter tries to tell Karai that to choose peace is to choose the higher option, Karai has been raised by the Shredder for too long, and her thoughts are obviously tainted by her false father’s teachings. After all, surely someone who hides away from a fight is the bigger coward…? Surely more honor belongs to the man who seeks out his opponents and does away with them…right?

This is all part of why the Shredder-Splinter-Karai relationship is so compelling. Karai is literally the gray line, separating Splinter’s white and Shredder’s black; she has parts of both of them within her, which makes her choices and actions truly interesting. Someone who is neutral is more relatable than someone who is wholly good or wholly bad, and (at least for me), we want to see what she does because we want to know how we’d react in those same situations. Personally, I can’t fault Karai for a single one of her actions and could see myself making the same mistakes. Even if every part of my rationale told me to trust Splinter, I wouldn’t be able to wholly turn myself away from someone who’d raised me from birth. I’d want to cut off that wrongness, that falseness from my life so I could truly feel free, and that perfectly describes what Karai does. She can’t separate what happened in her past, so she wants to cut it out; even though Splinter and the others don’t care about her past, they just want to help and support her current decisions. I hope Karai comes to realize this by the end of the fic, and that her bond with the others becomes stronger as a result of this whole experience.

For the final tidbit of this review, I’d like to go over the pacing. Like everything else within this fanfic, the pacing has been very smooth and well-handled, with one event following another like dominos falling one after the other. The first chapter starts with a peaceful scene, which leads into a comedic scene in the next chapter, which in turn leads to a romantic scene gone wrong in the third chapter. The progression feels very natural, and the slow as syrup beginning is perfect to help ease the reader into the action. I described the fic as a screenplay earlier, because the events really do take place in a movie-like pace. The tripartite structure has long been lauded as the perfect story system, and that still holds true to this day. Having three big acts which are either followed or preceded by a consecutive list of smaller acts is the perfect way to hype up your big scenes and give them more weight, which your fanfic certainly did.

I promised I would go into a little more detail for Chapter 35 and go into detail I shall. At this point I think you have the three-part structure down so well, that you’re even starting to instill it into your chapters! The first act starts out peacefully, if slightly tear-jerking; the Future turtles say good-bye to Splinter for the last time, and he had some great advice to give the four of them. Once again I found the fanfic hitting close to home with me, as my grandmother has Alzheimer’s and I know any day could be the last day I say bye to her. I swear, your fanfic is going to be one of those I return to over and over again just for the little personal tidbits of emotion it gives me!

Anyways, returning to the topic; the second part of the chapter sees the different groups initiating their plans. Leo, April and Mikey taking the secret passage by the church catacombs, and Donnie, Raph and Casey entering through Baxter Stockman’s lab. Of course, things don’t start out well for either group, as Leo’s group/Team Nerf gets the ceiling caved in on them, and Donnie’s group/Team Roof has some mutated human kids attack them. I was thinking this would be the point the Future Turtles come in to help, but since they don’t I’m sure there’s another aspect to the plan that the Leo’s are looking out for. Perhaps they realize that Karai would have split off from the main Lotus group and want to save some man-power to help her when the time comes.

And then, the third/final act of the chapter comes and gives me a minor heart attack. Three mutants aptly named Lock, Shock and Barrel enter the fray thanks to Rahzar, and don’t only injure most of the main fighters; Barrel knocks out Donnie as well. The turtles, Casey and April barely manage to defeat Barrel before the focus returns to Karai, who places herself straight in Shredder’s den amidst a throng of enemies. While cliffhangers aren’t my favorite things in the world (again; intended sarcasm), I do think it was perfectly timed here. Any more action taking place would just be too much, and at least you ended it in a way that reminded us readers of the important stakes behind their battle. Even though the turtles may be beaten and battered, it is imperative they push on; not just for their sakes, not even just for Karai, but also for the Lotus, Future Turtles, Splinter, and everyone else the Shredder has hurt. While it is true they can’t turn back time and reverse all the evil he has done, they can at least stop his hand right now, and save those that matter most to them. And that is truly the most important cause the turtles could have for their fight.

[buttonpanels]

So far, I’ve looked at the biggest shake-ups in comics status quos in the 2010s. Of course, I think those were important. They’re paradigm shifts that allow for different stories. But sometimes, you need to go smaller, and that’s what this is. This time, I’m going to be highlighting specific moments in comics that I feel were the best in the 2010s.

These can range from a single scene to a single panel, but they’re what I consider the best the 2010s have to offer. They might stand on their own or be the payoff for years of storytelling, but these are the ones that had the biggest impact on me as a reader. As a rule: it can’t be an entire issue. I’m also trying to avoid placing similar scenes on this list. So yes, it’s a loose criterion, but it’s mine. Anyway, let’s see what we have for arbitrarily ranked my personal best comic book moments of the 2010s…

15. “He was an Adventure”, Die #2

Die is a comic that embodies the best of Kieron Gillen. His knack for clever dialogue, interesting ideas, strong characterisation and self-aware contemplative narration are felt in every issue, bolstered by Stephanie Hans’ beautiful art. The concept of a role-playing game that sucks its players in is a bit derivative, but Gillen leans into the RPG side of things and really shows what an RPG made and played by a bunch of pretentious, conflicted teenagers would be like, and the world that would result. Nowhere is that better shown than when Dominic (or rather, Ash) reunites with Sir Lane.

After the cast return to their game as adults after having escaped it as teenagers, they run into immediate trouble. After dealing with it, the party discusses whether to take a horrible route to their destination or the one they used years prior, where everyone knows them. Before they can decide, Ash runs into an old flame of sorts — Sir Lane, a typical knight in shining armour who she was in a relationship with and said she would come back to. She teasingly cursed him so that he couldn’t rest until he saw her again, and now she’s come back… after over a decade and he’s a zombie. They’re forced to kill him, and decide to avoid taking the same path, lest they run into more from their past.

Die is a great series that captures the spirit and fun of RPGs while giving things just enough edge to feel interesting but not like the creative team is going out of their way to be edgy. This here is a great instance of that, bringing a dark edge to a fantasy cliché and taking full advantage of the setting and characters. The first issue of Die didn’t fully land with me, but this issue definitely did, with this dark and morbid scene and the poetic narration. Just a wonderfully executed moment.

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14. “You can’t help yourself… you are Apocalypse”, Uncanny X-Force (2010) #4

Here’s a moment that is heavily carried by the art. Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force is great, but this moment, which is otherwise not that spectacular, is elevated by an understated use of layouts and not only established that this would be a very different X-Force run, but the threat to come.

After the new, black ops and secretive X-Force team has hunted down the rejuvenated form of Apocalypse, they are at a crossroads when Psylocke refuses to allow them to kill the now child despot. The team debates before falling to infighting, before Angel finally gets the upper hand after wrestling with his inner demon, Archangel. When Apocalypse says he won’t become who they think he’ll become, Angel says he won’t be able to stop himself and goes in for the kill… only to hesitate… then Fantomex kills Apocalypse anyway. The team leaves with no fanfare or celebration.

The art is what really sells this scene. The fight between the X-Force members is well done and easy to follow, and the narration from Warren is executed very well with some great lettering, but that moment when Angel says that Apocalypse will always be a monster, and the art slows things down with wide panels and extreme close-ups and a peak into Warren’s soul, that is what sells this moment. It is a powerful pause in time that and scene that is emblematic of what the run would entail — wrestling with morality, nature vs. nurture and struggling with one’s inner demons.

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13. “I think about it every day”, Grayson #12

Grayson is a series I will never shut up about, because it just works so much better than it should. Taking Dick Grayson out of the world of superheroes and putting him in the more morally ambiguous and backstab-prone spy world allowed Tom King and Tim Seeley to get to the root of his character, and make it all the more satisfying when he returned to the world of capes and tights. Case in point: Grayson #12, where Dick reunites with the Batfamily. While every reunion is great, the one that was the bet executed in my mind is Dick’s reunion with Barbara Gordon.

Dick is reuniting with his family after his boss at Spyral forces him to come back to the organisation. She lets him get in his goodbyes, however. Having already spoken to an amnesiac Bruce Wayne, he went on to talk to Jason Todd and Tim Drake and gave them a gift of two batarangs, and is now talking to Barbara. Dick had previously run into her in his secret Spyral identity, but she didn’t really know it was him. He tries to explain why he did what he did, but she’s not having it and leaves. Dick jumps after her… off a bridge, and gives her the trapeze pole from when they swung together after she was crippled in The Killing Joke, and confesses all his unspoken feelings for her.

There’s really nothing more to this moment than that, it’s just Dick and Babs reuniting and Dick telling her what she means to him. It’s heart-warming and cute, and the whole “Cluemaster’s Code” that Dick is using — the first letter of every sentence will spell out the real message — is used really well this issue, but I like that Dick repeats himself when he says he’ll come back to her. It’s as if he’s willing to muddle the message and Barbara understanding it just to reiterate how important she is to him. This moment wouldn’t properly go anywhere, since Tim Seeley set Dick up with a new love interest in a terribly executed romantic subplot in his Nightwing run, but for a moment, one of the best relationships in comics got a moment in the sun.

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12. “You’re poison”, The Sandman Universe Presents: Hellblazer #1

Hellblazer is at its best when it acknowledges what a toxic influence John Constantine is on his friends and family. Very few people come out of their interactions with him unscathed, and his addiction to magic only guarantees that those around him will have a rough time of it. Nowhere is that better demonstrated than with how his long-time friendship with Chas Chandler ends, which ushered in a return to form for Constantine.

After coming back from a terrible future and promising his future self to live his best life, Constantine goes to visit his friend Chas. He learns that, since his absence, Chas has contracted cancer and is now in the cancer ward of a hospital. Upon his visit, he finds demons possessing Chas and goes to free his friend, using the bodies of other cancer patients, only for Chas himself to call John out on his years of being a prick, his abandonment and the fact that John gave him cancer. Constantine’s constant smoking in Chas’ cab is what it’s attributed to and he tells John to leave him alone and fuck off. John respects his friend’s wishes just before Chas dies and John is left truly alone.

Despite how their friendship ended, this issue also did a great job giving it something of a heart-warming ending… sort of, as in the future, John tricks Chas into essentially performing a magic suicide bombing, but Chas, ignorant of this, tells John that sometimes you need to step up and be a hero. Both scenes work together to show the nature of this friendship — Chas is a good person at heart and one whom Constantine values and trusts… but he’s still someone Constantine will manipulate, and who will call John out on his bullshit. It’s a fitting end to the character and a great way to kick off this new era of Hellblazer.

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11. “I thought you loved me”, Venom (2018) #11

The relationship between Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote has always been some level of abusive, but whether or not it’s a romantic relationship has generally not been touched on where it can be avoided. Maybe it’s the idea that Venom fans wouldn’t want a gay relationship, maybe it’s fear of the repercussions of a negatively portrayed gay relationship — the symbiote is identified as male a few times, after all — or maybe it’s just weird that Eddie is in a romantic relationship with alien ooze. But in the end, it’s usually more allegory and not so much a literal romantic relationship… until now, and it is glorious.

After a handful of issues of the Venom symbiote lacking its voice and Eddie’s cancer resurfacing, the Maker is able to “fix” Eddie while he goes through his memories and learns that certain parts were fake — his sister and initial cancer diagnosis being the primary ones he focuses on. He confronts the Venom symbiote, which can speak again, about why it changed his memories and it says Eddie needed to need it. They argue and Eddie wakes up to protect Dylan Brock, who he has just learned is his son.

Eddie’s relationship with the symbiote has always been destructive and unhealthy, and Cates fully leans into that here. The symbiote has manipulated Eddie into staying with it, forced him to become Venom and lied to him about his son. It has fully become an abusive lover and the sheer superhero-ness of this scene lends it a sense of self-awareness in what could otherwise have devolved into melodrama. However, Donny Cates is still able to end the scene with such conviction that it carries all the weight it was supposed to.

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10. “Smoke the meat”, Animosity #7

The biggest strength of Animosity is Marguerite Bennett’s keen eye for worldbuilding. The basic premise of “what if animals suddenly became fully aware” is explored for all it’s worth, with small bits of worldbuilding that truly make the world of Animosity feel alive yet relatable. The way Bennett uses these little pieces of worldbuilding to craft a nuanced and morally grey story is what really sells this series, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Animosity #7.

The scene in question deals with the aftermath of a fight the main characters get into, where they run into some carnivores. While everyone else tends to their wounds and gets some rest, main dog Sandor and the cat Pallas go to deal with the aftermath. They find their dead friends and we learn what they’re actually doing, and that it’s not uncommon — they eat the corpses of the dead. This time, they bury their friends, but the other animals that were killed are eaten all the same, and this isn’t the first time Sandor and Pal have done this, nor is it expected to be the last, and Sandor reminds Pal that, when Sandor himself dies, to feed him to his owner Jesse.

The scene is a wonderfully dark revelation, in a story where we learned more and more about what Sandor will do to protect his owner. It plays really well off the previous issues and does a great job escalating the moral ambiguity of the story. It not only adds more moral complexity to the wider world of Animosity, but furthers the story and characters. Every part of Animosity feels well thought out, and this moment not only advances the world but the story, in an unexpected and dark way.

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9. “He has you and me”, Doomsday Clock #12

DC Rebirth was a relaunch that truly returned some of what the DC universe had lost that made it so great. It lamented the loss of love, legacy and optimism, all of which were indeed sorely lacking, and told a story of how corrupting outside forces altered the DCU’s history and characters to better reflect a cynical outlook. Well, Doomsday Clock finally ended last week, and for all its faults and the discussions that can be had concerning creator rights and Watchmen, I think it delivered on its promise — the return of love, legacy and optimism, the latter of which was best exemplified in the return of the JSA and, as a result, of the Legion of Super-Heroes and Ma and Pa Kent.

After Flashpoint, it was established that Clark Kent had lost his parents at a young age, after they were hit by a drunk driver. Even after the Superman Reborn crossover patched up Superman’s history to essentially be the post-Crisis one — with some New 52 stuff sprinkled in here and there — he still had dead parents. Doomsday Clock revealed that Doctor Manhattan had caused the Kents’ accident, in order to transform Superman into a more cynical figure that he could relate to. However, after Superman inspires him, Manhattan believes in the ideals of love, legacy and optimism and undoes his changes to the timeline — or at least most of them, since DC’s plans clearly changed as this story was being published — and the restoration of the Justice Society of America is what kicks things into gear. Not only are the JSA my favourite superhero team, but their existence now changes Jonathan Kent’s outlook — instead of a cynical, protective outlook that causes him to discourage Clark using his abilities, the JSA’s existence causes Jonathan to encourage Clark instead, and he saves his parents as Superboy. The emergence of Superboy in turn causes the Legion of Super-Heroes to exist again. And they save the day, and all ends well, and Clark goes to reunite with his parents.

This moment is the perfect pay off to the entire Rebirth saga. There’s some wonkiness here as a result of rewrites, clearly. The Legion of Super-Heroes, as written now, are not inspired by Clark as Superboy but by Jonathan Samuel Kent as Superboy helping to found the United Planets, but the dialogue pretends like this is the Retroboot Legion from a few years back. Ignoring that, however, this moment just works. After the darkest parts of the story, with Imra fading away and Johnny Thunder broken and defeated, Superman’s inspiration is what undoes the changes and brings those people back. The legacy of the JSA that creates a new world of optimism, one that extends into the far future, and the return of the Kents is just makes it that much more satisfying that optimism and hope won out. This is a perfect ending to the story that Geoff Johns began in 2016, one that embraces what the DCU is about, even through its various reboots.

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8. “I’ll still hold your hand”, Doom Patrol (2016) #1

Gerard Way’s Doom Patrol run is a bit uneven, at least if you read it as it was ongoing like I did (you know, when every issue after the second was released late). But the first issue is a great introduction to the Doom Patrol, and the opening scene does a wonderful job setting the tone for Way’s run and introducing a character who is probably one of the best audience surrogate characters in comics.

The scene is pretty short and simple, giving a quick intro to Casey Brinke as she drives an ambulance during her day job. The narration is what sells it, as it carries this sense of poetry and angst that feels like it has enough conviction to be done well. Casey’s narration doesn’t feel ironic, self-defeating or cliché, but oddly reassuring — fitting, given she talks about what her job means to her. There’s some fun, of course, helped by the cartoony visuals and the neon colours, but otherwise it is just a relatively quiet intro to a character.

This introduction to Casey really does set the tone for the rest of Way’s Doom Patrol run, the more modern, straightforward and character-focused run. While there are stranger elements, such as when Casey and Terry None (a woman) have a biological son together and the cult that wants to transport itself inside Crazy Jane, at its core Way’s run was about the characters moving forward with their lives and Casey finding a place on the team. This introduction is great for setting that up, especially since some of the poetic narration is actually literally true, which was a very unexpected twist.

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7. “Batman punches people in the face”, Batman (2016) #53

Tom King’s Batman run is a thoroughly mixed bag, but it has moments of brilliance. One such moment is during the “Cold Days” arc, where Mr. Freeze is on trial after being captured by Batman, and a jury discusses his potential conviction. All are in favour of a guilty verdict but one — Bruce Wayne, who laments Gotham’s worship of Batman. This moment is probably the best culmination of Tom King’s Batman run up until this point, and gave real hope that his run would recover after the controversial wedding issue.

With Mr. Freeze arrested and on trial, Gotham’s jury is quick to label him as guilty despite the lack of evidence. Bruce attributes this to Gotham’s hero worship of Batman that he compares to worship of a god, because of the jurors’ perception of Batman is all-knowing, with his will having power over life and death. When asked what Batman means to him, Bruce tells the jurors that after his parents’ deaths, Batman was something he could believe in to keep him going, something he could rely on to always be there and save him. Not anymore; now that being Batman has taken Catwoman away from him, Bruce has become disillusioned with Batman.

This moment, as understated as it is, does a wonderful job paying off what had come in King’s Batman run. Bruce’s suicidal nature, his reliance on Batman as a means of achieving peace, his own obsession to keep fighting as Batman and the recent dissolution of his engagement with Catwoman resulting from his need to be miserable in order to be Batman, it’s all wonderfully played off by this moment that gives the readers a peak into how his breakup has shaken his foundation and made him doubt Batman. King’s run has a lot of flaws, but every now and then it delivered a powerhouse moment.

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6. “A man shouldn’t…”, Redneck #16

Redneck‘s core concept is relatively simple: vampires in the South of America. Donny Cates milks this for all its worth, with engaging characters and interesting lore. But what makes Redneck great is the characters, and how Cates is able to imbue them with a real sense of life. After a long string of tragedies, Cates gives his characters a few issues to breathe, and the result is one of the best scenes of the 2010s that deftly defies expectations.

The central family of the Bowmans is given a chance to breathe after their home is destroyed, they are betrayed from within and their generosity almost gets them killed. One character who is given a bit of a spotlight is Greg, who we learn is gay and who has a cute fling with minor character Winny. They talk about it becoming more when the patriarch of the Bowmans, his father JV, walks in on the two. What follows Greg trying to calm his father down, who walks away in shock, and Greg assumes his dad isn’t okay with his sexuality and ends up verbalising it for the first time ever… and it turns out his dad was more shocked because, well, he just saw his son after said son had just fucked someone. The two bond for a bit and JV says Greg should do whatever makes him happy.

The scene is just a really heart-warming moment and well-done, in addition to playing with expectations. The southern dad having a problem with his son’s homosexuality is pretty played out, but this series has its roots in the south, from its characters to its dialogue, so it wouldn’t be out of place for that trope to be played straight — especially given that JV is very old. But Cates defies expectations — and rather than think that is what makes a good story, actually does something with it, delivering what one of my favourite gay scenes of the 2010s. Cates gets a lot of praise for his narratives, but I don’t think his dialogue and character work gets as much praise as it deserves.

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5. “Everything lives”, Secret Wars (2015) #9

Jonathan Hickman’s multi-series Marvel saga is a sight to behold. A grand story told across multiple series, spanning the entire Marvel Multiverse, the sheer scale of it is unprecedented and expertly executed. Secret Wars (2015) was the culmination of his Marvel work, but rather than a gigantic event that stood on its own, it — for better or worse — served as the grand finale to his saga and specifically an ending to his Fantastic Four run. Taken like that, it hits it out of the park.

Secret Wars (2015) follows the birth and destruction of Battleworld, a patchwork world created from the remnants of the multiverse by Doctor Doom. Doom saved what he could, but has taken to ruling over everything with an iron fist, and a surviving Reed Richards ends up fighting him for the right to fix the world — at great risk, possibly destroying what remains. The fight ends when Doom admits that Reed would have done a better job, and the Molecule Man ends the fight and gives Reed the power. There’s an epilogue where Valeria Richards explains what happened, but the last scene is of a smiling Victor von Doom, mask removed and face restored by his friend Reed.

This ending is a perfect ending to the themes of Hickman’s Fantastic Four run. The idea of believing in the future and not being fearful of saving what’s left, but instead building what comes next is the given a literalisation in the final battle between Reed and Victor. Reed and Franklin rebuild the multiverse together as one last act of father-son bonding, after the theme of fatherhood was so central to Hickman’s run. And, finally, Reed proves himself the better man, that his morality is what makes him who he is, as he gives Victor one last gift and a new lease on life, setting up stories for the future. This ending is so emblematic of all things good about Hickman that it was the perfect note for him to leave the universe on… but then he came back and reinvigorated the X-Men, and that’s also a great thing.

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4. “How could I ever forget you?”, DC Universe: Rebirth #1

It wasn’t too long ago that DC Universe: Rebirth #1 released and heralded the return of much of what made the pre-Flashpoint DCU so great. A return of love, legacy and optimism, Rebirth truly revitalised DC’s comics and moved things forward, while not neglecting the past. And it all took the form of the Flash fan from Blue Valley, Nebraska coming home.

After years of questionable output from DC, Rebirth was the much-promoted revitalisation of the line. It was leaked that Wally would be returning, but given that it’s literally the premise of the issue, it doesn’t really affect the comic — in fact, it probably got more people excited for the relaunch than anything (especially since they teased his return beforehand but excluded him from the Rebirth panel). And when Wally finally returned, it was glorious. Wally traverses the New 52 and laments the loss of what fans loved, while simultaneously embracing the new. And after Linda fails to remember him in this issue, Wally goes to say goodbye to Barry in a heartfelt monologue, and it’s possible this really was going to be the end for Wally, but then he’s saved from the Speed Force.

Wally is the perfect character to usher in the Rebirth era. He is a character defined by his connection to the Flash legacy, whose love for his wife Linda has saved him on countless occasions and he’s a character who has never been defined by the tragedy in his life. Wally is the character that was all about moving forward, embracing the new — he represents what was so great about the DCU. As a long-time Flash and DC fan, this was everything I wanted — essentially an apology for how these two things were treated for most of the 2010s. Johns’ dialogue is sentimental and earnest, and it really resonates as a result. There are a lot of meta moments like this in the 2010s, but this one landed with me the most.

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3. “Did we do a good job, son?”, FF (2011) #23

While Jonathan Hickman is known for his epic scope, I think what doesn’t get enough attention is his keen eye for human emotion. His aforementioned Fantastic Four run spans the multiverse, but at its core is about family. The larger than life scale of his run lends a grandeur to the sentiment, but in the end, the stories are about family — and it all ends with Reed and Sue talking to their son in his bedroom, before he’s gone forever.

There’s comic book science involved, obviously, but an adult Franklin Richards spends the day with his younger self before telling his past parents that he needs to return to his own time. What follows is a heartfelt, earnest scene that anyone who even has a passing interest in parenthood can relate to — Reed and Sue tell Franklin about their worries, their concerns if they did things right, and ask Franklin if they were good parents, and Franklin tells them yes.

Hickman’s Fantastic Four run was about the family, but a running element was Reed and Franklin’s relationship, and how they just aren’t similar. Sue expresses the concerns that a mother would express, but Reed getting to the root of it is a beautiful way for Hickman’s run to end. After he neglected Franklin and they’ve bonded, after he gained a broader view of his children, he’s finally able to reconcile his parenting with every other part of him.

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2. “You’re the fastest man alive!”, The Flash (2016) #50

Yes, another Wally West moment. After Wally returned in DC Universe: Rebirth #1, it was assumed by many that he would be given a greater role in the DC Universe. Instead, he appeared in a mediocre-to-bad Titans series where nobody seemed to know what to do with him. After several badly received stories, Wally was returned to the Flash book, where he was given a lot of prominence and importance, and Joshua Williamson showed a strong love and affinity for the character. Then came “Flash War”, a story that I dreaded for its tagline of “there can only be one fastest man alive”, and anyone familiar with DC’s heavily contrasting treatments of Wally West and Barry Allen can tell you why.

However… “Flash War” was great. It mined Flash lore for interesting ideas, tackled the plot point of Wally’s forgotten children when it seemed like writers forgot about them, and delivered a triumphant moment of Wally. As Barry and Wally start losing sight of a Speed Force-empowered Hunter Zolomon, Barry speaks the words that we all knew to be true — that Wally is the fastest man alive. Wally catches up to Hunter and, in a way that gets to the core of the character and what the Flash legacy means to him and to readers, defeats Hunter.

The epilogue issue that followed was also great, with some great meta-commentary, but I’m keeping it to one issue per series. So, make it an honourable mention. And sure, what followed “Flash War” for Wally was terrible and speaks of how badly creators can screw up characters, but for a brief time, Wally West was where he belonged — with his family, as the fastest man alive. Instead of Titans encouraging him to let go of his memories, The Flash has him embrace them and his past, because that’s what makes him who he is.

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1. “Dawn”, Silver Surfer (2016) #14

Dan Slott’s Silver Surfer run is a joyful ride through the strangeness of space and is a soaring tribute to the Silver Age. However, at its core, Silver Surfer is about the relationship between Norrin Radd, the Sentinel of the Spaceways, and Dawn Greenwood, an average girl from Earth. This moment typifies that in the best way possible.

After Norrin and Dawn travel to before the Big Bang, they are stranded and decide to live their lives there. They get married and Dawn eventually passes away from old age, and Norrin doesn’t. As the old universe dies, Norrin travels through the event and ends up in the current universe once again, throwing Dawn’s essence into the Big Bang, creating the signature red and black dots of the power cosmic from her ladybug motif. Later, we see that every species has the same word for the sun rising: “Dawn”.

This moment is a perfect ending to a perfect run. It is goofy and weird, but also epic and heart-warming, paying tribute to Jack Kirby’s art and honing in on what made this run so great. If Dan Slott’s Silver Surfer was a tribute to the Silver Age, this moment is a testament that, for all the high concepts and strangeness, the Silver Age was about joy and wonderment.

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There you have it, my personal best comic book moments of the 2010s. Probably nobody is going to agree with me on these, but these are the ones I liked the most. There were others, but I had to be a bit strict, so this is what is left. Hopefully the 2020s will have just as many good moments, and of just as high a quality. But I don’t know, I don’t have 2020 vision.

(Sorry).

As the decade comes to a close, I've decided to look at the best moments in comic books from the 2010s, a decade which delivered some of my favourite moments in comics. So far, I've looked at the biggest shake-ups in comics status quos in the 2010s. Of course, I think those were important.

[mutated-green-things]

Illness Chapter 1: Treated

Rating: R Words: 1,459 Warnings: Talk of depression, nightmares, and eventual self-harm Summary:  An exploration of Leonardo Hamato's depression and how his relationships, familial and romantic, help him navigate such an intensely emotional part of his mind, character, and life. Based in the 2003 universe and specifically around the events of Season 4 of that show.

Leonardo comes back from Japan cured. With their home in ruins and Karai after them, it takes Leo's family a full week to really settle and appreciate this fact. It's strange, the way they went from walking on eggshells, tiptoeing around every word and action when Leonardo was near. To back to... same old Leo. Better than sometimes. He's quicker to take jokes as such, less grumpy, and less distant from his family.

So it takes a week for them to slide back into that. Mikey winces whenever a silence follows a joke. He expects Leo's harsh, scolding voice. The worst he gets is an eye-roll. Raph doesn't leave the lair, doesn't start fights until it's clear that Leo will shoot back with banter or competition rather than with seething hot rage. And Donnie hovers over Leo, searching carefully for signs, for scars, for the damage he'd seen before.

He'd offered medication. Before Leo left. When he was so clearly drowning in his trauma. Leo had refused each time. First softly, firmly. Then more defiantly. Throwing the bottle in the trash. Then with bursting solar flares of emotions that left Donnie burnt and in pain. He had shouted. The bottle and pills had hit the ground with a clatter. And he ranted for what seemed like hours about how he needed to be focused, about how any kind of drug could throw him off, make him useless all over again. Donnie recalled now that it had been only fifteen short minutes before tears started to form in the corner of Leo's eyes. The yelling stopped, and he excused himself.

Donatello didn't offer anything to Leo now. He just watched, studied, inspected, waiting for one of the cogs in his brother's mind to pop out of place again. So hopefully this time, he could apply some tools, and some elbow grease to slide it back into where it was supposed to be.

Until a week passed. And their family, both immediate and extended let out a small sigh a relief that none of them had realized had been caged in their lungs.

Still. It took months for whatever passed as normalcy to really set in. April and Casey visited over and over. More overjoyed to see Leo healing each time they poked into the lair. Healed. The cracks in his resolve paved over with forgiveness and wisdom. Usagi even managed to check in on them. Which after some confusion (panic and despair and anger) involving the destruction of their old home, he too was happy to see Leo's calmer, softer self.

Leo didn't want to dwell on it, but perhaps happy wasn't the right word. And well... relieved was putting it mildly. Usagi had visibly shaken when they'd embraced. When Usagi had yanked them together in a strong, tight hug. "I thought..." Leo could hear his friend choke up as he started the words. He didn't finish them. Usagi simply pulled back, sniffed and went back to a (mostly) rigid samurai. He was still shaking slightly, and the way he smiled betrayed the way a giant weight had lifted off his shoulders too. Then. When he recovered. He gave Leonardo an address. Of sorts. They were characters, characters that would make sure his letters were dropped in Lord Noriyuki's mail room whenever Leo etched a portal into their world. "Always drop them off at night. The couriers will be long done with their duties by then. I don't want any of them getting a direct route to you or your family. We don't want another Kojima situation. That had been foolish of me."

"But what about-" Leo could think of a million problems with Usagi's plan still. How would the mail get to him? Wouldn't it still be painfully slow? Wouldn't Noriyuki and his men get suspicious of weird letters kept showing up in his mail room? There was only so much one could write off as a lapse in attention.

"Plus..." Usagi interrupted, smiling mischievously, happy that he had an answer for all the questions in Leonardo's eyes. "Noriyuki has agreed to overlook the appearance of any strange mail addressed to me, and deliver it as fast as possible. Most importantly he has agreed to keep our correspondence unopened, untampered, and safe. Normally I do not ask for payment from him. He is just and fights just battles, but after all my service for him. I did not see a problem in asking for one small favor."

At the time Leo had snorted at the word small with all the resources that request could potentially take, but he couldn't help but toss a letter through the portal a day after Usagi had left. And was overjoyed when a response came two weeks later, as warm and witty a normal conversation with his friend. Even if it put somewhat of a burden on the young lord, Leo dropped any worry he'd held quickly. He couldn't see how he'd lived without this connection for so long, and wasn't about to give it up. Leo wondered briefly if it would have saved him. Before his father had to step in and ship him off to Japan.

So they exchanged letter after letter after letter. By the time Usagi visited again, six months later, bringing small, inexpensive gifts for them all, Leo knows so much more. Knows why Tomoe Ame and Gennosuke are so important to him. Knows who Mariko and Jotaro are, and the tragedy and hope surrounding them. Knows of Usagi's rival in love Kenichi, and about Jei, the demon who still regularly haunts Usagi's nightmares.

But the exchange goes both ways. Usagi knows so much more too. About his brothers, about April and Casey and Leatherhead and their adventures in space and time.

He and Leo hug warmly and spend the next two weeks sparring, meditating, discussing haiku and war. Leo's feel soothed all over again. He had stopped fighting himself thanks to the ancient one. But there is an ease, a happiness that he feels in Usagi's presence that he can't remember ever experiencing. And he rolls back to that thought during their time together often, frowning when that truth is shoved to the forefront of his mind.

But time cycles on and eventually Usagi has to slip back into his own world. And as he does, Leo returns to his desk, already drafting another letter. He sends it out that night, and there's a new yearning for the next reply, stronger than before. He meditates, trains, examining the feeling in all it's facets, and trying to stave off his impatience for Usagi's next letter. His focus is so internal that he doesn't notice winter slowly setting in until he wakes one morning and practically feels the ice in his blood.

Donatello was more prepared, thank the gods. But even with the heaters and lamps, their reptiles, and Leo still feels sluggish as they move through their morning kata. Frustrated with that and still stuck on his new feelings, he works an extra two hours, only stopping when Michelangelo pops in, gives him a worried look, and tells him lunch is ready.

He knows that look. Recognizes it on all of his brothers from when he was at his worst, enraged and sharp-edged. So he breathes, goes to eat, and resigns himself to rest for the remainder of the day. He spends the evening playing board games with his brothers and father. And though he only wins once, he feels much better as he heads to bed.

The frost has set in and Leo's unconscious mind is not kind during the night. He runs in his dreams, but the cold makes him sluggish. Makes him always just a hair too slow for his father, for each of his brothers, and even for Usagi. Later he'll find that strange. He's been friends with Usagi for a time, but he's only showed up in this recurring nightmare now.

At that moment though, he wakes angry and scared. His emotions flood out details. He slips out of his room, jumps the balcony, and runs to the dojo. He picks up each of his katana, and simply holds them in his hands. Leo wants to unsheathe them, wants desperately to feel the security in their humming steel. But its 3 in the morning, and he knows where this road leads, and more importantly he can still see Michelangelo's anxious expression. It's seared there, wordlessly telling him to put the swords down. He does. With a slow, shaky exhale. Leo backs out of the room and climbs the stairs, one after the other.

He does not sleep again, but he goes back to meditation, and that's slightly more restful than his terror-infested nightmares

[mexcine2]

               “More Fun Than a Puppy!” (Mickey Mouse Hand Puppets, 1949) 

Although I was once a child, I don’t have children of my own and I don’t associate with anyone who does. [That sounds as if I’m deliberately avoiding people with young children, which is not entirely true.] So I don’t know what “kids today” do for recreation.  Play video games?  Watch DVDs and television?  Go down to the old fishin’ hole with their pals?  Stage scorpion vs. ant fights?  I assume young children still play in groups, until they reach the age when they get a phone and start texting, says the grumpy old man (P.S.--get off my lawn).   So I guess it’s vaguely possible that kids still put on puppet shows and other amateur theatricals for and with their peers.

Today’s object of scrutiny is an advertisement for the“Amazing New Mickey Mouse Hand Puppets,” back in the day (1949) when children had to make their own fun, darn it.  Television was in its commercial infancy, “first” computer ENIAC had only recently been completed and—at 50 tons—was too large to be carried around in one’s pocket to play Fruit Ninja, and child labour laws had stripped kids (in the USA at least) of the opportunity to put in 12-hour days in factories, so they had a lot of free time that needed to be consumed.  Hey kids, let’s put on a show!

As has been mentioned before, the advertisements in comic books of the late 1940s and 1950s are not always appropriate for what one would perceive to be the intended audience of the publication.  This advertisement, seemingly aimed at children, appeared in the December 1949 issue of Romantic Confessions, a comic book whose readership was probably largely female and almost certainly teen-aged and above.  There are only 3 ads in the whole issue (the inside front and back covers, and the back cover): for the Mickey Mouse puppets, the “Dornol treatment” for acne, and a photo enlargement service.  On the other hand, perhaps the thinking was that adults (or older siblings) would purchase the puppets for children of the appropriate age to enjoy them.

[As an aside, Romantic Confessions was also where the “Giant Movie Cartoon Toy” ad appeared, discussed here.  It’s interesting to note that in less than a year, Romantic Confessions went from 3 pages of ads to 10.] 

There are many aspects of this advertisement worthy of comment. It’s loaded with art and text, requiring a considerable investment of time and effort on the part of potential buyers.  You’ve got to read a lot to learn about this product, but that’s only fair when you’re being asked to spend $1.95 per puppet (equivalent in “buying power” to $19.51 today). That’s alright, more content for us to snark on!

Let’s start with the art, shall we?  There are two basic visual components of this ad, the products themselves, and a comic-strip narrative.  The strip artwork appears to be by the same person who drew the famous “Shoots Like a Real Gun” ad, while the drawings of the puppet heads resemble those in another Rubber-for-Molds ad. In particular, the “Idiot” puppet is identical to the “Idiot” mask.  (As noted in the earlier article, this character somewhat resembles Alfred E. Newman and/or George W. Bush.)

The puppets themselves don’t look particularly interesting. Mickey Mouse is adequately represented, but Minnie has a glazed expression on her face. Thumper (from the film Bambi) is a grotesque cartoon rabbit, deliberately not resembling Bugs Bunny, while Donald Duck is not especially on-model (his head is too smooth, he’s missing his iconic cap, and his beak doesn’t look right).  And then there’s “Idiot,” that famous Disney character...?

In case you were wondering, these puppets “are the same type used on television.  Measuring almost 14 inches high, with a head the size of an orange...Extra thin, natural (not synthetic) rubber...hand painted in lifelike* colors.”  

*[In another part of the ad, the puppets are referred to as “flesh-colored”—I suppose that means mouse­-flesh, duck-flesh, and rabbit­-flesh, in addition to Idiot’s human-flesh?]

The comic strip narrative tells the story of Jimmy’s journey from social outcast to the envy of his peers in only three panels.  Jimmy reads an ad (just like this one) in a comic book (just like this one—spooky!) and learns he can “get puppets that really move!”  Not like those puppets that...don’t move?  Those are called “dolls,” Jimmy.  His little sister Babushka approves.

Some time later, “Jimmy’s Puppet Show” is a sensation, despite the outrageous ticket price of two cents.  Let’s see, he spent $3.90 on the two puppets we see, plus something for the sign, so he needs to sell approximately 200 tickets to turn a profit.  Good luck kid! But it seems he’s on to something—or the children in the audience are truly starved for entertainment—because there is “applause” for his puppet show which is “better than a movie!” (but is it better than...a Disney cartoon?)  We don’t get much detail about the content of the show, although in the scene depicted, Minnie appears to be demurely waiting for Mickey to kiss her, which he seems to be enthusiastically about to do.

“After the Show,” Jimmy is beseiged by admirers, one of whom offers to buy the Mickey puppet, claiming (rather obscurely) “It’s more fun than a puppy!”  Jimmy refuses to sell, realising that “the puppets have made Jimmy the most popular kid on the block,” and once he no longer has his puppets, he’ll return to his previous grim and friendless existence, hated and shunned by all.

There are also two pieces of artwork for those unclear on the concept of what a “puppet” is: you “slip them on like a glove and wiggle your fingers...Slip puppet over hand.  Move fingers.  He obeys every command...Come to Life When You Move Your Fingers.”  OK, I think I’ve got it.  Put hand inside puppet, move fingers.  Is that right?  I don’t want to miss a step even though you claim it’s “Easy as A-B-C.”  To be fair, it’s possible the copywriter wanted to distinguish these hand puppets from marionettes, and in fact the text emphasizes “No strings, nothing to break, wind or get out of order.”

The ad text reinforces the 3 basic themes introduced in the art: (a) these things are amazing; (b) they are easy to use; ( c ) they will change your life for the better.

How amazing are they?  “They laugh, cry and move like real!” Yeah, no they don’t.  These “Television Type Puppets”** can “’Talk’, Laugh, Practically Live” (notice “talk” is in quotes even in the ad copy).  “He laughs, moves, almost becomes alive at the slightest wiggle of your fingers.”  “Looks and acts so alive it’s uncanny.”  In fact, we advise you to securely lock up these puppets at night, to avoid...accidents, if you know what I mean.  Haven’t you ever seen those horror movies?  “Completely safe,” the ad reads.  Hmm...why did they feel compelled to say that?

**[Perhaps the most famous TV puppets were the Muppets (and the Sesame Street gang), Shari Lewis’s Lamb Chop, Howdy Doody, et al., but puppets were ubiquitous on television—local and network--from its earliest days.  Early television programs utilised puppets because they were cheap and simple entertainment: the “costumes,” sets, and so on were miniature, multiple “characters” could be interpreted by one or two people, and these factors allowed shows to create a fictional world (or bring fictional characters into the “real” world) for much less than live-action or animation.]

Alright, I agree these puppets are pretty amazing.  But aren’t they difficult to operate?  I didn’t major in theatre arts at university, after all.  Actually, “it’s easy to put on a puppet show in your home!”  “Just by moving your fingers, he will smile, laugh, cry, hide his head, put fingers in mouth, etc...Slips on and off hand in a jiffy. Even a child can work instantly. No experience necessary.”  “Over 1000 Different Movements!”  (Sorry, complete list of movements not available.) For those who are still insecure about their abilities, purchasers also receive “secret revealing pamphlets on ‘How to Become a Ventriloquist’ and ‘How to Put on a Puppet Show.’”   If there ever was something that deserved to be called “idiot-proof,” this product is it!

But wait, didn’t you mention something about these puppets changing my life?  Why yes I did, very observant of you.  If you put on puppet shows, you’ll “Cause a Sensation at the Next Party...Your Friends Will Scream with Delight and Amazement!”  [Unlike the last party, where you demonstrated how to slaughter & disembowel a hog. Your friends screamed all right, but probably not in Delight and Amazement.]  You’ll be “the most popular kid on the block,” if you don’t count Jonathan, Jordan, Joey, Donnie or Danny.

And don’t think your options are limited to backyard puppet shows only!  These puppets are “Ideal for shows or to carry in pocket or purse.”  Stuck in traffic? Waiting for a doctor’s appointment?  Killing time in a holding cell until your bail bondsman shows up?  Stuck with a  boring blind date?  Whip out your puppet and play with it!  “Pays for itself in fun and laughs first time used.”

Don’t think a hand puppet can make your life better?  Just watch Mel Gibson in The Beaver (2011).  I never saw the end, but I assume it worked out well for him. (hint: it sort of didn’t) 

Thanks Rubber-for-Molds!  I didn’t want that puppy anyway!