Giddy. I don’t even like typing that word, but that is exactly how I feel when considering the possibilities for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures in Bandai’s S.H. Figuarts line. Sure, we have only seen some early prototypes of the four turtles (via New York Comic Con) thus far, but it’s not like being overzealous early in the game has ever stopped our armchair line managing before.
TMNT is a big deal to me: it was the of the big action figure lines I collected as a kid, and I had just about every single figure, vehicle, and playset that was offered therein. From my original Donatello figure, to Foot Cruiser, to Burn Thompson, to Michelangelo as a bandito, Playmates sure did know how to get my money, which is why it is so tough being a classic TMNT fan these days. While Playmates is going all-out on the new line, any attempt at a classic rebirth has fallen completely short. I get it, they have to make MONSTER money on the new line, and that is perfectly cool, but with your Masters of the Universe Classics, Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black Series, and others, not having good TMNT updates to go with these figures is a tough pill to swallow.
That is why the awesome and, admittedly, unexpected Bandai reveals are such a big deal to me: could this be the lead-in to full-blown classic Ninja Turtles line? It is, of course, too early to tell, but Bandai is known for going deep with their properties, so I cannot fight back daydreaming of the possibilities for what we might see in a line like this. Sure, we have AWESOME comic versions of the Turtles thanks to NECA, and those will likely never be touched, but what little we got from Playmates in their attempt at an updated “classic” left me, and if the Internet is accurate, a lot of other collectors completely cold. Could Japan be the answer for us? Man, I REALLY hope so, and if Bandai is going to be our Turtle saviors, the will have some work to do.
Now, even though I acknowledge that this is ridiculously early, aside from the Turtles, Bandai also had a little poll for those in attendance at NYCC to vote on other characters they would like to see in the line. Here is a picture courtesy of my friend Junior:
Nothing groundbreaking, but it does show some planning, so I will remain hopeful. Now, one could argue that an entire top ten can come just from that list, but frankly, if those characters at the very least do not make it out, I would consider a true TMNT line a failure, Now, maybe Bandai is looking to just get to the heavy hitters, and that is okay, but I want some of this list be of characters that are beyond this core group. So, I am reserving the first couple of spots on this list as “tiers” of characters taken right from this poll. All of them are essential in my eyes, but others are more so, so numbers one and two will be groups because all of these need to be done. The line has not even started yet, so I am not going to discount their worth just because I feel they should be givens, because at this stage, they are not. I know that is pretty much cheating at my own game, but screw it – I am too excited by the possibility of getting a true TMNT Classic line.
So here we go…
#1: Tier 1: Shredder, Splinter, and April O’Neil
IF Bandai is going to do this, and all of those Turtles are going to come out sometime within the next several months, Shredder, Splinter, and April are absolutely required for the first step in going beyond the Turtles themselves. There has not been a classic rendition (aside from vintage re-issues) of any of these characters since the ’90s. Not one Shredder. I have Z-list MOTU characters by this time and not one Shredder. Think about that for just a second . . . it seems asinine, right? He is (arguably) one of the greatest villains of the 1980s and there is nothing to show for the version that made him so famous. Now, copy and paste that for Splinter and April. Past the four Turtles, these are the most important characters in TMNT lore, and we are severely lacking. Heck, we have NEVER had a foxy cartoon version of April. Shredder was teased by Playmates, NECA gave us a comic April, but nothing for Splinter. Start with these three.
#2: Tier 2: Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang, and Casey Jones
Okay, are we gonna do this, or what? These are all from that survey list from above, but even if they were not, they are all givens for this list. The bad guys are ALL critical pieces of TMNT lore, especially with this line looking like it will likely be taking its cues from the classic cartoon and toy line. Krang has not had anything official from a classic standpoint for years, and while Bebop and Rocksteady did find life in the Playmates Classic line, we need source-accurate and well-articulated versions of two of the most visually stunning characters in the mythos. Then there is Casey Jones. If I have to explain all of the reasons that he is REQUIRED, we would be here for a very long time. After the Turtles and Shredder, he might be my next essential pick.
#3: Foot Soldiers
Yeah, these guys deserve to be in the first two tiers, but they also deserve to be in a category all their own. Let’s face it, they are AMAZING army-builders, maybe some of the best ever, so getting these lined up fast and with plenty of lead time to build an army is essential. Of course, the cartoon/toy accurate purple soldiers are priority numero uno, but . . . when I look at the Turtles on display, they do have the vintage cartoon feel to them, but even more so (at least to me) they look like they just jumped right off the screen of the original TMNT Arcade game. That might my favorite arcade game of all time, and having designs for characters based on that makes me weak in the knees. Toward that end, give me color variations for Foot Soldiers and unique weapons. Purple, yes, but I would also take blue, red, white, yellow, any of them in a heartbeat.
#4: Baxter Stockman
Shredder’s bridesmaid to his real lackeys, Baxter has been a staple of TMNT from the beginning. The fly incarnation had a strong presence in just about every piece of off-shoot media at the time of the vintage line/cartoon, so his presence in a line like this would certainly be required. Can you imagine the gross details on the fly form of this guy? They would be crazy, and the flying poses that would be possible in the Figuarts configuration would be too good to pass up. If the Mousers cannot get a multi-pack on their own (they should), Baxter should forego just about anything else to get at least a couple in with him.
#5: General Traag
A surprise, you say? Just hear me out on this one because I think he works high in the rankings for several reasons. First of all, he will make a bad ass action figure. Even if you don’t know who he is, he will look insanely cool. Second, he is an important character and he represents some pretty important in the TMNT mythos. Let’s face it, even though Krang has the brain (wokka, wokka) for technology, he is WAR LORD. The rock soldiers of Dimension X are what make him so powerful, so having his number one general and field leader is definitely required. Plus, he opens the door for some slick army building with said rock soldiers; sure, the Foot will always be numero uno in terms of TMNT cannon fodder, but the rock soldiers make pretty amazing runners-up, and Traag is required to command them. Granitor too.
#6: Slash
Another longtime staple in the TMNT pantheon, this ally of the Turtles is needed by any self-respecting collector. The “bad” Turtle, Slash has served as a foil and sometimes kinda-friend/rival for a long time. Slash was never one of my favorite TMNT characters, but there is no denying his importance and prevalence in the property; plus, again: he would make for an awesome figure. I know he is very popular as well, so he would make another strong offering for Bandai, especially in the wake of some of the more non-A-list figures that are coming next on the list.
#7: Genghis Frog
I love the Punk Frogs. I mean, they don’t look at all “punk” to me, but they are a great compliment to the Turtles as Shredder’s attempt to build a like team. Fortunately, they realized they are not evil and joined with the good guys, so the southern super team was born. Genghis gets the nod here because he was the most prominent of the four in the 1980s, and his figure matched with the cartoon. Frankly, I was disappointed as a kid when Napoleon Bonafrog looked so different in action figure form, I wanted him to be (essentially) a repaint of the Genghis figure. If Bandai wants to do that, I would be perfectly pleased.
#8: Mondo Gecko
The mighty Mutanimal kindred spirit of Michelangelo, Mondo Gecko is pretty much a perfect ally to the Turtles. A skater dude through and through, his character design is very toy-etic, and the possibility of him being able to balance on that skate on his tail is almost too much to bear. His garb is like a time capsule of the time, but I don’t even care — Mondo Gecko is just begging for an action figure reboot.
#9: Metal Head
So . . . who wants a robot turtle made by Bandai? Yeah, that is just about everyone ever, so I think it is safe to assume that this figure is right up their alley. I went back and forth on whether to include Metal Head here or Fugitoid, and while I would be perfectly happy with either, Metalhead gets the advantage here. One of the things that give him the edge? The fact that Bandai could perfectly recreate his clear pink brain that would light up his eyes. I mean . . . how do you beat that?
#10: Rat King
Talk about creepy, right? Even on a perfectly benign children’s cartoon, the Rat King was still creepy as hell to me as a kid, and living with the rats and his dry voice made him a real scare. Obviously forced into a regal rat life beneath the streets due to his ginger status (I kid, I kid), for being humanoid, his look is just as unique as the most mutated mutant in the mythos. Plus, I am always a fan of getting independent villains to give the main guys a night off.
That is how I would get started. I know, this is about premature as you can get, but really, a line like this represents the last of the big reboots for me (unless a REAL Ghostbusters line were to kick up), so I really can’t help myself. Who would be on your list?
Honorable mentions go to Ace Duck, Ray Fillet, Leatherhead, Usagi Yojimbo, Granitor, Tricereton, The Neutrinos, and Fugitoid; if we ever get the characters listed above, I will be the first to come back for another swing at a Top Ten. I am trying to keep my excitement tempered, I really am, but the thought of having a full-blown classic TMNT line from Bandai has me positively, well, GIDDY.