TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures Continued # 36

 By Mark Rodriguez

After the Turtles dealt with the Pantheon in a 3-issue epic, we now get a bit of a breather issue. Krang is sick and Bebop reads him a bedtime story? Hilarity ensues? Let's take a look.

"And now for something completely Different" opens with Krang sick in bed and sneezing loudly. He gets a knock on the door and he tells the person he is indisposed. After more knocking, Krang gives up and tells the person to come in. Bebop steps in, calling Krang 'boss'. Krang says he is a general and not some common hood to be called 'boss'. He sneezes again and asks Bebop what he wants. Bebop says Shredder is elsewhere with Rocksteady and he's bored. He wonder if Krang has an evil plan for him or someone to beat up.

Krang says he's sick and has Utrom Flu, which even he admits should be impossible since he's only one on Earth. Bebop says it might just be allergies. Krang says he doesn't get allergies and just wants to sleep. Bebop says when he was little his mom used to read him bedtime stories so he can do that. Krang would rather not but Bebop pulls up a chair and goes ahead.

Bebop says that once upon a time, there was a 'stupid queen' named April that had a magic journalism degree that made people listen to her. Others wanted to talk to but April hid the degree in her castle. It the defended by the 'High and Mighty Toitle Guard Types' named Bluedini, Purpleton, Oranjolio and Big Red. Krang tells Bebop that he can't be serious. Bebop says it's artistic license. Krang says those are words he shouldn't even know. Bebop says the review people on TV say it all the time.

Back to the story, Queen April and her guards go around looking for someone to interview. She finds Baxter and gets ready to interview. Baxter asks April how she has a video camera and microphone in medieval times. April says they never mentioned what year they're in. Queen April starts her 'Only Channel News' report. Baxter wonders why he thought they were in the past and mentions it explains why they have an airport.

April tells Baxter that this is his chance to tell everyone how great of a reporter and queen she is. Baxter is confused and April says he's too slow and tells the Turtles to grab him. The Turtles grab him, and Baxter says he was put on the spot and his mind went blank. Big Red says he'll like their dungeon since they have bingo on Tuesdays. Bluedini asks April if they should find someone else to interview. April says she'll do an opinion piece since everybody loves her opinions.

Bebop explains that nobody liked her opinions, but they were forced to listen since she had the journalism degree and there was only one tv channel. Someone was about to change that, a man named Stabbyhands. Stabbyhands wanted his own journalism degree but the queen had closed all the schools. He tells his men that they will plan to steal the degree and form their own media empire.

This version of the story made Shredder tiny and wear an oversized helmet... on top of his regular helmet. Krang finds this amusing and wants Bebop to continue.

Back to the story, Stabbyhands and his men arrive at the castle. Rat King, a fruit vendor, tells them to have fun storming the castle. The Turtles see them from the castle and raise the drawbridge. Rocksteady asks if they should go back. Stabbyhands says he's prepared and tells Rocksteady to throw him. Rocksteady launches Stabbyhands towards the castle, but he lands right into Bluedini's hands. Stabbyhands and tosses out into the royal moat.

Bebop asks if they should try throwing Stabbyhands again. Stabbyhands says they will consult a master of strategy. They head towards the Forest of Hoboken to find the one guy that can help them. They arrive towards a hut that looks like a small Technodrome. Stabbyhands knocks on the door and the person inside says he is indisposed. Krang tells Bebop he saw what he did there. Bebop remarks that his mom always said to write what he knows.

This version of Krang's android body has a Fabio-ish physique and blonde flowing hair (both the android and Krang himself). Stabbyhands says he is trying to get to the castle and steal Queen April's journalism degree. Krang says nobody watches the news. Bebop says he likes keeping up with sports scores and Rocksteady likes the human interest stories about puppies. Stabbyhands says they've come close to getting past their defenses but they need help. Only Krang's genius can help. Krang says instead of trying to go over the moat, they can try to go under it.

 

Stabbyhands and his men buy a tunneling device from the Big Brain of the Forest and use it to dig their way to the castle. It took them weeks to get through but they finally made their way into the castle grounds. After sneaking inside and searching through three rooms, they finally find the degree. Stabbyhands opens the scroll to read it... and all it says is 'I can say what I want because it's good to be Queen!' The Turtles show up through a secret door, revealing all of this to be a trap.

The Turtles knew they were going to try something big so they just had to wait. Bebop says they were tunneling for so long and asks how they knew exactly when they'd show up. Oranjolio says they didn't. Purpleton says they just stay awake and waited. Big Red says they're from a city that never sleeps, so it's all habit.

Oranjolio jumps towards Rocksteady telling 'Cowabunga-eth' and gets swatted down. Big Red says he didn't have to say it like that since they established they're in a quaint but modern type of country. Oranjolio says it was fun. Bebop and Bluedini clash swords. Purpleton films the fight. Stabbyhands takes this chance to sneak off. He runs into April who bops him with her royal scepter. 

Stabbyhands wakes up in jail. The Turtles are outside and Stabbyhands asks if they came to gloat. Purpleton says April wants an interview since he's the first person to get so close to her degree. Shredder is excited that people will finally listen to what he has to say. He tells his cellmate Baxter about this. Baxter asks if he wants to trade bingo sheets.

Bebop ends the story. Krang says he is so unimaginative that the Turtles defeat him in his own story he's telling. Bebop stammers and Krang says if he says he's writing what he knows, he will whomp him. Bebop apologizes and figures he should watch TV and leave him alone. Krang says he demands another story, a better one in which the turtles don't win. Bebop sits back down and starts another story.

My thoughts-

So this was a quick little read. It's pretty much a stand-alone story with no mention of the recently defeated Pantheon, and despite their appearance in the story, we never saw whatever the actual Turtles were up to. It was fun seeing the characters re-imagined in a medieval setting. The Turtles pretty much acted like themselves but it was different to see April act 'snooty', which was as close as evil as she got. Bebop and Rocksteady didn't get any fantasy names though and were referred to mostly as 'Stabbyhand's mutants'.

The visuals were fun, like the Technodrome hut and the tunnel device was kinda like a wheel barrow with pedals and the huge drill bit in front, similar to the transport modules. I just realize since the Technodrome is always in Dimension X in this series, they never really got to use the transport modules here. I'm sure many fans got a kick out of Fabio Krang, especially him having the wig too. I guess Krang can't believe it's not butter. Since the story kinda/sorta takes place in medieval times, the Fabio thing could also be a reference to the model posing as Kuros on the cover of the NES game Iron Sword- Wizards and Warriors II, which also takes place in medieval times. I have to say, my favorite part was Krang laughing at Shredder this short guy in the story and asking Bebop to continue. I can actually hear him saying that.

Anthrax and Rat King got background cameos and Baxter got a bit of an extended cameo. Stories like these are always perfect for throwing in random characters that could benefit from extra appearances. This story also has Krang call himself an Utrom... which was something that was never mentioned or brought up in the original series. Old Hob called Krang an Utrom in earlier issues, but this time he said it himself.

Overall a fun little story and I guess a bit of a breather before whatever story happens next. The series does follow the trend of an episodic main story and an overarching narrative happening in the background. Maybe we'll find out what Shredder and Rocksteady were up to and why they decided to leave Bebop behind since they usually all go together. 

Next issue the Turtles will run into Panda Khan, one of the later action figures that never made it to the cartoon show. We'll see what happens then!