For this set of reviews, I didn’t deviate much from last month; I just swapped out one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan issues for a plain old issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #4

If you were to chart the highs and lows of this first arc of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the trajectory would look like a single beat of a normal heart on one of those heart monitors. Issue #1 would be right down the middle, nothing too special, nothing too bad, then issue #2 spiking to grand heights of funny animal comics, before an equal spike in the opposite direction following issue #3’s needlessly dark depths. Finally, this issue comes and, well, it’s nothing too special, nor too bad.

This issue, IDW sweeps the board, with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #3 and the first two installments of the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mini-series, “The Secret History of the Foot Clan,” which tells the secret history of the Foot Clan. Turns out they were a parody of Marvel’s Hand ninjas all along!

The A cover for this issue of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic looks like a really, really rejected Marvel Secret Invastion crossover cover from a few years back. At least it gives you some kind of warning; heaven help you if you got the B cover, featuring Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie happily ice skating. I may have juxtaposed Hack/Slash with this series last time, but I’m just kidding around. Apparently some like their ponies like their coffee; black and bitter.

Alright, I am caught up with my Pull List series; nothing old I need to catch up on. Pull List #8 (or even #9, if someone finally takes up my offer to contribute) will consist entirely of comic books released in 2013. The good news is that most of these comics are also pretty fresh.

This issue, we take a look at the best-selling comic book about ponies ever, catch up on IDW’s other funny animal comic book series, and end with a brand new Marvel mutant with the ability to turn into a shark — because superheroes do believable stuff like that now!

The first time our buddies the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came to animation was in their first TV series, created in 1987 by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. More comedic in tone than many Turtle variations, this version ran for no less than 10 seasons on TV, intersecting with several of the movie adaptations. Now Lionsgate will soon release all 10 seasons in a 23-disc DVD box set — contained in a bright and shiny turtle-van! “From their origins on the comic book page to the depths of Dimension X and beyond, the pizza-loving, shell-busting Leonardo™, Donatello™, Raphael™ and Michelangelo™, with the guidance of their Sensei, have been delighting fans for decades with their turtle power. Whether it’s facing fierce enemies Krang™, Shredder™ and Lord Dregg™, saving humanity from near extinction, or battling against life-altering mutations, the half-shell heroes are always ready for heart-stopping, time-bending, straight outta the sewer action!” Look for it in November, or order it from Amazon today.

image c. 2012 Lionsgate

After years of comics, cartoons and movies, they’re still a lean, green fighting machine.

Born in 1984 as an underground comics parody of various martial arts and mutant comic books, the reptilian superhero team known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turned 28 last May, making them a bit old to still be considered teenagers.

A brand new cartoon series featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuted Saturday, September 29 on Nickelodeon; this is the third animated series to feature the characters, the fourth television series and the eighth continuity for the lean, green fighting machine, as they sometimes like to be called.

After that many continuities, what can this series bring new to the table, storywise? This is the first animated series to use CGI rather than traditional animation, so it did bring that to the table. But did it avoid the problems that other TV CGI series face?

I know this sounds hilarious, but in all seriousness, this is a nasty form of animal cruelty: duct-taping a little box turtle to some balloons, and then letting it go, to float who knows HOW high in the atmosphere. Thankfully, it was snagged a few feet off the ground by a eucalyptus tree in the San Diego suburb of Oceanside, California.

Local resident Chanelle Wright saw the trapped terrapin's balloons in the tree. She said she immediately contacted the Humane Society, and the local fire department, but it took them over an hour to respond. Just as the fire department's ladder truck moved its ladder into position, a big gust of wind blew the turtle free, allowing him to gently float back down to terra firma.

While neighbours initially told local television station KGTV that Wright and her family had perpetrated the turtle's airborne adventure, understandably upsetting and angering Wright, they later recanted their stories and apologized.

Local authorities are still looking for whoever is responsible. The turtle is currently resting up in the protective custody of the San Diego Humane Society, and will soon be up for adoption. Wright has stated that if no one adopts the little reptile, she will.

Turtles belong in the sea, not in the sky, anyway. Courtesy: Gawker.com and KGTV ABC 10.

Our friends at Cartoon Brew have a link to the first trailer for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series, premiering this fall on Nickelodeon. This new CGI series (similar to the TMNT feature from 2007) features the voices of Jason Biggs (American Pie) as Leonardo, Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) as Raphael, Rob Paulsen (Animaniacs) as Donatello, and Greg Cipes (Teen Titans) as Michelangelo. “Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles chronicles the adventures of the teenage turtle brothers as they emerge from their hidden lair in the sewers for the very first time. Ready to confront the wondrous and hostile world of New York City, they face enemies more dangerous and pizza more delicious than anything they could have ever imagined.” The trailer premiered on Nickelodeon last Saturday.

image c. 2012 Nickelodeon

First off, Happy Mother’s Day to you and yours!

Suddenly there is much ado about Hero Petz, written by Dale Mettam and illustrated by Juan Fleites. First off, a quick recap from the original series: “Even as the evil Itachi Clan of ninja weasels tightens its grasp on Peludo City, six heroes — okay, five heroes and a crazy Monkey — stand ready to defend the innocent and fight for justice. El Conejito the Rabbit; Wonder Squirrel; Steel Shell the Turtle; Sensei Penguin-San; Kapitan Brüllaffe the Monkey; and Golden Hamster are the Hero Petz! Together, they take it upon themselves to keep watch over the city and protect the innocent!” First off, this June Stan Lee’s Kids Universe is re-releasing the original 80-page graphic novel (from 1821 Comics) in trade paperback. Also, there’s a video trailer for a new Hero Petz video game — as well as several fan reviews — up on YouTube.

image c. 2012 by Juan Fleites

Franklin is, of course, more than a turtle — He’s a well-known children’s book character with his own long-running TV series from Nelvana. Well now Franklin has returned to Nickelodeon in Franklin and Friends, a new CGI series produced by Nelvana and Infinite Frameworks. Here’s a press release we picked up from Cartoon Brew: “Franklin is back and better than ever in the brand-new CG-animated preschool series, Franklin and Friends, premiering Monday, Feb. 13, at 9:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Based on the best-selling children’s book series by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark, published by Kids Can Press, the half-hour series follows a turtle named Franklin as he experiences adventures and milestones, learning lessons along the way with his pals Snail, Rabbit, Beaver, Fox, Goose and best friend Bear. The series emphasizes the importance of family, friendship, community, personal growth and helping others. Franklin and Friends, produced by Nelvana and Infinite Frameworks Pte. Ltd., will regularly air weekdays at 9:30 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.” The article goes into much more depth about the show, and includes a video snippet from the first episode.

Many concerned Vietnamese are focussed on the lake in the capital city, Hanoi, where veterinarians are deciding how to treat the sacred Hoan Kiem turtle.

Concern arose after the turtle was seen with open flesh wounds. Efforts to treat it began, involving ten government agencies and requiring the expansion of the lake's island.

The common musk turtle, Sternotherus odoratus, turns out to have an unusual ability: breathing underwater through its tongue.

In a paper, Austrian researchers describe how they noticed the turtle's curious eating habits under high-speed video, and used a scanning electron microscope to examine the lingual papillae.

The same group previously explained how a newt used its ribs as poisonous barbs, puncturing its own skin and that of animal hoping to consume it.

Also from the BBC: The "lost world" of Papua – Argonaut octopuses sail through sea

The Australian reports that a male Lavarack's turtle, originally thought to be extinct, was recently found in Queensland, Australia. In addition to its rarity, scientists are eager to examine the turtle for another reason: its species breathes through its cloaca--its rear orifice. "Over the next few days the 1kg turtle will be measured from top to toe and then suffer a more intrusive inspection. Scientists will stick a camera-headed fibre-optic cable into his cloaca to see how his breathing apparatus works."

Read an interview with Peter Laird about the new TMNT upcoming animated series debuting on FOX in the fall.