The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been a worldwide phenomenon across almost every medium for decades now, and what's most interesting to me is just how many different interpretations we've seen of these characters and their universe. To think that such a gigantic, enduring IP sprouted from such a goofy, off-the-wall concept... it's really something. Since the upcoming live-action/CGI film is hitting theaters this summer and presenting its own take on the heroes in a half-shell, I thought it'd be fun to talk about which representations of the TMNT appeal to people the most. Naturally, age and nostalgia will play a large role in determining favorite TMNT eras, and that's fine. If you are able to further elaborate on why a particular TMNT "universe" is your favorite, however, please do. Anecdotal stories from childhood are welcome as well. After all, who doesn't enjoy engaging in a bit of nostalgic recollection with like-minded people?
For those of you who are having a hard time thinking of the different manifestations of the TMNT series over the years, I'll cover most of the main ones below:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Comics)
The self-published indie comics that started it all. This brainchild of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird introduced the green foursome as a group of sewer-dwelling ninja assassins that had been groomed their entire lives for one task: to assassinate Shredder and avenge Splinter's master's death. If you were like me and you discovered these comics after the TV series and live-action movies, you were likely taken aback by the decidedly darker tone that is set right from the first issue of these comics. In their original incarnations, the TMNT had no qualms about ending lives in combat. Human foot soldiers (as opposed to the robot variety from the TV show) are sliced and diced like an oven-fresh pizza during skirmishes with the Turtles, and the TMNT themselves often come out of fights covered in bleeding cuts and bruises. Eastman and Laird's appreciation for kung fu/ninja cinema is apparent in every action panel, with fight scenes flowing rather gracefully for an indie comics of that era.
While the Mirage comics took some weird turns with interplanetary travel and even inter-dimensional one-off stories (it was clear that Eastman/Laird were having fun), the series was at its best whenever it re-focused on the Turtles' ongoing feud with the Shredder and his Foot clan. To me, no other presentation of the TMNT has been as successful in making Shredder and the Foot seem like legitimately dangerous enemies. The writing isn't particularly great in the earlier issues, with spelling mistakes cropping up more frequently than they should, but all of the main characters (the Turtles, Splinter, April, Casey Jones, Shredder... etc.) are developed rather well by the time the series kicks into full gear with its main story arcs.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996 animated series)
For many of us who were born in the 80's/90's, this was our first introduction to the "world's most fearsome fighting team." Fred Wolf's cartoon series took the concept that originated in the comics and made it much more family friendly, giving way to an absolutely staggering amount of merchandising for about a decade thereafter. Suddenly Leonardo was only using his swords to cut inanimate objects and mechanical foes, and Shredder was presented as more of a bumbling, Scooby Doo-esque villain who was always cursing the Turtles for thwarting his evil schemes. The TV show was also responsible for giving the TMNT their pizza addiction, and it spawned countless original characters of its own. In fact, most of the rogue's gallery that later iterations would draw from would be taken from either this show or the Archie Comics adaptation that ran parallel to it.
All said and done, this TV show is probably the most responsible for the success of the franchise, and its impact on TMNT can be seen in almost everything that followed. It may be cheesy to re-watch now, but it's still one of the most nostalgia-inducing cartoons in existence for an entire generation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (Archie Comics)
This is the comics series that took its vibe and art style from the TV show, rather than from the Mirage line of TMNT comics. Once again, it was lighthearted in tone, and the TMNT were often being thrown into completely whacky situations. This comic was the origin of a lot of the franchise's more obscure villains, however, which is notable. Many TMNT fans were confused by the character selection in the SNES version of Tournament Fighters, and that was because many of the characters were lifted from the Archie Comics series.
I only read a few of these, so I can't elaborate too much on them. From what I can remember, however, they were a fun companion piece to the TV show.
TMNT Live-Action Films
Let's be honest here. The first TMNT film was better than anyone expected it to be, and there's a reason for that. Jim Henson's studio did a fantastic job in bringing the Turtles to life in their first live-action appearance, and the concept for the movie was drafted up before the TV show ever existed. The end-result was a film that took most of its inspiration from the original Mirage comics, lending the movie just the right about of gravity and seriousness to give it some unexpected credibility. Certain elements were borrowed from the TV show and merged in, like April O'Neal being a reporter and the multi-colored masks for the Turtles. The first movie would go on be one of the highest grossing independent films of all time.
The second movie came out a few years later, and the TV show's influence on this sequel was readily apparent. Jim Henson's crew were on board again, which was great, and this time around there was more slapstick humor and less violence. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and it ended up still beign an enjoyable film for the whole family.
The third movie was critically panned and just kind of a mess for various reasons. I enjoyed it as a kid, but it doesn't hold up too well now.
Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen Manga/Anime
I've never seen or read this interesting take on TMNT, but from the looks of it the Turtles were capable of transforming into almost Power Ranger-like versions of themselves. I'd like to hear more about this from anyone in this thread who can shed some light on the Turtles anime.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (live-action TV series)
I only ever saw a couple of episodes of this show, and it didn't do much for me. The costumes were cheaply made compared to the Jim Henson originals, and the writing/production values all around were lacking. That being said, this show did introduce the first female Ninja Turtle: Venus de Milo. She has shown up a few times in other places since her origination here, so she would go on to become this show's only real legacy that I know of.
Also, they apparently did a cross-over special with the Power Rangers at some point.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003-2009 animated series)
My only exposure to this animated series came when my little brother (9 years my Junior) would occasionally watch it while I was in high school. From what I saw, it seemed like a middleground between the feel of the original comics and the Fred Wolf cartoon. Actually, if I had to compare it to another comic book adaptation cartoon, I'd say that it kind of reminded me of the FOX Batman animated series from the 90's. I'd imagine that kids who grew up on this version of the TMNT would prefer it over the 80's/90's one, which only makes sense. As I have no nostalgic attachment to this one, however, I can't say that I am particularly impressed when I look up clips of the show. That being said, I can tell that it was a solid show for kids of that younger generation, so I'm glad that they got to experience a TMNT cartoon series as we did decades ago.
TMNT (2007 CGI Film)
This "reboot" film of sorts brought the Turtles to the big screen in their first-ever full CGI presentation. The tone of the film and its depiction of the characters strayed closer to the 2003 show than anything. The bickering between Raphael and Leonardo was taken to another level in this movie, which starts off with a rather well-choreographed rooftop fight between the two brothers. While the movie showed promise early on of taking a more grounded, serious approach to TMNT, it eventually veers off into fantasyland with generic baddies invading from another dimension and causing trouble.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011-present IDW Comics)
This IDW-reboot of the comics took me by surprise when I discovered it this year. After only two issues, the IDW series dives right into a radically different origin story for pretty much every major character. It delves into some murky territory (i.e. reincarnation) that didn't sit well with me at first, but then once some of the overarching narrative starts to come together these IDW comics really get good. The biggest accomplishment of this series is how well it distinguishes the personalities of each Turtle from one another. While they are still based on the traditional templates that we've seen since the beginning, the writing (which is a step above the older comics) allows for a much more nuanced look at what makes the TMNT tick. The progression from one issue to the next is pretty conventional, as each issue in a story arc ends with a cliffhanger of sorts. But what's fun about this new series is how cleverly it borrows from all of TMNT's history, especially the original Mirage comics. Every issue is littered with little homages or reinterpretations of things that happened in the original comics. Reading through the Ultimate Collection books of the Mirage comics and this new IDW series has been a real treat for me, as experiencing them in tandem makes it even easier for me to spot the clever callbacks in the new comics.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012-present Nickelodeon series)
I have not yet seen a single episode of this new show, but I've heard pretty good things about it. I'm not a fan of the art style or the fact that April and Casey Jones are represented as teenagers, but I'd be willing to give that a pass as long as the writing and action were interesting enough. All I know is that this show is the marketing vehicle for TMNT as of right now. You can't go into any megastore without seeing this Nickelodeon iteration of the TMNT plastered all over backpacks, lunchboxes, and all sorts of other accessories.
Nickelodeon has actually been doing a pretty great job with the IP since acquiring it, actually. They even allowed for "Classic" versions of the old toy line to be released for the kids of today to enjoy, which I think it really cool. They also have given IDW a commendable degree of creative freedom with their new comics.
Michael Bay's TMNT
LOL, no.
__________________
With that out of the way, I'll go ahead and nominate the original Mirage TMNT comics as my favorite representation of the characters and their universe. Some amateur-level writing aside, the more adult-oriented tone of the original comics is just very compelling to me. As a TMNT-crazed kid who discovered the comics a little late, I was shocked to see Leonardo handing Shredder his sword and commanding him to commit seppuku. From that moment on I was fascinated by the darker original Turtles as conceived by Eastman and Laird.
So, GAF, let's hear about your favorite Ninja Turtles iteration. The beauty of TMNT as an IP is that so many stories can be told with the same characters, locations, and themes being re-purposed and tweaked for new generations of fans.
For those of you who are having a hard time thinking of the different manifestations of the TMNT series over the years, I'll cover most of the main ones below:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Comics)
The self-published indie comics that started it all. This brainchild of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird introduced the green foursome as a group of sewer-dwelling ninja assassins that had been groomed their entire lives for one task: to assassinate Shredder and avenge Splinter's master's death. If you were like me and you discovered these comics after the TV series and live-action movies, you were likely taken aback by the decidedly darker tone that is set right from the first issue of these comics. In their original incarnations, the TMNT had no qualms about ending lives in combat. Human foot soldiers (as opposed to the robot variety from the TV show) are sliced and diced like an oven-fresh pizza during skirmishes with the Turtles, and the TMNT themselves often come out of fights covered in bleeding cuts and bruises. Eastman and Laird's appreciation for kung fu/ninja cinema is apparent in every action panel, with fight scenes flowing rather gracefully for an indie comics of that era.
While the Mirage comics took some weird turns with interplanetary travel and even inter-dimensional one-off stories (it was clear that Eastman/Laird were having fun), the series was at its best whenever it re-focused on the Turtles' ongoing feud with the Shredder and his Foot clan. To me, no other presentation of the TMNT has been as successful in making Shredder and the Foot seem like legitimately dangerous enemies. The writing isn't particularly great in the earlier issues, with spelling mistakes cropping up more frequently than they should, but all of the main characters (the Turtles, Splinter, April, Casey Jones, Shredder... etc.) are developed rather well by the time the series kicks into full gear with its main story arcs.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996 animated series)
For many of us who were born in the 80's/90's, this was our first introduction to the "world's most fearsome fighting team." Fred Wolf's cartoon series took the concept that originated in the comics and made it much more family friendly, giving way to an absolutely staggering amount of merchandising for about a decade thereafter. Suddenly Leonardo was only using his swords to cut inanimate objects and mechanical foes, and Shredder was presented as more of a bumbling, Scooby Doo-esque villain who was always cursing the Turtles for thwarting his evil schemes. The TV show was also responsible for giving the TMNT their pizza addiction, and it spawned countless original characters of its own. In fact, most of the rogue's gallery that later iterations would draw from would be taken from either this show or the Archie Comics adaptation that ran parallel to it.
All said and done, this TV show is probably the most responsible for the success of the franchise, and its impact on TMNT can be seen in almost everything that followed. It may be cheesy to re-watch now, but it's still one of the most nostalgia-inducing cartoons in existence for an entire generation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (Archie Comics)
This is the comics series that took its vibe and art style from the TV show, rather than from the Mirage line of TMNT comics. Once again, it was lighthearted in tone, and the TMNT were often being thrown into completely whacky situations. This comic was the origin of a lot of the franchise's more obscure villains, however, which is notable. Many TMNT fans were confused by the character selection in the SNES version of Tournament Fighters, and that was because many of the characters were lifted from the Archie Comics series.
I only read a few of these, so I can't elaborate too much on them. From what I can remember, however, they were a fun companion piece to the TV show.
TMNT Live-Action Films
Let's be honest here. The first TMNT film was better than anyone expected it to be, and there's a reason for that. Jim Henson's studio did a fantastic job in bringing the Turtles to life in their first live-action appearance, and the concept for the movie was drafted up before the TV show ever existed. The end-result was a film that took most of its inspiration from the original Mirage comics, lending the movie just the right about of gravity and seriousness to give it some unexpected credibility. Certain elements were borrowed from the TV show and merged in, like April O'Neal being a reporter and the multi-colored masks for the Turtles. The first movie would go on be one of the highest grossing independent films of all time.
The second movie came out a few years later, and the TV show's influence on this sequel was readily apparent. Jim Henson's crew were on board again, which was great, and this time around there was more slapstick humor and less violence. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and it ended up still beign an enjoyable film for the whole family.
The third movie was critically panned and just kind of a mess for various reasons. I enjoyed it as a kid, but it doesn't hold up too well now.
Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen Manga/Anime
I've never seen or read this interesting take on TMNT, but from the looks of it the Turtles were capable of transforming into almost Power Ranger-like versions of themselves. I'd like to hear more about this from anyone in this thread who can shed some light on the Turtles anime.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (live-action TV series)
I only ever saw a couple of episodes of this show, and it didn't do much for me. The costumes were cheaply made compared to the Jim Henson originals, and the writing/production values all around were lacking. That being said, this show did introduce the first female Ninja Turtle: Venus de Milo. She has shown up a few times in other places since her origination here, so she would go on to become this show's only real legacy that I know of.
Also, they apparently did a cross-over special with the Power Rangers at some point.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003-2009 animated series)
My only exposure to this animated series came when my little brother (9 years my Junior) would occasionally watch it while I was in high school. From what I saw, it seemed like a middleground between the feel of the original comics and the Fred Wolf cartoon. Actually, if I had to compare it to another comic book adaptation cartoon, I'd say that it kind of reminded me of the FOX Batman animated series from the 90's. I'd imagine that kids who grew up on this version of the TMNT would prefer it over the 80's/90's one, which only makes sense. As I have no nostalgic attachment to this one, however, I can't say that I am particularly impressed when I look up clips of the show. That being said, I can tell that it was a solid show for kids of that younger generation, so I'm glad that they got to experience a TMNT cartoon series as we did decades ago.
TMNT (2007 CGI Film)
This "reboot" film of sorts brought the Turtles to the big screen in their first-ever full CGI presentation. The tone of the film and its depiction of the characters strayed closer to the 2003 show than anything. The bickering between Raphael and Leonardo was taken to another level in this movie, which starts off with a rather well-choreographed rooftop fight between the two brothers. While the movie showed promise early on of taking a more grounded, serious approach to TMNT, it eventually veers off into fantasyland with generic baddies invading from another dimension and causing trouble.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011-present IDW Comics)
This IDW-reboot of the comics took me by surprise when I discovered it this year. After only two issues, the IDW series dives right into a radically different origin story for pretty much every major character. It delves into some murky territory (i.e. reincarnation) that didn't sit well with me at first, but then once some of the overarching narrative starts to come together these IDW comics really get good. The biggest accomplishment of this series is how well it distinguishes the personalities of each Turtle from one another. While they are still based on the traditional templates that we've seen since the beginning, the writing (which is a step above the older comics) allows for a much more nuanced look at what makes the TMNT tick. The progression from one issue to the next is pretty conventional, as each issue in a story arc ends with a cliffhanger of sorts. But what's fun about this new series is how cleverly it borrows from all of TMNT's history, especially the original Mirage comics. Every issue is littered with little homages or reinterpretations of things that happened in the original comics. Reading through the Ultimate Collection books of the Mirage comics and this new IDW series has been a real treat for me, as experiencing them in tandem makes it even easier for me to spot the clever callbacks in the new comics.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012-present Nickelodeon series)
I have not yet seen a single episode of this new show, but I've heard pretty good things about it. I'm not a fan of the art style or the fact that April and Casey Jones are represented as teenagers, but I'd be willing to give that a pass as long as the writing and action were interesting enough. All I know is that this show is the marketing vehicle for TMNT as of right now. You can't go into any megastore without seeing this Nickelodeon iteration of the TMNT plastered all over backpacks, lunchboxes, and all sorts of other accessories.
Nickelodeon has actually been doing a pretty great job with the IP since acquiring it, actually. They even allowed for "Classic" versions of the old toy line to be released for the kids of today to enjoy, which I think it really cool. They also have given IDW a commendable degree of creative freedom with their new comics.
Michael Bay's TMNT
LOL, no.
Well, okay. I'll keep an open mind, but my hopes aren't high for this film.
__________________
With that out of the way, I'll go ahead and nominate the original Mirage TMNT comics as my favorite representation of the characters and their universe. Some amateur-level writing aside, the more adult-oriented tone of the original comics is just very compelling to me. As a TMNT-crazed kid who discovered the comics a little late, I was shocked to see Leonardo handing Shredder his sword and commanding him to commit seppuku. From that moment on I was fascinated by the darker original Turtles as conceived by Eastman and Laird.
So, GAF, let's hear about your favorite Ninja Turtles iteration. The beauty of TMNT as an IP is that so many stories can be told with the same characters, locations, and themes being re-purposed and tweaked for new generations of fans.
