Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appreciation thread

[strangenova]

I wouldn't say The Manhattan Project is better than Turtles In Time but it doesn't get enough love because of that game. That said it is a fantastic game and one of my favorite nes games. The controls, animation, and music are all very high quality for the console.

https://youtu.be/GVhyR2Y4TIE

And that has to be one of my favorite nes tracks there is.

[Nemoide]

So I know this thread is in General Gaming but I need to gush about the comics a little bit.

I love TMNT. I loved the 80s-90s cartoon when I was a kid. I think the movies (or at least the first two) are plenty of fun. But my heart especially belongs to the Mirage comics. When I was in high school, I found a couple random issues of the original series here and there, but they were mostly "guest issues" from the series' long non-canon run roughly between issues #22-44. Then when I was in college I found Volume 4 which was written by Peter Laird with art by Jim Lawson and it completely blew me away.

I've been going through and re-reading my old TMNT issues (I have all of the main Mirage series and most of the spinoffs) and am currently about halfway through Volume 2, the color series; I just hope Volume 4 lives up to my memories. People sometimes give the Mirage comics some credit for being "dark" and "gritty" and compared to the cartoons, that's fair, but really I feel like the hallmark of the Mirage stuff are creative people trying out interesting ideas with the turtles. One of my favorite stories is the Leonardo: Blind Sight mini-series, in which Leonardo is blinded by a Foot assassin and goes on a hallucinatory journey through feudal Japan. IMO City at War is still pretty bold stuff! And even the non-cannon one-off stories can sometimes tell a surprisingly powerful story for something with a concept as ridiculous as "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

I've only read some of the non-Mirage comics. I used to turn up my nose at Archie's TMNT Adventures but now I know a lot of the actual Mirage creators were involved with it and it looks like it did some seriously interesting stuff. I have the first 5 or so issues of the Image series (Volume 3) which I kind of like but it's GRIMDARK to the point of being pretty ridiculous. IDW's new series was kind of interesting but I jumped ship before issue 30 because I felt the pacing was just too slow and I wasn't invested in those versions of the characters. I also have Image's "Bodycount" and "Casey Jones & Raphael" mini-series waiting once I finish re-reading volume 2... I hope they're good.

As for the cartoons, I grew up with the 80s series, so I have a strong nostalgic connection to it. But I do have to admit it could be pretty insultingly stupid at times... I'd rewatch episodes but only in small doses. I remember thinking The Next Mutation wasn't that great as a kid... definitely C-rate/sub-Beetleborgs Saban fare; I'm not sure I'd want to revisit it. I didn't watch the early-2000s show but I know Peter Laird was actually involved and made sure the series didn't get too ridiculous. I'd really like to see it all, but I don't know if I'll actually get around to it. The newest CGI show has some interesting character designs but is very much for an audience from a younger generation than me... I'm glad kids like it, but it doesn't interest me.

Have I rambled enough?
Oh, Leonardo is my favorite.

[noiseredux]

thanks for the comic talk. I had only read the first 11 issues of the Mirage comic I believe? I had a collection as a kid. I loved those comics.

And yeah, Leonardo rules.

[samsonlonghair]

I'm a raphael dude all the way.

[Sano]

Turtles forever!

[samsonlonghair]

Just a small sample of my collection.

[noiseredux]

I noticed that there are actually several free Kindle comics available on Amazon. Probably a good way to check out some of the different series. There's issue #1 of Eastman's IDW run, #1 of the TMNT/Ghostbusters crossover, and two Free Comic Book Day issues. Maybe more, but those are the ones I noticed.

[samsonlonghair]

Remember that thread about the Ninja turtles TV set?
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=50195
Good times.

[TSTR]

Just a small sample of my collection.

gorgeous

oh and I was a Donatello fan

[samsonlonghair]

Favorite Ninja Turtle is like the personality test of our generation.