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As others have mentioned, the Mirage comics weren't grim-dark like something you'd see put out by Avatar, but if you remember the time Volume 1 came out (early 80's - early 90's) then you'll begin to realize a greater appreciation for the material.
The Turtles are more aware of their mortality and know they face the possibility of death during their adventures, along with the "depressing" mood certain issues carry throughout the Mirage era.
They killed in order to not be killed, not simply out of cold blood (save Baxter and that dog Mike didnt' know Don used for science).
After the death of worm-Saki, the guys had to deal with finding their purpose after having fulfilled their main reason for being, unsure what to do or where to go. Hell, they struggled to simply stay together as a family after his death, and eventually evolve into adulthood.
In the end, we all know what happens to the Mirage Turtles - they die. Seemingly after something happens to Mike, causing the others to become estranged over time, ultimately leaving Don as the last one to pass due to old age.
That is something no other version of the Turtles has ever dealt with, and most likely never will again.
The old comics have a certain excitement to them, when reading the earliest issues you can practically feel Kevin and Peter's passion emanating from the pages, and as the stories go along, you feel the mood shift as you enter the books when the cartoon was being made, then the absence of Kevin and Peter as the property became a behemoth, and when they finally come back in #50, you feel these two guys really trying to hang on to that independant spirit that brought them so much success, albeit lost to the corporate world of the consumerist masses.
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