What is your favorite incarnation of the Turtles?

[Unicron the Agitator]

Out of all the major incarnations of the Turtles over the years, which is your favorite? From the original Mirage Comics, to the films of the 90s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have shown up in nearly all forms of media. Personally, I like the 2K3 cartoon version of the Turtles as it pulls from many of the others. I also like the evolution of the characters, especially Leo after being stabbed in the back by Karai. I even liked how they changed Shredder’s character into an Utrom, while still keeping the character rooted to the original comic. Which is yours and why?

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Well I haven't read a whole lot of the Mirage series, yet (they're coming hopefully! :) ). But from what I have seen or read the first movie is probably my favorite. The reason being is that it was a great combination of the original Mirage concept and the cartoon. The movie adopted a good deal of the plot points from the comics, and to an extent kept the grittiness of the original turtles. At the same time, they made it light hearted like the cartoon so it would also be enjoyable to those that only know of the cartoon. The movie pretty much became the best of both worlds.

[Jester]

Archie: It took the cartoon's origins and a few of it's second season storylines and then veered off into it's own direction and had stronger, and even a little darker (heck, they KILLED the Mutanimals) storylines than the show ever thought of having. The Future Shark Trilogy is my all time favorite TMNT arc...ever! I loved the sci0fi element of the time travel and I loved that the TMNT were brothers and Splinter their father, a dynamic partially ignored by the old toon in favor of camaraderie/friendship (or as one book I read about the evils of cartoons in the 80's, a gang mentality :roll:.) For these reasons I picked Archie, a good balance of the humor and characterizations of the OT with the great stories and grit of the majority of the rest of the TMNT universe. (save NT:TNM and >>, but you don't have to count them...:P)

[gobo]

I had to vote for 2K3. I would have loved to say Archie had it been a show rather than a book. Stories that are paced by no effort on my part are just more convenient. I can tell you there are several books in my posession (comic or otherwise) that I've never finished because I lose interest whenever the stories start to drag for more than one page. But, it's easier to sit through a video production.

Here's my top 3:
- #1 2K3 toon (for doing the original comics justice while being its own entity
- #2 Archie (for making up for the more babyish eps of the old 'toon & having the best characters ever)
- #3 '90s Movies (honorable mention for mostly just the 1st & Don from the 2nd; Cory-Don was lame -_-)

[ThisSchemeCannotFail]

I have to vote for the original cartoon, almost out of loyalty. Without that series, it is highly unlikely I would have ever taken any notice of TMNT.

[Warhorse]

The 90's movie versions. That movie brought the Turtles to life for me and gave me a place to escape to once in a while.

It also threw in a little of something from all of the incarnations up to that point, so that nobody felt left out when they saw the flick.

[Mandi-chan]

For me it would be:

1.) The Mirage comics

2.) The 1990 movie tied with the 2007 movie

3.) The 2003 animated series (minus the Fast Forward crap)

[Buslady]

Whenever someone posts stuff like this, they forget...the movies were all different.
My vote: MOVIE1 specifically.

[Raven]

This is really a tough one being that each incarnation has brought something to the TMNT that I really like such as the orginal cartoon took a different look at the turtles and added the colored bandanas or the new show (2k3) which provided us with the classic mirage tales but with added twists which I really enjoyed. Even if Fast Foward has really been quite horrible that has even added a little bit to the TMNT world.

But if I have to choice I'll go with the 1st TMNT movie, why? Easy, for me it was a perfect blend of the orginal cartoon and the mirage comics. The movie featured life like turtles running around doing things that I could have never imagined before, They had a that great humor from the cartoon which I loved and the staying in the shadows from the comics. It also for me was one of the first movies that I got to see and understand a characters flaws and problems that being Raph (of course if you really look into it you can see the others) but I liked the way they did a lot of foreshadowing and keeping every thing in the dark which no incarnation to date has done very well (except the orginal mirage comics)

Plus this movie had a huge impact on my child hood, just seeing these life like turtles on the screen really can do wonders for your imagination.

[Monkey Ambassador]

Image. It was pretty dark.

[bmxbandit]

archie comic series!! i loved the art in them and the stories. :)

[Spitfire]

Wow blows my mind to see "90's Movie Version" has the most votes.

Anyways I think Archie is the best. It took what was good about the old toon, mixed it with Mirage, ran with it's own villains and very dark storylines and gave us my favorite TMNT comic.

I swear if they had made a cartoon out of the Archie comics it would have been gold. Even better then the 2K3 series, which I love but Archie is just better.

[Sage Ninja]

this is a hard choice but I went with the classic cartoon one. I just loved that show even though it had its flaws, it was still priceless and orginal for what it was.

But I also adore the new 2k3 series and it soo doesn't get the respect it deserves. I love the family dynamic and grittiness of the story lines.

[Colliwog]

The first movie is my favorite of all. I think my second choice would be the 2k3 cartoon. Even thought I've barely seen much of it at all, I like what I've seen of it so far, and that it follows the original storyline.

[Sewer Bull]

Where is "The Next Mutation version"?

Where is the anime version? This is my top five.

Where is the new movie version, huh?

I'd say 2K3 and later Archie.

[Spitfire]

The new movie version shouldn't be on the list. It isn't out yet.

[Sewer Bull]

True, but it will be out so soon and almost everyone saw the clips/leaked images/whatever else.

But I guess you're right.

[Ra]

I voted for 2k3. It rekindled my love for turtles, and it I guess it sort of brought me into the fold. I owe it a lot for it. It also has some interesting stories to tell. I also would have voted for the original Mirage Version if I could, since me likes the original :D

[Fang Wolf]

I voted Mirage Comic Version.....^^; :)

[Buslady]

Wow blows my mind to see "90's Movie Version" has the most votes.

Anyways I think Archie is the best. It took what was good about the old toon, mixed it with Mirage, ran with it's own villains and very dark storylines and gave us my favorite TMNT comic.

I swear if they had made a cartoon out of the Archie comics it would have been gold. Even better then the 2K3 series, which I love but Archie is just better.

I agree that the Archies were very good. IF they wanted to do some 'future' type stuff, this is where the source should have been from. Not the FF crap.

[Jester]

I agree that the Archies were very good. IF they wanted to do some 'future' type stuff, this is where the source should have been from. Not the FF crap.
PREACH IT!!! Maybe that's why I give >> the benefit of the doubt, cause I hope it'll pull from Archie's established TMNT future...:P

[DrSpengler]

I had to choose the 2k3 toon.

I recently read through, chronologically the entire Mirage series. It was a good read, but the pacing is awful, characterization is inconsistent and there are TONS of awful continuity errors.

The 2k3 toon pretty much took all the good storylines and characters from the Mirage run and strung them together with coherent continuity, excellent pacing and consistent characterization, as well as adding lots of new elements.

Archie might come second, though I haven't read through the whole run, yet. It basically took everything that was good about the Old Toon, made it better and left behind all the stuff that didn't work.


As for why Next Mutation and the Anime OVAs weren't on the list: they shouldn't be. They're both brief continuity off-shoots; Next Mutation is an off-shoot of the movie continuity and the Anime OVAs are an off-shoot of the Old Toon continuity.

Making categories for them would mean making categories for the million alternate tales from Mirage Vol. 1.

[Time Mistress]

It was a hard choice but I voted fot the original movie, basically because it jams everything I love most about TMNT into one place for one solid hour and a half to two hours that I can relieve in an afternoon. After that, my fave is the new toon, which gave me everything I love most about TMNT on an ongoing weekly basis. It's what revived my love of TMNT. I don't want the new show to end (or at least I want it to be what it was before FF).

[Hitsuji]

I would vote for the Original comics, because I prefer things in their "real" format, but I haven't read them yet! Just a few stories. So I've voted the 2k3 toons because of their similarity with the Original ones.

Then would be the first movie. Wow.... I watched it A LOT of times when I was little (well, and now too!). When it got to the finish I rewinded it and watched it again.... and again... and again.... I miss those days... ;__;

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

The 1987 TMNT cartoon.

[SpiderHulkThing]

the old cartoon incarnation is my favorite since it's what i grew up with. however, i wish they could have remained similar to seasons 1 and 2 throughout the whole series. and it was a sad day when they robbed mikey of his nunchucks.

[Ecto Jedi]

the old cartoon incarnation is my favorite since it's what i grew up with. however, i wish they could have remained similar to seasons 1 and 2 throughout the whole series. and it was a sad day when they robbed mikey of his nunchucks.

I hear ya. But at least we still got to call them "ninjas" over here in North America. :roll:

[SpiderHulkThing]

I hear ya. But at least we still got to call them "ninjas" over here in North America. :roll:


it would have been cool if they would have been able to make the old series kind of like the newer one. well the newer on that started in 2003. darker, able to use their weapons more, etc.

i liked the newer turtles as well, but it's still weird not having bebop, rocksteady etc.

[Aztec General]

For me it would be:

1.) The Mirage comics

2.) The first movie

3.) The 2003 animated series

Exactly. Except I would be sure to distinguish the 2K3 animated series from Fast Forward. I hope to add the new film to #2 as well! Hopefully it will be the awesome sequel to the first film that I always wanted!

[theredgnome]

The original 1990 movie was perfect. It seemed to be an appropriate balance of the darker Mirage comics and the more humorous 1987 cartoon.

[Scandia]

Quoting Dr. Spengler:
I had to choose the 2k3 toon.

I recently read through, chronologically the entire Mirage series. It was a good read, but the pacing is awful, characterization is inconsistent and there are TONS of awful continuity errors.

The 2k3 toon pretty much took all the good storylines and characters from the Mirage run and strung them together with coherent continuity, excellent pacing and consistent characterization, as well as adding lots of new elements.


Couldn't have said it better myself. I have read a lot of the Mirage books- and though they are good, the 2k3 cartoon did a much better version of keeping things coherent and consistent. Not to mention they have added some kickarse storylines. And it is the universe that gives Leonardo the most attention.

[Spike Spiegel]

I like the 2K3 toon because it was the first time I saw the TMNT handled seriously enough. It was cool, because I liked the OT a lot when I was younger, and as I matured emotionally, the TMNT were able to mature with me (I was born after 1990, so you get the idea).

I love the original movie because, like DrSpengler said, it crams everything cool about the comics and the OT into two hours of awesomeness.

[GK Punk]

Now days I prefer the OT version. It's mindless, cute and silly. I do dig the Mirage, 2k3 and movie versions a lot still though, so it's a tough call. I just think the OT edges them out slightly for me.

[kerfootw]

2k3 series no questions asked. Although the 1990 movie and Mirage are pretty close though. Unlike most '87 toon freaks (especially those I see on places like tv.com), I grew up in more ways than one.

[VaughnMichael]

I voted Archie but also would have went with old toon.

[Fiendishglow]

Old Toon for the first 5 episodes alone.

IMO they the first 5 episodes were the best incarnation the TMNT has ever offered.

[cowabunga14]

I voted for the Old Toon.

[Revan]

Old Toon for the first 5 episodes alone.

IMO they the first 5 episodes were the best incarnation the TMNT has ever offered.

Someone who shares my opinion in this matter. I completely agree. The first season was my favorite. They cramed as much awesomeness into 5 episodes as they could while simultaneously telling great stories and having amazing action sequences.
However, I voted for 2k3 because of the stories. They were much better and more interesting than those of the OT. Also, I love how they kept the turtles closers in terms of bonds as brothers and all that good stuff. 2k3 has that comic book feel to it. They often split the screen and drew certain sequences to resemble comic book art which was cool.