What is your favorite TMNT universe?
 

Forgive me for posing such a broad, general question (and maybe it's not fair) that I'm sure might have been asked or polled at some point in the Drome's near decade of life, but I'm curious what the mass majority of TMNT fans think in the here and now.

Archie took everything adult about Mirage, and mixed it with everything mutant about the old toon*Yes more mutants can be good!* and made one bad ass comic.

Agreed. Archie all the way.

You'll get no argument from me. Archie found its footing fairly quickly, and as soon as it decided not to be grounded in either the Mirages or the original cartoon (it was originally heralded as just sort of some kind of comic book sidestory to the cartoon) it went on to greatness.

It's very easy to thumb your nose at the Archies as "Oh, that's just the cartoon Turtles and cowabunga and crap," but if you really get into them you see that's absolutely not the case. They deal with very real, very pertinent issues even in today's day and age (ecology, the loss of our rainforests, endangered species), yet don't shy away from some pretty surprisingly gritty material -- who saw the brutal gunning down of the MutAnimals coming?

Forever War should be at least solicited this year, if not published, according to Dan the Man. Might get some closure yet.

While all of that is very true of the Archie series, what gives it mega bonus points for me is that absolutely no part of it sucks and no part of it has ever had to be "erased" from the overall story. This is the definitive TMNT comic book for me - the kind of book that I would like to see on shelves right now.

As much as I love the Mirage books, there really aren't that many that fit into the original tone that was established in the first 11 books. And then there's Volume 4, which I won't even get started on.

I had to vote for the OT universe just because it was my first introduction to the TMNT & for that reason, I will always love it :) Now, if I had been old enough to get into the comics, I probably would have voted for one them. As I get older, I find myself wishing I had read the comics.

It's not too late! :)

where would be a good place start? well, duh, probably the beginning :lol: should I try finding older ones or just start buying new ones?

Ehhh, the current Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 notwithstanding, you might avoid the later stuff until, well, later (it gets a little controversial), but the barebones essentials in getting started should be :

TMNT Vol. 1, #1-12, #19-21, #24-26, #48-62.

If you just want the collected books, for starters I'd say :

TMNT Collected Book 1 (that collects 1-11 plus all four Leo, Raph, Mike, Don specials)

TMNT Collected Book 2 (optional, but still good)

TMNT Collected Book 4 (must-have, collects the 3 part "Return to New York" that is TMNT gold)

TMNT Collected Book 6 (optional, but I think you'll like "The River")

Unfortunately, not much else is collected. To collect the also must-have "City at War," at present you have to buckle down and buy the individual #50-62 issues of Vol. 1.

Good stuff...I have many questions...I'll pm you.

The new/current cartoon is still "TMNT Lite" in my book, but I can't praise enough how much they were able to sneakily adapt things into it straight from the comics, even if in altered/filtered form. For a kid's show it's still probably the truest incarnation in the mass-media we've seen yet to the source material.

I haven't voted yet because I don't feel I have enough of a background in anything to have a favorite.

I do like the Mirage comics I've read, but I'm not a big comic book person. I'd much rather get to actually see action. I'm leaning towards 2k3, but, as I said, I don't have enough to form a sound opinion.

If you got the cash to spring every week on Ebay I see people selling all 62 Volume 1 issues plus tons of bonus ones. Usually around 500 bucks.

If I were you I'd just get as many from phone order Mirage and then get the rest off Ebay.

I recommend the Image ones their awesome.

My favorite has to be a tie between the movies, the orignal Mirage comic, and the 2k3 series (I'm not to sure if I want to include Fast Forward or not, since it just doesn't appeal to me at all). Dark, gritty, taking in the very grim colors of New York city (if not, dulling them down). That's what I love. Then again, the old cartoon had that going for them as well, just not as dramatic. And I can't speak about the Archie comics, since I haven't read them at all, but I love what I have seen of it so far.

So, basically...any universe that is dark and has mutant turtle teens trained in the art of the ninja roaming about in it is good enough for me :D

Holy cow. Every universe has its pros and cons.

I have hybridized them all into my own little universe inside my head. Hardest issue to consolidate would be Splinter's origin story. Everything else is reconciliable.

Reasons I like each one:

- OT was my introduction to TMNT. The character designs are the best. It always gets a gazillion laughs out of me.

- NT is very faithful to the comic. Not to mention there is plot and character development.

- Movies were my second exposure to TMNT. Not to mention that through them I got to know more about the comic and the original background story of Splinter and the Foot.

- Mirage Comics are the original story, although I am glad some changes were made that have remained. Don't care for Image from what I have read.

- Haven't read the actual Archie comics, though I have read all the synopses of all the volumes on Ninjaturtles.com.

- Haven't played the video games (except the first one back in the 7th grade) or watched The Next Mutation (which I pretend simply does not exist).

I probably cannot vote yet. Perhaps once I watch the NT (which I just won on Ebay, hehehe) I may be able to rank things better.

Boy this is tough. I like them all for different reasons. I like the dark feel of the original stuff, movies and 2k3 series. Yet the lightheartedness of Archie (at times), FF, and the original cartoon are also very soothing, if that makes sense. I don't think I could pick just one, kinda like the Pringles lol

The movie universe, the first and fourth movie are my favorites. I'll take 2 & 3 fine as well, but TNM does NOT exist in this continuity for me, sorry.

2k3 is my other favorite, even FF is okay.

So if you force me to take TNM, then I say 2k3 is my fave, if I can leave TNM then I say the movies.

The OT is the gateway drug! :)

its hard to pick. but i had the most fun with the archie comics. mirage started me. and the toon kept me :/ its hard to chose :)

Well, for me, the Mirage comics are my favorite incarnation. I haven't read a lot of them, but what I have read I have liked.

OT - Like most people, this is what got me started.
NT - Very nice, and obviously pretty close to the Mirage comics, so they get brownie points for that.
Movies - Fun all around, even III, though it's definitely the worst of them all.
Archie - The only exposure I've had to these is a single Super Special issue that I got when I was still fairly young. It was sillier than the old cartoon, but in a more obvious way. IIRC, the turtles met with some pirates. One of them (I think it was Leo, but it might have been Mike) gets captured by the pirates who take him to some evil scientist/doctor guy. The thing I remember most about this was that the evil dude wanted to take out Leo's SpLeEn! :roll: Yeah, it was silly. Maybe I should give more of them a try, but even if they're not all as silly as that one issue, I think I would be turned off by all the environmentalist innuendo that I've heard about.

So, Mirage is my choice.

The 1987 TMNT cartoon was my favourite. But the Archie TMNT Adventures comics wasn't just silly. It delt a lot with serious themes as pollution. But the last issues were really weird.

I voted New toon. But only 'caus eits been so long sinceI'ce seen the Old toon I cant remember it. Plus, I have yet to read any of the comics.

Don't remember the movies either, I kep trying to buy the first one at Virgin (£5!) but I'm not allowed to spend anymore money till I have a job.

We voted for the new toon (even though we've only seen the first two seasons and some FF, which we hate) because it seems to be the perfect hybrid of the old comics and the old toon - serious storylines and humor, not to mention some great animation! Plus its the first incarnation of TMNT that we got to experience together - re-igniting T's fandom and making J a fan for the first time! :) :)

We also really like all the movies, though, including III (but not TNM).

- T & J

TMNT Adventures was my favorite because a long time ago, i had the comics but i also had a tape cassette that allowed me to read and listen along with the plots. I don't remember who voiced who; all i know is that the tape cassette contained "Turtle Tracks" to "Shreddered and Splintered."

I agree. Even though I haven't seen as many episodes of it as I have seen of 2k3, there is something cool and nostalgic about it(I just love stuff from the 80s anyway, like Back to the Future, TMNT, Ghostbusters, and my all-time favorite horror flick, Fright Night).

I decided on the OT cause like Andrew said, it is the gateway drug for most.

There's just something about those movies that edged out the 2k3 toon for me. Dont know if it was the realism of live action puppets or fantastic cgi, or the big screen effect that had more of an impact on my memory, I'm not sure. But I have always loved the movies. I never watched TNM though (not sure why that would be lumped into the movie section, as far as I'm concerned, it had absolutely no continuity to the movie universe, perhaps TNM should have had it's own line.

TNM was actually concieved as and intended to be a continuation from the movie universe. Obviously the character design is extremely different, but they live in the same subway lair we saw in TMNT 2 & 3.

But then in the forth movie, there is no sign of a female turtle or power rangers, right?

Ok, let me put it this way. TNM might want to think of itself as a continuation of the movies, but the movies sure as hell dont see TNM as part of it's world.

True enough. TNM basically doesn't exist as far as Peter Laird is concerned, so you're definitely not going to see any sign of it in future projects.

Unless you want to think of Raph's bike in the new movie as a homage to the old series.;)

But really, I've never watched the show, and I honestly didn't know of it's existence until I joined this forum. But from what I heard of the series, I've been trying to steer clear from the show. I dont need my image of the Turtles damaged.:D

This was a hard one.

I voted for OT because of the fact that, like most here, it was what got me hooked on the Turtles in the first place. But it was close between that and NT, I think I like the tv shows because there is a continual serial between them and the story line is always changing.

I'm still reading the comics, have read the first eleven or so of Vol1 Mirage, and bits and pieces of Vol2 and 4, and all of Vol 3 (I'm one of those who liked the gore I guess) but I haven't gotten into it enough to really be swayed into loving the comics more then the shows.

I'm still waiting to get into the heavier issues of the TMNT Adventure series, I ordered Issue 27 on ebay and have been stalled at 26 waiting for that one to come in so I could continue reading them. I think they're ok so far, but I keep hearing good things about the later issues.

My vote might change when I get my comic collection complete (that's always fun </sarcasm>)

And Splinter's ear is still sheared off in NT:TNM. Only universe this happens is the movie one.

I remember a lot of old interviews and such around the time it came off. Even Eastman himself said they were the same Turtles. Yet he also said in NT:TNM they were "older now, grittier." Kay...

the next mutation was at least an attempt to follow the movies but it got lost in cheapo vision and watered down everything. but as well as it could be said was stated it above NM considers itself part of the movies world but the movie doesnt not think the same:P and the power rangers crossover was painful enough in itself.

I look at it like this as far as the movies go:

There's TMNT 1-3. NT:TNM continues TMNT 1-3. Years later, the new movie also continues TMNT 1-3, but does not continue NT:TNM. So both NT:TNM and the new movie are both alternate continuations of 1-3, but you can't have both in the same continuity simultaneously... it's like a "choose your own sequel" kind of thing.

Though, if in your mind you kind of wedge the new movie between TMNT 3 and NT:TNM, that kinda works.

Choose your own sequel. I like that. Could make for an interesting comic book or regular novel adaptation of the Turtles. Remember in the movie BIG, when Tom Hanks' character was trying to get the idea of an electronic comic book where you could choose your own adventure. That would be so cool.!

It is, at least for our generation. It certainly was for me. If not for the cartoon, I never would have bothered with the Mirage material, which is almost really a paradox in itself.

If a thing introduces you to a thing you would never otherwise have known about, yet you love the thing you then knew about as a result even better than the introductory thing... how do you gauge the two things fairly in retrospect?

I'd seen almost all of the original cartoon in my childhood. Tons of toys, bedsheets, a backpack... you know, the works. All I know is just a few months back I popped in the new DVDs of the old cartoon and after watching about 6 episodes, once the "Holy ****, this is oldschool cool, man!!! Wow, I'm back!" factor of awe wore off, I really found myself tiring of them quickly and was unable to proceed beyond "Volume 3" of the DVDs of the old toon.

The Mirages, while the art is never really stable or consistent, I can always read those as an adult and be drawn in again.