How would you rank(best to worst) the different TMNT incarnations?

[biganimefan]

I apologize if this has been done before, but I have looked at the last 4 pages of both this section and the comics section and couldn't find it. But I am genuinely curious how everyone would rank the different TMNT incarnations(comics, tv series', and movies). I'm placing my rankings based mostly on personal enjoyment, but also how well I think it takes care of plot and character development...


TMNT 2003 series: I was nearly 19 when this series began. I loved the more serious take on the show and that it was closer to the source material(even though when the series had started I barely knew anything about it). Same as it Never Was is among my favorite episodes of any TMNT series.

IDW series: I personally really love the re-incarnation angle. Krang is portrayed as a far more serious threat than he is in the FW show, and even the 2K12 show. My wife is reading this series now and really enjoying it so far.

Mirage series: It was probably about 1993 or so when I first discovered the source material. I had my parents buy me a hardback collection(the first 7 issues I think). I remember really liking it, although I was confused about the Turtles killing people. Since the trade collections have come out under IDW, I have bought all of them up to this point. Aside from a lot of the "guest" issues, it's generally pretty high quality stuff. Although my own personal enjoyment with it is a bit low. I've read all of Volume 1 and some of 2. Nothing with Volume 4 and most of Tales yet.

2K12 series: Aside from Casey and that it suffers a bit from plot amnesia, this show is pretty well done for the most part. My wife's personal favorite incarnation(she's also seen the FW series, 2003 series, and all the movies at this point)

FW series: This is where it all started for me. I don't really remember specifics, but in the summer of 1989 a friend of mine brought some Turtle toys over and we played a bit with them. I started watching soon after. This quickly became my personal favorite cartoon(beating out DuckTales and Chip 'n Dale at the time) and I stuck with it until it ended. Loved that it became more serious during the "Red Sky" seasons. I had about a third of the episodes either owned or recorded before it came out on DVD.

Archie series: My first exposure with the Turtle comic books.

original movie series(1-4): TMNT III is my personal favorite.

Image series: I only read 3 of them but I really enjoyed them and eagerly awaiting it to be released in trade.

Bayturtles: Ok, I will admit to liking these to a certain extant and that the 2nd one is better by far. But there are just so many things wrong with them it's not even funny. Vernon in this version is by far the better of his 2 incarnations at least.

Next Mutation: For awhile, I couldn't decide whether to put this one at the bottom or Bayturtles. But honestly, this one would be the most challenge to watch when I start my TMNT marathon next year. There were some, I consider, great ideas that were poorly executed. Venus being one of them.


I know that some of you might consider a couple of these incarnations to be part of either the original movie series(Next Mutation) or Mirage(Image), but I consider them different enough that they're their own thing.