Peter Laird on IDW TMNT

[Killer Moth]

Originally Posted by Konchadunga

It is not flawed, because the 2k3 series was (at least initially) a relatively acurate adaptation of the Mirage comics that Peter Laird had direct control over. That wasn't the case with the Teen Titans animated series; it wasn't developed by Marv Wolfman, made multiple changes from the source material, flanderized the characters tremendously, and in its adaptation of the Judas Contract arc, concluded with the exact sort of ending that Marv Wolfman deliberately avoided in the original. I'm kinda drunk right now, so I cannot really post a lot more, but I think my point is clear. Have you actually seen the Teen Titans cartoon?

(Puts on Titans-fan hat for a moment.)

At most, Marv Wolfman wrote only two episodes. The first was a late Season 1 filler episode, which was lackluster at best. (It was remarkable in that it introduced Aqualad and Trident.) He later wrote part 1 of the Season 3 finale, and offered the best Brother Blood characterization in the series. Either way, Marv wasn't involved much, but he obviously was willing to go along for the ride.

Actually, the animated series was an improvement for both Starfire and Raven. Comic Starfire was basically Innocent fan-service girl, while Comic Raven was walking and talking wangst. Both characters are good, yet the animated series obviously had to tone down such characterizations and, in their way, improve them. However, unique problems later developed, as comic Raven eventually became more like her sardonic and surly animated character. (Her reactions toward Beast Boy by the end of the animated series were borderline abusive, hence the complaint.)

Same with the Judas Contract, as the revisions were acceptable until the writers couldn't decide to make Terra become like her comic self (a hardcore psychopath who loved being evil) or go with the sympathetic character the animated version was becoming. That, and 5 episodes of her in a 13 episode season doesn't exactly allow the audience to truly empathize the loss or impact of her betrayal.

Oddly enough, the show started to nudge toward its comic roots with the final two seasons, especially the final one with its take on "Titans Hunt." It all works out, somehow.

Anyway, it isn't the best comparison, for Laird played an incredibly major hand with the 2003 series than Wolfman ever did. For example, in reading the emails, it is rather interesting in how the 4Kids writers/producers were quite willing to do even more allusions to the OT. As for Laird shooting them down, you can decide if it was a good thing, or not.

Anyway, moving on to hopefully something on-topic. He makes an interesting point about 'changing the origin for the sake of changing,' or to make something more about the Turtles rather than the accidential nature of their birth. On the one hand, the reincarnation angle is an incredibly fresh one, yet, on the other, we lose the Daredevil/Frank Miller parody which inspired the Turtles in the first place. Win some, lose some, I suppose.