The 2007 movie is a mess, a good one.

[d_osborn]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

"looks like it was ripped right off the pages," etc., etc..

It was ripped straight from the pages of the Mirage comics. Barron used the issues as storyboards in early development.

Just because the fight choreography was inhibited by the creature FX/budget/fight directorial experience or the TMNT's sole purpose of killing Shredder was changed, doesn't negate the fact that the Mirage comics were a heavy source of visual/tonal inspiration for the film.

Loosely paraphrasing Laird, it's a miracle it turned out as good as it did (and that miracle is surnamed Barron). The film simply wouldn't have been financed if it were developed as tonally dark as the early issues. It barely got made as it was.

No movie, much smaller Turtlemania, much smaller legacy, much smaller fanbase, much smaller crowd funding for fan comics.