Compare/Contrast: The Many Colorizations of TMNT #1

*DrSpengler* · 05-10-2012, 04:15 PM

Now that TMNT Color Classics #1 has hit the selves, I thought it might be interesting to see how it stacks up against the previous two attempts at coloring the issue. I put an article up about it over at TMNT Entity:

Compare/Contrast: The Many Colorizations of TMNT #1

As it happens, save for one minor annoyance and one major mistake, I think Color Classics #1 is easily the best of the three. I appreciate that they don't mess with the original linework, inking or duotones and simply color over the original art. The previous attempts tried to hard to "fix" things and only served to take away from the visual identity (not as badly as the PBBZ reprint, which I didn't even feel was worth comparing in this article).

Blue Shredder, though... Blue Shredder...

*oldmanwinters* · 05-10-2012, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Blue Shredder, though... Blue Shredder...

Ouch, that sort of kills the whole thing for me! Still, the samples you posted do at least make me interested in checking this one out. I haven't been down to the comic shop this week.

**Venom** · 05-10-2012, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Blue Shredder, though... Blue Shredder...

Hey man, they were just takeing a cue from the old toy line.

*Galactus* · 05-10-2012, 05:30 PM

From the previews I did like that the colour job was significantly different to the other colour versions and loath as was to buy something I already have many times over I was considering it to support the series so it will get to issues like Return to New York which I'd like to see coloured but that blue garbed Shredder is a deal breaker. They may as well have gone the whole hog and given the turtles multi-coloured masks.

**Jester** · 05-10-2012, 05:49 PM

Man, that solid blue suit is laughable. I sorta noticed it in the "DOOM!!" page. I looked at Shredder and asked myself, "Self, are Shredder's arms colored, too?" Yikes.

*Galactus* · 05-10-2012, 06:14 PM

The "come face your doom" page seems to have the sunrise make it look sort of red.

It may be an overreaction on my part for the Shredder suit colour to be a deal breaker specifcaly as looking at the comparisons in the TMNT Entity article the colour job looks pretty darn good and strikes the balance between grit and modern colouring job, it looks like the best colour representation of the issue based on those example, certainly much better than the blander colour job for the ongoing IDW series but the appeal of this series for me personaly was the potential that we'd get to see stories that hadn't been coloured before brought to full colour faithfully, now it kind of seems like more liberties may be taken. Not to mention that it seems like more Fred Wolf pandering.

Killer Moth · 05-10-2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venom

Hey man, they were just takeing a cue from the old toy line.

Either that or they played the alternative-colored blue Shredder from Super NES Tournament Fighters one too many times. Hee.

Anyway, good analysis. I suppose I am partial to the First Comics version, mainly, as I own it and it's one of my first Mirage-based items. However, maybe after viewing Turtles Forever a few times and being a black/white film buff, I now feel the first Mirage TMNT issue should only be in black/white. Because official colorization may not always win over the reader's mind's eye/imagination, along with what should be the proper format. Some comics may work out great with color; other comics may not. Feel free to agree or disagree, because I feel indecisive. (Or, I'm comfortable with either format, anymore, based from the Mirage run to Marvel's Essentials line.)

On the other hand, the final page of the Scorpion one sure is pretty.

*CyberCubed* · 05-10-2012, 06:45 PM

Blue Shredder is hideous. He reminds me of the blue pallet swap for Shredder in Tournament Fighters for SNES.

Well I am not buying this. Maybe if they color Shredder correctly later on.

*Xav* · 05-10-2012, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venom

Hey man, they were just takeing a cue from the old toy line.

Or maybe from the Archie comics series.

**Jester** · 05-10-2012, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xav

Or maybe from the Archie comics series.

Especially the Archie comics. Wasn't that the only time Shredder had sleeves?

Toby Barrett · 05-10-2012, 09:29 PM

My god, you're whining about blue dudded Shredder now? This place will cry about anything.

*CyberCubed* · 05-10-2012, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby Barrett

My god, you're whining about blue dudded Shredder now? This place will cry about anything.

Did you look at the panel? It looks awful. I honestly wouldn't mind if Shredder was colored light blue like on the first Ultimate cover.

*DrSpengler* · 05-10-2012, 09:36 PM

Honestly, I wouldn't care if his shirt was blue (his look on the Ultimate Collection cover did't big me). It's that they gave him a full bodysuit when he never had one, to the point that he's got fingernails overtop of his gloves.

It's a legitimately bad coloring error, regardless of whether his outfit is blue or pink or purple.

It isn't worth dooming and glooming about, I'll agree. But it does look bad.

*CyberCubed* · 05-10-2012, 09:56 PM

I also hope this doesn't mean they're going to start taking creative liberties with the other characters. What if the Utroms aren't colored pink or the Triceratons aren't orange?

I mean this could only be the tip of the iceberg here.

**Jester** · 05-10-2012, 09:58 PM

The issue isn't really that Shredder's tunic is blue, but more that his arms and even his hands, complete with fingernails, are all blue. It is not only a poor choice, but it just seems lazy. I'd almost "borrow" Doc's scan, but since I'm not at home, that's not as easy as it would be otherwise.

*Mayhem* · 05-10-2012, 10:02 PM

Nice comparison there... I will always love the First Comics colouration though as that's what got me into TMNT in the first place...

Sophie Campbell · 05-11-2012, 02:41 PM

i don't mind Blue Shredder that much in theory, but i think the bigger problem (other than his hands and arms clearly being bare in the linework, making him look like he's got blue skin) is that the coloring is inconsistent: when Shredder first appears he has bare hands, but then, like the original poster noted, through most of the fight his hands are blue, then suddenly there are a couple panels where his hands are inexplicably bare-colored again.

**Venom** · 05-11-2012, 03:13 PM

I'm curious, is Blue Shredder possibly trying to convey the nighttime and shadows?

My first glimpse of the main comparo page, I thought Saki had the burgundy and the blue was shadows, then in the following page I noticed what Spengs was discussing.

Toby Barrett · 05-11-2012, 03:19 PM

He didn't want to have to touch those awful, slimy turtles.

*Powder* · 05-12-2012, 01:54 AM

The colorist(s?) is skilled no doubt, but it was poorly executed in my opinion. Lots of inconsistencies, and those scans should've been cleaned up.

05-10-2012, 05:49 PM	#5
Jester Rat-faced Dude-guy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 26,298	Man, that solid blue suit is laughable. I sorta noticed it in the "DOOM!!" page. I looked at Shredder and asked myself, "Self, are Shredder's arms colored, too?" Yikes. __________________ "Clearly, you're Ninja Turtling incorrectly." - Leo656

05-10-2012, 09:36 PM	#13
DrSpengler Foot Elite Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 4,842	Honestly, I wouldn't care if his shirt was blue (his look on the Ultimate Collection cover did't big me). It's that they gave him a full bodysuit when he never had one, to the point that he's got fingernails overtop of his gloves. It's a legitimately bad coloring error, regardless of whether his outfit is blue or pink or purple. It isn't worth dooming and glooming about, I'll agree. But it does look bad. Last edited by DrSpengler; 05-10-2012 at 09:59 PM.

05-10-2012, 09:58 PM	#15
Jester Rat-faced Dude-guy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 26,298	The issue isn't really that Shredder's tunic is blue, but more that his arms and even his hands, complete with fingernails, are all blue. It is not only a poor choice, but it just seems lazy. I'd almost "borrow" Doc's scan, but since I'm not at home, that's not as easy as it would be otherwise. __________________ "Clearly, you're Ninja Turtling incorrectly." - Leo656

05-10-2012, 10:02 PM	#16
Mayhem Foot Elite Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: London, England Posts: 4,075	Nice comparison there... I will always love the First Comics colouration though as that's what got me into TMNT in the first place... __________________ Lie with passion and be forever damned...

05-11-2012, 03:13 PM	#18
Venom Space Knight Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,637	I'm curious, is Blue Shredder possibly trying to convey the nighttime and shadows? My first glimpse of the main comparo page, I thought Saki had the burgundy and the blue was shadows, then in the following page I noticed what Spengs was discussing. __________________

05-10-2012, 04:15 PM	#1
DrSpengler Foot Elite Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 4,842	Compare/Contrast: The Many Colorizations of TMNT #1 Now that TMNT Color Classics #1 has hit the selves, I thought it might be interesting to see how it stacks up against the previous two attempts at coloring the issue. I put an article up about it over at TMNT Entity: Compare/Contrast: The Many Colorizations of TMNT #1 As it happens, save for one minor annoyance and one major mistake, I think Color Classics #1 is easily the best of the three. I appreciate that they don't mess with the original linework, inking or duotones and simply color over the original art. The previous attempts tried to hard to "fix" things and only served to take away from the visual identity (not as badly as the PBBZ reprint, which I didn't even feel was worth comparing in this article). Blue Shredder, though... Blue Shredder...

05-10-2012, 05:30 PM	#4
Galactus Foot Elite Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,009	From the previews I did like that the colour job was significantly different to the other colour versions and loath as was to buy something I already have many times over I was considering it to support the series so it will get to issues like Return to New York which I'd like to see coloured but that blue garbed Shredder is a deal breaker. They may as well have gone the whole hog and given the turtles multi-coloured masks.

05-10-2012, 06:14 PM	#6
Galactus Foot Elite Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,009	The "come face your doom" page seems to have the sunrise make it look sort of red. It may be an overreaction on my part for the Shredder suit colour to be a deal breaker specifcaly as looking at the comparisons in the TMNT Entity article the colour job looks pretty darn good and strikes the balance between grit and modern colouring job, it looks like the best colour representation of the issue based on those example, certainly much better than the blander colour job for the ongoing IDW series but the appeal of this series for me personaly was the potential that we'd get to see stories that hadn't been coloured before brought to full colour faithfully, now it kind of seems like more liberties may be taken. Not to mention that it seems like more Fred Wolf pandering.

05-10-2012, 06:45 PM	#8
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,841	Blue Shredder is hideous. He reminds me of the blue pallet swap for Shredder in Tournament Fighters for SNES. Well I am not buying this. Maybe if they color Shredder correctly later on.

05-10-2012, 09:29 PM	#11
Toby Barrett Stone Warrior Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 946	My god, you're whining about blue dudded Shredder now? This place will cry about anything.

05-10-2012, 09:56 PM	#14
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,841	I also hope this doesn't mean they're going to start taking creative liberties with the other characters. What if the Utroms aren't colored pink or the Triceratons aren't orange? I mean this could only be the tip of the iceberg here.

05-11-2012, 02:41 PM	#17
Sophie Campbell Official TMNT Staff/Cast Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 498	i don't mind Blue Shredder that much in theory, but i think the bigger problem (other than his hands and arms clearly being bare in the linework, making him look like he's got blue skin) is that the coloring is inconsistent: when Shredder first appears he has bare hands, but then, like the original poster noted, through most of the fight his hands are blue, then suddenly there are a couple panels where his hands are inexplicably bare-colored again.

05-11-2012, 03:19 PM	#19
Toby Barrett Stone Warrior Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 946	He didn't want to have to touch those awful, slimy turtles.

05-12-2012, 01:54 AM	#20
Powder 40 Years of TMNT Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shell-Ri-La Posts: 26,945	The colorist(s?) is skilled no doubt, but it was poorly executed in my opinion. Lots of inconsistencies, and those scans should've been cleaned up.