The Blockbuster Buster’s Retrospective On The Best Ninja Turtle Show

Admittedly that’s out of personal bias. It’s more accurate to say that the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is my favorite version. I’m only now getting familiar with the comics thanks to the “Yesterday’s” Comic reviews but this is probably the most faithful version in tone and characters. The live-action movie may have used a more accurate origin and Casey but was still filled with the changes from the show, like April O’Neil being a reporter instead of a scientist. However, with limited exposure to the Mirage comics at this point what really drew me to this show was that it was less about the comedy and more about the action. CBS may have adjusted the original cartoon back to what we saw in the original miniseries, with less emphasis on fourth-wall breaks having just the right level of camp to take it seriously while still feeling like the same show, but they overcorrected during the “red sky” years.

This series made me feel like I was watching a bunch of ninja crimefighters. It had some great uses of science fiction, as well as plots and sometimes full stories lifted from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s comics. This even included the Donatello special that was a tribute to Jack Kirby. I’m not the guy who champions something just because it’s darker. Darker doesn’t make it better, but it was a benefit to this show. It also introduced more superheroes than just Bug-Man, who looks like the Symbion patent zero, including Silver Sentry, the RIGHT way to do “black Superman”, and “Nobody”, a superhero with ties to Casey Jones, who gets to be more a part of the story than the occasional Dirty Harry impersonator of the original show. I could go on about this show for quite a while, but I don’t have time for that so I’m taking the easy way out.

Before discussing the intros from the Fox Box period I present to you the following retrospective by ERod, the Blockbuster Buster, into the history of the show, followed by my own thoughts on the shows. Enjoy.

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Something not mentioned about the Guardians was that they worked for the TCRI Utrom and protected them for centuries. It’s possible ERod doesn’t want to spoil some of the various reveals of the show but this one is notable in light of all the other changes. Yoshi in this version was one of the Guardians and Utrom Shredder wanted to take them down. Unlike the comics it wasn’t revenge for his brother and unlike the movies they weren’t rivals for Tang Shen. Shen died as part of Shredder’s war with the Utrom, who in the comics he didn’t know and in the original cartoon was merely the template for Krang. It’s rather hardcore for a Saturday morning cartoon even considering what Fox did prior to 4Kids, definitely considering what 4Kids did to anime they translated for Western audiences instead of Western anime fans, and just kids TV in general. I guess the romantic rivalry didn’t fit their alteration of Shredder but I’m not completely convinced retconning Shredder into the Utrom story was the best idea either adaptation wise. Story wise it worked very well. Kind of neutral on turning him into post-Crisis Lex Luthor. It isn’t the crime boss we knew from his brief appearances but it does make him a good threat.

Baxter Stockman was a one-time villain in the comics, but a overaltered version of him appeared in the original show’s first five-part story. Instead of the “fly guy” we get a Stockman with staying power during the series and what future versions of the character would be based on. Visually he resembles his comic counterpart, which was not true in the first cartoon and that’s what everyone else uses in their depictions just as it did for Karai. In both cases it’s a good move, much like how Mr. Freeze’s alterations in Batman: The Animated Series altered how that character has been depicted ever since. Sometimes the external media can have a positive influence on the original comics and future iterations.

This version of IS Splinter. Accept no substitutes! Also really like this version of the Turtles. With Laird involved in the show it’s not a surprise they’re enhanced versions of the comic versions. As a Donatello fan this is easily the best version of him.

Usagi appearing in Ninja Turtle shows, despite not being made the same comic company ever, started all the way in the original series, but first happened in the comic. It would happen again in the first Ninja Turtle show but I haven’t heard of other incarnations bringing Miyamoto Usagi back. Maybe Stan Sakai wants more than they’re willing to offer? I love seeing them team up and this show had the best version, though I haven’t read the original comic team-up.

Another thing that ERod didn’t mention was the “Notes From The Underground” storyline, the Foot’s genetic experiment diggers, and their later ties to the Y’Lyntians, and their tie to the Turtles home for most of the series. It starts as a great tribute to b-movies of the 1950s and is an interesting bit of lore that you don’t hear enough about.

I don’t hate the Fast Forward season of the show. Unnecessary as the change was (and it meant the last season didn’t air on Fox Box, saved for CW 4 Kids as the “Lost Season”) it did lead to cool high-tech weapons for the Turtles, the first time they would walk around free outside since their outer space adventure, and still made for some good stories and threat. I’m not sure Sterling should have come back for Back To The Future but it was a great send-off for the 4Kids version of the series. Having the last episode be April and Casey concluding their relationship arc along with all the other character arcs.

You can also check my review of Turtles Forever and the parts I liked and didn’t like about it. Tomorrow I start a two-part look at the 4Kids intros so this was an easy way to go over the series without an overly long gush session about how awesome this show is. There was also a tie-in comic from Dreamwave so eventually the Ninja Turtle comic reviews will get to this as well and I can just link back to this video. If you haven’t see this version, do so. Sadly Nickelodeon doesn’t air it much, even on their Pluto TV channel, but it might be up on Paramount +. Personally I want to find the DVDs even though I hear they’re out of order from the production and TV airing dates. It’s my favorite take on the Ninja Turtles and the one I most recommend if you don’t want to start with the comics.