Another TMNT-Related Rant
As promised to Angel after my utter fail at posting something short and fandom-related on the anoncomm yesterday, I give to you a rant of the turtle variety.
I'm getting predictable, aren't I?
Yeah, my journal's definitely turning into the dregs of my meager fandom escapades. It's all I got left, man. Humor me DX
ANYWAYS the rant:
Question goes like this - What are your favorite canon incarnations of each of the TMNT main characters?
I will tell you mine and I will rant like a crazy about my reasons why.
First is Leonardo
Mr. Emo Pants. Or shell, due to lack of pants. In pretty much every incarnation that's worth watching/reading, Leo is the emo one. He is so freakin' self-focused that he tends to drag all of the world's problems onto himself.
That's no small mystery. But from canon to canon, the way he deals with his issues can be substantially different.
Honestly, my favorite version is 2k3. He's emo, yeah, but he can also be a goofball and laugh and joke around with the best of them. I love seeing him be able to have fun and be a kid every once in a while.
...But then there's comicverse. There's something so chilling and mysterious about comicverse Leo. Probably because of the way he speaks when he's being introspective. He is just so, so poetically inspiring. Not to mention the way he fights. That guy is a killing machine, but he does it with a haunting sense of grace that sends chills up my spine.
Both incarnations are blinded by their twisted sense of honor, but out of the two, Mirage Leo is the one who takes it to near insane levels. Honestly, I think the guy is genuinely crazy, maybe even moreso than Raph because he is a quiet crazy, and he does nothing to hint that he knows he's crazy. Yes, Leo is always on a constant path to better himself, but for comicverse Leo "better" is on the same path as "insane". So yeah, good luck with that, Leo.
Thirdly, I'll have to admit. I have a soft spot for the Ghost of the Jungle (CGI movie). It's one of the few things that movie did right, and the movie prequel comics only make it better. They also prove that Leo is fucking insane because I feel like I need to say it again. Anyone who's read them will probably agree that the whole slaughtering an entire ship's crew was pretty crazy, no matter how noble his cause.
Raphael
Oh, Raph. What can I say about you? Other than you're just as much of a crazy bastard as your brother. In the comics, Raphael claims to "feign insanity" as a scare tactic during battle, and that he uses it get away with things he wouldn't usually wouldn't if he acted perfectly sane.
I'm sorry, Raph, pretending that you pretend doesn't make it any less true. Now go sit in the psycho corner with your brother. The walls are extra cushy.
As far as my favorite incarnation goes, we've got the comics, hands down. The comics allow you into Raph's world so much more than other 'verses ever will, mostly because the various versions advertised for kids won't be bothered with going into that kind of detail.
2k3 is all fun and nice, but it really only shows one part of Raph's emotional instability - his anger. I guess anger issues make for better entertainment than say, the identity crisis that's haunted him the entire life, or the bouts of depression he battles on a regular basis. And with that, there's also the mania that strikes him every once in a blue moon - bouts of mania so extreme they're almost akin to drug-induced highs.
In 2k3, like the comics, there's that episode of nearly braining Mike some petty argument. And then there's the few tears shed while Leo lay in a coma. But then there's the stark differences:
Take Search for Splinter/Secret Origins, for example. When the guys break into the TCRI building, only to find Splinter floating in an Utrom stasis tank, Raph got mad, yeah, but was kept from breaking open that tank by a few words from Donatello. In the comics, he was hysterical, in tears, screaming that his father was dead, and having to be physically restrained by both Leo and Michelangelo to keep him from tearing the thing open.
My, what differences these are.
It's that intense emotional scale that gets me every time with comic version Raphael. There's just something about it that makes my gut twinge every time he hits a low or my heart flutter when he goes off the wall on a high. Maybe I relate to him because I'm a highly emotional person, and I tend to dwell on things too much. Who knows.
Also, like Leo, I have a soft spot for his CGI movie incarnation. There is just so much badassery in the Nightwatcher. I don't even.
Donatello
Donny is...somewhat the same from incarnation to incarnation. He's the gentle genius, the self-proclaimed pacifist of the group, fighting only because he has to, and using any other alternative method to combat that he can.
That said, I hate CGI movie Don. Hate him with the burning passion of ten thousand suns. I see movie!Don and constantly ask myself "Who the hell is this prick?" Because he is. He's a giant prick. Yes, he's under a lot of stress because that movie made everyone's lives miserable. Yes, it's good to see him have a spine. But there's a difference between having a spine and being a dick. In this movie, Don was a snappish, irritable dick.
That aside, I adore him in the New Toon. God I love him so much. For one, his VA makes me ooze. He's just so mellow and adorable and yet oh-so-slightly nasal, which makes me laugh. 2k3 Don is just cute beyond belief, and he doesn't even know it. And yet, he still knows how to stick up for himself. Even though he's generally a keeper of the peace, he can have his bitchy moments where he will eagerly give you a piece of his mind.
My one qualm with 2k3 canon is some of the inventions Don comes up with, and how fast and efficient they run. If they were going for realism and not just aiming to whip up more fancy doohickies to ship as toys, maybe it'd be better off. But I just think that 2k3 Don is too productive for what's believable, and though he's smart he's still restricted by what he has on hand. And maybe it's just me but I don't think he's that smart.
Donny, you're awesome, but you're not McGuyiver. Just sayin'.
In comicverse, you really don't have that issue. The guys' living conditions have always been primitive, and the only tools you'll see them using regularly is the communicators. No "Shell Cell" or whatever, just a glorified walkie-talkie/cell phone deal.
I like it so much better this way. Leave it to comics to make strange things more believable.
Along with that, the comics add so much more dimension to Don than we see in the cartoon. In the comics, he goes about life in an almost dream-like state, finding the world around him so hypnotically fascinating, he tends to lose track of everything happening around him in the meantime. In the Tales issue Worms of Madness, Donatello discusses how his scientific mind often alienated himself from his brothers when he was young, and as the series progresses, he continues to do so.
Then there's the most overlooked aspect of Don's character - his spirituality. Don finds meaning in everything. It's part of what makes life so fascinating to him. And in some issues of the comics, namely Twilight of the Ring, even Leo says he's looking into things too far. But Don makes it very clear that he pairs science and religion very closely, and sees his research as a spiritual experience.
This's my absolute favorite aspect of Don's character, making the comics and the 'toon hard to choose from. But when it all boils down to it, I think I'd have to choose new toon, solely for the fact that he's more relateable in that he doesn't let his intelligence alienate himself from others. I just wish they'd incorporate his spirituality into the mix, but heaven forbid American cartoons harbor anything that resembles religion.
Michelangelo
Oh, Mikey. Mikey, Mikey. What're we gonna do with you? Michelangelo is probably the most starkly different from canon to canon, usually because of his tendency to be bastardized as the comic relief. That's right, I'm looking at you, CGI movie. You fucking suck for that doe-eyed, three-year-old on a sugar high, trainwreck you've created. They were even so bold as to actually make him a children's entertainer. Did you guys do that on purpose? Now, now, tell me truthfully.
Yes, yes you did. You know your crime and it is heinous. Hex on you and all of your children.
Poor Mikey, he's taken so much abuse over the years. He's fallen a long ways since what I call the "witty optimist" of comic canon. Comicverse Mike is a lot like Don, in a way. He loves life, and he breezes through it with a smile, always there to keep the group positive and make the best out of every situation. He's a goofball, sure, but not as much as Raphael when he gets on a high. Mike can keep up with him, yes, but he's not nearly as manic. Even Leo said in one of the earlier issues in the City At War arc that "Mike is almost as bad as Raph" while the two are going at it, roughousing in the living room.
Comic Mike, to put it shortly, is awesome. He's a writer and an artist along with being a very skilled ninja. He has excellent people skills despite his isolated upbringing, and is generally very intelligent and likeable.
Then there's New Toon. New Toon Mike has his moments of badassery, but a lot of times he can get under my skin whenever he makes light of a serious situation. Some of his jokes and antics are funny, I'll grant him that, but after a while it gets tiring and I say enough is enough.
New Toon Mike has seemed to have sapped all of the crazy energy from comic Raphael's character and twisted it into a poor form of comic relief, leaving Raphael with little to no sense of humor. And it's sad, really, considering the both of them were so awesome before they got screwed over, and because of all of it, the two of them lose their self-proclaimed "best buds" status, but c'est la vie.
The only truly redeeming episode for new toon Mike would have to be Grudge Match, where he proves to everyone that he is undeniably the best fighter of the group once he gets serious.
In a way, it feels improvising, since comic Mike is by far overshadowed in skill by Leonardo and Raphael because like Don in most incarnations, there are other aspects in life that better grab his attention. It's a cool twist to have so much lethal power behind all that smiling bravado, but generally, I love comic Mike better.
Sorry dude, them's the breaks.
Splinter
Splinter is a toughie. No surprise there, mostly because he generally remains the same in every incarnation he's in, including the movies and old toon. But there are subtle differences to take into account.
The most determining factor would be his role as a father versus teacher to the guys. In the comics, the Master in him comes miles and miles before the father. Since their youth, he's been training the four turtles in the lethal art of ninjitsu for the sole purpose of redeeming his Master Yoshi's honor. There is no other reason mentioned for their existence save for living weapons. And once he deems the boys are ready at the tender age of fifteen, he eagerly challenges Oroku Saki and sends his sons into battle. He has faith in their skill, yes, but to me this seems heartless.
This is taken to such a degree that in the beginning of the series when Leonardo decapitates the (very much human) Shredder, the turtles have an earthshaking identity crisis over their purpose in the world. Since childhood, they were raised to believe that this was their reason for living, and with the Shredders death, they had no path and no direction. This's ultimately when the story starts turning down darker roads as the guys lose themselves further and search for life's meaning. Luckily, Mike and Don find a new niche. Leo and Raph are not so lucky.
And Splinter? He does aid them through meditation and training, but is otherwise very much absent.
He is, however, a very good caretaker for his sons and obviously does care a great deal about them. He's just much harsher and stricter than any other incarnation out there. The guys still obviously love him, but it's more of a distant respect than the love between fathers and sons.
As far as 2k3 and CGI movie Splinter go, they're practically identical. They both have an obvious connection with their sons, and frequently offer guidance and displays of affection. They don't treat their sons as weapons, thank you very much. However, CGI movie Splinter is a little more traditional and much more eloquent so despite his shaky character design (and taking into account that good Splinter character design is incredibly hard to come by), I'm gonna have to choose CGI movie over all the others. Shocking, I know. Just don't get too comfortable because next is...
April
Like Mikey, I absolutely loathe her CGI movie incarnation. Part of the reason I love April so much is because she's a real girl. She's the girl next door, the average but likeable one. She's not overly beautiful nor is she overly skilled, but she's intelligent and kind and has a heck of a lot of spunk. In the CGI movie, she loses absolutely everything that makes her great. I call her Ninja Action April, paired right up there with Chuck Norris and Kung Foo Jesus. Where does she get her ninja moves? She casually claims Splinter's been teaching her, but for her to suddenly become experienced enough to take out Karai, the fucking leader of the Japanese AND American Foot Clan is absolutely ridiculous. Not to mention she's quite literally boobs on a stick. It makes me miss our not-so-plain Jane to a saddening degree.
So once again, the debate has come to New Toon versus Comicverse. April is generally very similar from comics to cartoon. They have the same backstories and the same general personality. The only thing that really separates them is the amount of time they spend on camera. Comicverse April plays a much larger role in the turtles' lives than she does even in 2k3. She is easily the sister/mother figure, having tons of issues and sidestories exploring that relationship. Raphael and April's relationship in the comics never ceases to break my heart. During The River, when Raphael devolves and becomes weak and unable to take care of himself, April cradles him protectively in her arms the entire time. And after that, she begins to make a habit of calling him "baby", mostly in her head but sometimes aloud when no one else is around to hear. Then there's the issue The Mother of All Anger when Raphael talks to April about his feelings of lonliness and how she seems to fill the hole that should be taken place by a mother. He cries on her shoulder, and she takes him into her arms and calls him "baby", and every time I read that short, I have to fight the urge to bawl like a baby myself.
Not to mention comicverse April has tons of dimension. She often does the narration to many of the issues she's in, and she's an extremely poetic and intuitive thinker. There is even one issue where we get to read pages from her diary, and she is a marvelous writer. We learn a lot about April in the comics - about her family, her childhood, her nightmares and dreams, and she generally becomes a very real and likeable person. This is why comicverse wins again.
Casey
Last but not least there's Casey. Casey has quite a lot of differences from canon to canon, namely in what degree and type of intelligence he's granted. When it comes between comicverse and new toon, he's a lot like April. Their backstories are similar, and their personalities generally remain the same, but the comics tend to give characters more screentime, resulting in greater depth. What really makes comicverse Casey stick out in my mind over new toon Casey is his escapades during City At War (which you guys probably can guess is my favorite arc judging by how many times I've referenced it during this rant).
During City At War, April and Casey have gone their own ways from the guys, and are searching for their own sense of self after everything that's happened to them (namely the events of The Shredder Strikes, The Shredder Strikes Back, The River, and Return to New York). Casey's travels lead him on a cross-country road trip to Colorado where he stops at a greasy diner, meets a charming girl, and promptly gets mugged for his car by a pack of hicktown brutes. The girl's name was Gabrielle and promptly after seeing a very beat up and now carless Casey, takes him into her home and offers him a place to stay until he gets back on his feet. Casey winds up sort of milking it and not trying to find his car, thus staying with Gabrielle in her trailer and settling down in Colorado for a time. They inadvertently fall in love, and upon discovering Gabby's been pregnant by a schmuck that left her months ago, he decides to marry her and they live together in obscene newlywed happiness.
But since TMNT comics suck all the happiness out of everything, Gabby dies during childbirth, leaving Casey with a legal (but not biological) daughter to take care of. After that, Casey moves back to New York, runs into April again, and a sense of normalcy is returned.
So even though comicverse Casey and new toon Casey are essentially the same person, that storyline the cartoon creators so graciously (read: stupidly) left out really leaves him lacking.
And then there's the CGI movie. Oddly enough CGI movieverse Casey might very well be my favorite incarnation of Casey out there. He's by far the most intelligent Casey Jones I've seen, and he's much less the rowdy goofball he usually is. His sensitive side is very much more well-defined, especially during the scene where he has that heart-to-heart with Raph on that rooftop. Part of me screams "No! That isn't right!", but another part of me just gushes when I see him playing Dr. Phil like a fluffy little ball of mush.
I'm weak. So shoot me DX
Still, if I'm going by what I consider "in character" according to mainstream canon, comicverse would have to win. But that's with a definite shout out to CGI. You're a good man, Jones. You really are.
So in summary...
Our Winners
-Leonardo - 2k3
-Raphael - Comicverse
-Donatello - 2k3
-Michelangelo - Comicverse
-Splinter - CGI movieverse
-April - Comicverse
-Casey - Comicverse with a shout out to CGI movieverse
So there's my rant of TMNT universe-related insanity. Thanks for reading. I'm gonna go crawl in a hole and die until my brain defries again.
Ciao!
-Ash
I'm getting predictable, aren't I?
Yeah, my journal's definitely turning into the dregs of my meager fandom escapades. It's all I got left, man. Humor me DX
ANYWAYS the rant:
Question goes like this - What are your favorite canon incarnations of each of the TMNT main characters?
I will tell you mine and I will rant like a crazy about my reasons why.
First is Leonardo
Mr. Emo Pants. Or shell, due to lack of pants. In pretty much every incarnation that's worth watching/reading, Leo is the emo one. He is so freakin' self-focused that he tends to drag all of the world's problems onto himself.
That's no small mystery. But from canon to canon, the way he deals with his issues can be substantially different.
Honestly, my favorite version is 2k3. He's emo, yeah, but he can also be a goofball and laugh and joke around with the best of them. I love seeing him be able to have fun and be a kid every once in a while.
...But then there's comicverse. There's something so chilling and mysterious about comicverse Leo. Probably because of the way he speaks when he's being introspective. He is just so, so poetically inspiring. Not to mention the way he fights. That guy is a killing machine, but he does it with a haunting sense of grace that sends chills up my spine.
Both incarnations are blinded by their twisted sense of honor, but out of the two, Mirage Leo is the one who takes it to near insane levels. Honestly, I think the guy is genuinely crazy, maybe even moreso than Raph because he is a quiet crazy, and he does nothing to hint that he knows he's crazy. Yes, Leo is always on a constant path to better himself, but for comicverse Leo "better" is on the same path as "insane". So yeah, good luck with that, Leo.
Thirdly, I'll have to admit. I have a soft spot for the Ghost of the Jungle (CGI movie). It's one of the few things that movie did right, and the movie prequel comics only make it better. They also prove that Leo is fucking insane because I feel like I need to say it again. Anyone who's read them will probably agree that the whole slaughtering an entire ship's crew was pretty crazy, no matter how noble his cause.
Raphael
Oh, Raph. What can I say about you? Other than you're just as much of a crazy bastard as your brother. In the comics, Raphael claims to "feign insanity" as a scare tactic during battle, and that he uses it get away with things he wouldn't usually wouldn't if he acted perfectly sane.
I'm sorry, Raph, pretending that you pretend doesn't make it any less true. Now go sit in the psycho corner with your brother. The walls are extra cushy.
As far as my favorite incarnation goes, we've got the comics, hands down. The comics allow you into Raph's world so much more than other 'verses ever will, mostly because the various versions advertised for kids won't be bothered with going into that kind of detail.
2k3 is all fun and nice, but it really only shows one part of Raph's emotional instability - his anger. I guess anger issues make for better entertainment than say, the identity crisis that's haunted him the entire life, or the bouts of depression he battles on a regular basis. And with that, there's also the mania that strikes him every once in a blue moon - bouts of mania so extreme they're almost akin to drug-induced highs.
In 2k3, like the comics, there's that episode of nearly braining Mike some petty argument. And then there's the few tears shed while Leo lay in a coma. But then there's the stark differences:
Take Search for Splinter/Secret Origins, for example. When the guys break into the TCRI building, only to find Splinter floating in an Utrom stasis tank, Raph got mad, yeah, but was kept from breaking open that tank by a few words from Donatello. In the comics, he was hysterical, in tears, screaming that his father was dead, and having to be physically restrained by both Leo and Michelangelo to keep him from tearing the thing open.
My, what differences these are.
It's that intense emotional scale that gets me every time with comic version Raphael. There's just something about it that makes my gut twinge every time he hits a low or my heart flutter when he goes off the wall on a high. Maybe I relate to him because I'm a highly emotional person, and I tend to dwell on things too much. Who knows.
Also, like Leo, I have a soft spot for his CGI movie incarnation. There is just so much badassery in the Nightwatcher. I don't even.
Donatello
Donny is...somewhat the same from incarnation to incarnation. He's the gentle genius, the self-proclaimed pacifist of the group, fighting only because he has to, and using any other alternative method to combat that he can.
That said, I hate CGI movie Don. Hate him with the burning passion of ten thousand suns. I see movie!Don and constantly ask myself "Who the hell is this prick?" Because he is. He's a giant prick. Yes, he's under a lot of stress because that movie made everyone's lives miserable. Yes, it's good to see him have a spine. But there's a difference between having a spine and being a dick. In this movie, Don was a snappish, irritable dick.
That aside, I adore him in the New Toon. God I love him so much. For one, his VA makes me ooze. He's just so mellow and adorable and yet oh-so-slightly nasal, which makes me laugh. 2k3 Don is just cute beyond belief, and he doesn't even know it. And yet, he still knows how to stick up for himself. Even though he's generally a keeper of the peace, he can have his bitchy moments where he will eagerly give you a piece of his mind.
My one qualm with 2k3 canon is some of the inventions Don comes up with, and how fast and efficient they run. If they were going for realism and not just aiming to whip up more fancy doohickies to ship as toys, maybe it'd be better off. But I just think that 2k3 Don is too productive for what's believable, and though he's smart he's still restricted by what he has on hand. And maybe it's just me but I don't think he's that smart.
Donny, you're awesome, but you're not McGuyiver. Just sayin'.
In comicverse, you really don't have that issue. The guys' living conditions have always been primitive, and the only tools you'll see them using regularly is the communicators. No "Shell Cell" or whatever, just a glorified walkie-talkie/cell phone deal.
I like it so much better this way. Leave it to comics to make strange things more believable.
Along with that, the comics add so much more dimension to Don than we see in the cartoon. In the comics, he goes about life in an almost dream-like state, finding the world around him so hypnotically fascinating, he tends to lose track of everything happening around him in the meantime. In the Tales issue Worms of Madness, Donatello discusses how his scientific mind often alienated himself from his brothers when he was young, and as the series progresses, he continues to do so.
Then there's the most overlooked aspect of Don's character - his spirituality. Don finds meaning in everything. It's part of what makes life so fascinating to him. And in some issues of the comics, namely Twilight of the Ring, even Leo says he's looking into things too far. But Don makes it very clear that he pairs science and religion very closely, and sees his research as a spiritual experience.
This's my absolute favorite aspect of Don's character, making the comics and the 'toon hard to choose from. But when it all boils down to it, I think I'd have to choose new toon, solely for the fact that he's more relateable in that he doesn't let his intelligence alienate himself from others. I just wish they'd incorporate his spirituality into the mix, but heaven forbid American cartoons harbor anything that resembles religion.
Michelangelo
Oh, Mikey. Mikey, Mikey. What're we gonna do with you? Michelangelo is probably the most starkly different from canon to canon, usually because of his tendency to be bastardized as the comic relief. That's right, I'm looking at you, CGI movie. You fucking suck for that doe-eyed, three-year-old on a sugar high, trainwreck you've created. They were even so bold as to actually make him a children's entertainer. Did you guys do that on purpose? Now, now, tell me truthfully.
Yes, yes you did. You know your crime and it is heinous. Hex on you and all of your children.
Poor Mikey, he's taken so much abuse over the years. He's fallen a long ways since what I call the "witty optimist" of comic canon. Comicverse Mike is a lot like Don, in a way. He loves life, and he breezes through it with a smile, always there to keep the group positive and make the best out of every situation. He's a goofball, sure, but not as much as Raphael when he gets on a high. Mike can keep up with him, yes, but he's not nearly as manic. Even Leo said in one of the earlier issues in the City At War arc that "Mike is almost as bad as Raph" while the two are going at it, roughousing in the living room.
Comic Mike, to put it shortly, is awesome. He's a writer and an artist along with being a very skilled ninja. He has excellent people skills despite his isolated upbringing, and is generally very intelligent and likeable.
Then there's New Toon. New Toon Mike has his moments of badassery, but a lot of times he can get under my skin whenever he makes light of a serious situation. Some of his jokes and antics are funny, I'll grant him that, but after a while it gets tiring and I say enough is enough.
New Toon Mike has seemed to have sapped all of the crazy energy from comic Raphael's character and twisted it into a poor form of comic relief, leaving Raphael with little to no sense of humor. And it's sad, really, considering the both of them were so awesome before they got screwed over, and because of all of it, the two of them lose their self-proclaimed "best buds" status, but c'est la vie.
The only truly redeeming episode for new toon Mike would have to be Grudge Match, where he proves to everyone that he is undeniably the best fighter of the group once he gets serious.
In a way, it feels improvising, since comic Mike is by far overshadowed in skill by Leonardo and Raphael because like Don in most incarnations, there are other aspects in life that better grab his attention. It's a cool twist to have so much lethal power behind all that smiling bravado, but generally, I love comic Mike better.
Sorry dude, them's the breaks.
Splinter
Splinter is a toughie. No surprise there, mostly because he generally remains the same in every incarnation he's in, including the movies and old toon. But there are subtle differences to take into account.
The most determining factor would be his role as a father versus teacher to the guys. In the comics, the Master in him comes miles and miles before the father. Since their youth, he's been training the four turtles in the lethal art of ninjitsu for the sole purpose of redeeming his Master Yoshi's honor. There is no other reason mentioned for their existence save for living weapons. And once he deems the boys are ready at the tender age of fifteen, he eagerly challenges Oroku Saki and sends his sons into battle. He has faith in their skill, yes, but to me this seems heartless.
This is taken to such a degree that in the beginning of the series when Leonardo decapitates the (very much human) Shredder, the turtles have an earthshaking identity crisis over their purpose in the world. Since childhood, they were raised to believe that this was their reason for living, and with the Shredders death, they had no path and no direction. This's ultimately when the story starts turning down darker roads as the guys lose themselves further and search for life's meaning. Luckily, Mike and Don find a new niche. Leo and Raph are not so lucky.
And Splinter? He does aid them through meditation and training, but is otherwise very much absent.
He is, however, a very good caretaker for his sons and obviously does care a great deal about them. He's just much harsher and stricter than any other incarnation out there. The guys still obviously love him, but it's more of a distant respect than the love between fathers and sons.
As far as 2k3 and CGI movie Splinter go, they're practically identical. They both have an obvious connection with their sons, and frequently offer guidance and displays of affection. They don't treat their sons as weapons, thank you very much. However, CGI movie Splinter is a little more traditional and much more eloquent so despite his shaky character design (and taking into account that good Splinter character design is incredibly hard to come by), I'm gonna have to choose CGI movie over all the others. Shocking, I know. Just don't get too comfortable because next is...
April
Like Mikey, I absolutely loathe her CGI movie incarnation. Part of the reason I love April so much is because she's a real girl. She's the girl next door, the average but likeable one. She's not overly beautiful nor is she overly skilled, but she's intelligent and kind and has a heck of a lot of spunk. In the CGI movie, she loses absolutely everything that makes her great. I call her Ninja Action April, paired right up there with Chuck Norris and Kung Foo Jesus. Where does she get her ninja moves? She casually claims Splinter's been teaching her, but for her to suddenly become experienced enough to take out Karai, the fucking leader of the Japanese AND American Foot Clan is absolutely ridiculous. Not to mention she's quite literally boobs on a stick. It makes me miss our not-so-plain Jane to a saddening degree.
So once again, the debate has come to New Toon versus Comicverse. April is generally very similar from comics to cartoon. They have the same backstories and the same general personality. The only thing that really separates them is the amount of time they spend on camera. Comicverse April plays a much larger role in the turtles' lives than she does even in 2k3. She is easily the sister/mother figure, having tons of issues and sidestories exploring that relationship. Raphael and April's relationship in the comics never ceases to break my heart. During The River, when Raphael devolves and becomes weak and unable to take care of himself, April cradles him protectively in her arms the entire time. And after that, she begins to make a habit of calling him "baby", mostly in her head but sometimes aloud when no one else is around to hear. Then there's the issue The Mother of All Anger when Raphael talks to April about his feelings of lonliness and how she seems to fill the hole that should be taken place by a mother. He cries on her shoulder, and she takes him into her arms and calls him "baby", and every time I read that short, I have to fight the urge to bawl like a baby myself.
Not to mention comicverse April has tons of dimension. She often does the narration to many of the issues she's in, and she's an extremely poetic and intuitive thinker. There is even one issue where we get to read pages from her diary, and she is a marvelous writer. We learn a lot about April in the comics - about her family, her childhood, her nightmares and dreams, and she generally becomes a very real and likeable person. This is why comicverse wins again.
Casey
Last but not least there's Casey. Casey has quite a lot of differences from canon to canon, namely in what degree and type of intelligence he's granted. When it comes between comicverse and new toon, he's a lot like April. Their backstories are similar, and their personalities generally remain the same, but the comics tend to give characters more screentime, resulting in greater depth. What really makes comicverse Casey stick out in my mind over new toon Casey is his escapades during City At War (which you guys probably can guess is my favorite arc judging by how many times I've referenced it during this rant).
During City At War, April and Casey have gone their own ways from the guys, and are searching for their own sense of self after everything that's happened to them (namely the events of The Shredder Strikes, The Shredder Strikes Back, The River, and Return to New York). Casey's travels lead him on a cross-country road trip to Colorado where he stops at a greasy diner, meets a charming girl, and promptly gets mugged for his car by a pack of hicktown brutes. The girl's name was Gabrielle and promptly after seeing a very beat up and now carless Casey, takes him into her home and offers him a place to stay until he gets back on his feet. Casey winds up sort of milking it and not trying to find his car, thus staying with Gabrielle in her trailer and settling down in Colorado for a time. They inadvertently fall in love, and upon discovering Gabby's been pregnant by a schmuck that left her months ago, he decides to marry her and they live together in obscene newlywed happiness.
But since TMNT comics suck all the happiness out of everything, Gabby dies during childbirth, leaving Casey with a legal (but not biological) daughter to take care of. After that, Casey moves back to New York, runs into April again, and a sense of normalcy is returned.
So even though comicverse Casey and new toon Casey are essentially the same person, that storyline the cartoon creators so graciously (read: stupidly) left out really leaves him lacking.
And then there's the CGI movie. Oddly enough CGI movieverse Casey might very well be my favorite incarnation of Casey out there. He's by far the most intelligent Casey Jones I've seen, and he's much less the rowdy goofball he usually is. His sensitive side is very much more well-defined, especially during the scene where he has that heart-to-heart with Raph on that rooftop. Part of me screams "No! That isn't right!", but another part of me just gushes when I see him playing Dr. Phil like a fluffy little ball of mush.
I'm weak. So shoot me DX
Still, if I'm going by what I consider "in character" according to mainstream canon, comicverse would have to win. But that's with a definite shout out to CGI. You're a good man, Jones. You really are.
So in summary...
Our Winners
-Leonardo - 2k3
-Raphael - Comicverse
-Donatello - 2k3
-Michelangelo - Comicverse
-Splinter - CGI movieverse
-April - Comicverse
-Casey - Comicverse with a shout out to CGI movieverse
So there's my rant of TMNT universe-related insanity. Thanks for reading. I'm gonna go crawl in a hole and die until my brain defries again.
Ciao!
-Ash