yknow something that bothers me? Tmnt is the only superhero franchise I can think of that doesn't get respect as a story for adults.
Like, yes, you have plenty of merchandise and TV shows for spiderman, batman, etc etc etc that is specifically for kids. But I think if you asked around? 9 out of 10 adults would call those superheroes all ages and great stories for adults.
Tmnt on the other hand? You would be HAAARD pressed to find any adults outside the fandom that would say tmnt is an all ages/adult franchise.
It can't be because the most well known version is the goofy 87 cartoon. Cause like, every cartoon was goofy back then, but all the other superheroes still got out of it.
Tonally and visually, 2003 tmnt is no different from any other superhero cartoon of the early 2003s. The comics have always stayed gritty! Up until this week they've never even made anything that aimed for a lower demographic then 9-12 years old (unlike the many times marvel characters have been kiddified, or something like teen titans go)
Heck I remember most of the press around last Ronin being about how they "made a tmnt comic for adults" as if that was out of the ordinary and a first of it's kind thing to do.
So why? Why is it that tmnt is the ONLY super hero cartoon that can't seem to get any respect?
I can only think of two reasons:
One: the main characters are animals and these dimwits can't take that seriously.
Or two: because it it's primarily animated (imo they have never looked good in a realistic style) and people don't respect animation.
Both options are so so dissapointing. Thanks to this obnoxious stigma around animation and anthro characters, I can't answer the question "what's your favorite TV show?" Without getting scrutiny and weird looks.
Man. It would have been way more socially lucrative for me to get really into spiderman lol