I think the 2k3 series is always going to be the one that appeals to me most. That said, it followed the comic's lead in throwing in a lot of different fantasy and sci-fi elements, perhaps to its detriment. An advantage of the 2012 series is that it's a lot more focused, with few fantasy parts and almost all of the science fiction elements relating directly to the Kraang. This gives the story a more consistent tone, as well as allowing for a lot more focus on characterization, resulting a series that feels a little more personal than its predecessor.
Unfortunately, this show has a bad habit of forgetting its own plot lines. The Kraang invasion is largely ignored for the first several episodes of season 3. I don't mind a little detour, but the invasion should have always been at the front of the characters minds, with updates on the situation each episode. The Turtles should have spent that portion of the season preparing for their return, instead of it all happening in one episode. Mutagen Man has vanished from the show, despite Donatello's guilt at his mutation. These are the most blatant examples, but they aren't the only time the show has introduced a new plot development only to nudge it to the side.
The show's connection to merchandising hurts it too. Many characters are introduced just for the sake of it, and then swiftly forgotten about. It's fun to see updated and more serious versions of the mutants from the 80s show, but too little is done with too many of them. Even the main cast has characterization problems, mainly Casey Jones being more shallow and less likeable than his previous incarnation, and perhaps featuring the worst version of Michaelangelo that has ever been written.
When the show's good, it's really good. But unfortunately, it suffers from several persistent problems that the writers seem incapable of overcoming.
A three season retrospective.
I think the 2k3 series is always going to be the one that appeals to me most. That said, it followed the comic's lead in throwing in a lot of different fantasy and sci-fi elements, perhaps to its detriment. An advantage of the 2012 series is that it's a lot more focused, with few fantasy parts and almost all of the science fiction elements relating directly to the Kraang. This gives the story a more consistent tone, as well as allowing for a lot more focus on characterization, resulting a series that feels a little more personal than its predecessor.
Unfortunately, this show has a bad habit of forgetting its own plot lines. The Kraang invasion is largely ignored for the first several episodes of season 3. I don't mind a little detour, but the invasion should have always been at the front of the characters minds, with updates on the situation each episode. The Turtles should have spent that portion of the season preparing for their return, instead of it all happening in one episode. Mutagen Man has vanished from the show, despite Donatello's guilt at his mutation. These are the most blatant examples, but they aren't the only time the show has introduced a new plot development only to nudge it to the side.
The show's connection to merchandising hurts it too. Many characters are introduced just for the sake of it, and then swiftly forgotten about. It's fun to see updated and more serious versions of the mutants from the 80s show, but too little is done with too many of them. Even the main cast has characterization problems, mainly Casey Jones being more shallow and less likeable than his previous incarnation, and perhaps featuring the worst version of Michaelangelo that has ever been written.
When the show's good, it's really good. But unfortunately, it suffers from several persistent problems that the writers seem incapable of overcoming.