From Comic-Con 2012: TMNT

I've decided to skip Nickelodeon's Legend of Korra panel. The line for Ballroom 20 is currently longer than the one to get into Hall H; last year's presentation remains one of my highlights of Comic-Con 2011, but it simply isn't worth the futile wait. Right now, I'm in 6BCF for the new TMNT cartoon. I'm a pretty big fan of both the original Turtles comics and series director Ciro Nieli (Teen Titans, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go); I hope they're right for each other.  [EDIT] While I enjoy all of the various TMNT adaptations on their own terms, I feel few have truly captured the tongue-in-cheek darkness of the original black-and-white comics: the '80s cartoon was far too campy, while the first film and 2k3 series abandoned self-awareness and took the core concept too seriously. Judging by the test footage shown in 6BCF, Nickelodeon's upcoming CG take on the property seems to lean heavily on jokes and sight gags, but director Ciro Nieli promised a strong focus on old-school ninja action and heartfelt camaraderie (he named The Goonies as an influence, while Sean Astin, veteran Goonie and the new voice of Raphael, likened the brothers' relationships to the bonds between the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings).  The proof-of-concept artwork Nieli pulled up on the big screen was certainly reassuring, evoking the Kirby-esque aesthetics of those early Eastman/Laird issues. More importantly, it revealed a definite emphasis on character relationships--particularly between the green dudes and April O'Neal, re-imagined as a street smart teenager and voiced by veteran action girl Mae Whitman (the moderator described her as "the fifth turtle"). The brief clips that introduced the actors reinforced this angle, highlighting the personalities of the heroes and villains.   The real treat, though, came when Nieli debuted footage from the incomplete first episode. Seeing the characters in motion allowed me to appreciate the subtleties of their designs for the first time. For example, Raphael, the team's scrapper, has a few cracks and scuffs on his shell, which suggests a lot about who he is. That little touch convinced me that the beloved franchise is safe in Nieli's capable hands.