Bat Out of Shell - A Review of 'Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a direct-to-video animated film based on the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover comic series released by DC and IDW from December 2015 to May 2016. Crossovers can end up feeling silly, and this comic book crossover seemed like it could easily fall into that category. However, the properties meshed very well, and the animated adaptation follows suit.

Since the film has been out for a couple of months, there will be spoilers. You have been warned.

Tone

When it comes to animated TMNT, there are two extremes: the more light-hearted Saturday morning cartoon feel of the 1987 series, and the more serious (and closer to the original comics) feel of the 2003 series. The Turtles in this film are more like their 2003 counterparts, and they mesh well with the gritty and serious Batman that modern audiences are used to. It feels natural for Shredder to team up with Ra's al Ghul. The Turtles do provide some humor, but it never really feels out of place.

However, one bit of humor that does feel out of place is when Batgirl knocks out Joker's teeth and takes a selfie with him. This feels a bit like wish fulfillment. It could be seen as payback for the events of The Killing Joke, but there's no indication that similar events took place prior to this. In any case, Batgirl wanting to take a selfie with him feels off.

Art Style

Sometimes, animated crossovers can be tricky. If each property has its own unique art style, then it might feel a bit off when one sees them interacting with each other. However, this film built a unique universe from scratch, one where both Batman and the Turtles exist on the same world and have the same animation style. In that regard, this is a departure from the comics, which involves the Turtles going through a portal from their own universe to Batman's universe. The film's approach is more streamlined, and it works since it's its own continuity.

The comics gave a different shade of green to each of the Turtles, and the film does the same but also has each of their heads designed differently, which is a nice touch. As is the case with other DC animated adaptations (such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), the grittier art style of the comics is abandoned for a cleaner look. The comics are definitely worth reading for the art alone. One cannot help but wonder whether it would have been possible to use the same art style as the comics. Perhaps somebody more well-versed in animation could answer.

Give and Take

For the most part, the first act is a straightforward adaptation of the first three and a half issues of the crossover comic. The most noticeable differences are that Killer Croc and Splinter are absent but Batgirl and Baxter Stockman (in his fly form) are added into the story. (The latter two were actually included in the second comic book crossover.) It feels like a missed opportunity to not have the Turtles encounter Killer Croc here. But it makes sense to include Batgirl, who is into tech (and wearing purple) like Donatello. When Barbara Gordon is first shown working in a lab that is attacked by the Foot Clan, she resembles the 2003 incarnation of April O'Neil. Perhaps this is somewhat of an homage.

Damian Wayne, who shows up in issue 5, also shows up much earlier in this film. It makes more sense that he would encounter the Turtles when they first enter the Batcave. There is a bit of highlighting his similarities with Raphael (colors and aggression). But this film lacks a through line from the comics regarding the anniversary of Batman's parents' deaths. In the comics, Raphael doubts Batman and regards him as simply an adrenaline junkie, but then Batman brings him to Crime Alley and explains his own perspective. The film does bring up the theme of family, but it's not as strong without the ending of Bruce deciding to spend time with Damian rather than mope around about his parents. Perhaps the creative team behind the film thought that showing the iconic Crime Alley scene again would be overkill. Given how the structure of the film is changed, it might have felt abrupt and left-field.

The rest of the film is very much an expansion of issue 6, focusing on the inmates of Arkham Asylum being mutated into an animals via TCRI ooze. This allows more impactful moments, such as Scarecrow's fear gas invoking a vision of Turtle brothers dying. Adaptational changes here include Bane being a jaguar instead of an elephant, Two-Face being a cat instead of baboon, and Poison Ivy being a carnivorous plant. Most of these changes don't really matter. But in the case of Poison Ivy—as well as comic book accurate mutations such as polar bear Mr. Freeze, crow Scarecrow, and hyena Harley Quinn—the transformation choices feel too convenient, matching the villains perhaps too well when one might expect mutations to be random. But then again, who doesn't want to see Batman turned into a giant bat?

Hopes for a Potential Sequel

The post-credits scene reveals that the Shredder has undergone a Joker transformation. This is a deviation from the comics, and it might seem like a fanservice type of transformation. But it could potentially be more interesting than the direction of Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, in which Donatello feels weak, opens up a portal to seek guidance from Batman, and unwittingly unleashes Bane into the New York City of the Turtles' Earth. If there's an animated sequel, it should just go its own way altogether and not adhere to that underwhelming comic book sequel.

While this film worked fine without Splinter, Casey Jones, and April O'Neil (who were all present at certain points of the first comic crossover), it would be nice for them to be given roles in the sequel. It would even be fun to have Arrow star Stephen Amell voice Casey Jones, if only for the fact that he played him in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. And, as mentioned above, it would be great to see the Turtles confront Killer Croc. It could be even more epic if Leatherhead the mutant alligator is thrown into the mix.

Conclusion

Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may lack certain aspects of the comic book crossover that inspired it. And it might feel like wish fulfillment and gimmicky at times. But it adds in enough to make this a fun, action-packed film. Like pizza, it can be cheesy but also topped with good stuff. With all this taken into account, it will be given the following score:

8.7/10 - A great addition to the mythologies of both Batman and TMNT. Fans of either property may likely be satisfied.