10 2000s Superhero Cartoons Fans Shouldn't Ignore

Running for an impressive seven seasons, this take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles took the characters in a new direction for the new millennium. The show starts off in a familiar way (they're turtles who eat pizza and fight The Shredder), but the series wasn't afraid to tread into heavier territory, not unlike the 1990 movie.

The series also took the Heroes in a Half Shell into new and exciting places. Fast Foward took us into the future where the turtles were no longer freaks because in the year 2105 alien life called Earth home. You could argue that these heroes with gritty roots belong in the sewers, but it's incredibly refreshing seeing them have this freedom to walk around the city without the trench coats and being shrouded in darkness. There’s almost a sense of optimism that these heroes will one day be accepted into society, but there’s still a way to go.

The final season of the show took the turtles back to their roots but introduced the concept of cyberspace. This gave Donatello a chance to shine as the tech whiz of the group, having a handle on the digital realm.

This run of the TMNT respected the source material and found a way to balance the light with the dark. It really explored what it meant to be a turtle (of the teenage mutant variety, that is).