They’re teenaged. They’re mutant. They’re ninjas. They’re turtles. And they’re the 90s icons that are back in a big way, in the Michael Bay-produced huge-ass reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, out this month. What is it about this extraterrestrial-ish outspoken mutant foursome that keeps them in the spotlight, coming back around in one new iteration after another?

Originally based on a fun but very marginal comic by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in nowhere New Hampshire 1984, the Turtles went on to become pop-culture fixtures of the turn of the decade. Developed by the original pair of creators plus a whole team of ad execs, story editors and movie producers, the characters got their own toy line even before the first live action film came out (to huge success) in 1990. Between TV and film, the dudes have been brought to life in no fewer than 10 versions, including a seminal cartoon series, a Japanese anime version, a trio of (mostly) pleasant nostalgic 90s films starring Elias Koteas and Judith Hoag/Paige Turco, a largely forgotten 2007 CGI reboot, and this summer’s re-reboot.

At first, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello were only sketches of an idea meant to parody the more successful comic book characters of the era that immediately preceded them: heroes on the outskirts of society, like Daredevil. The TMNT comics themselves—which have ostensibly been produced all along since the characters’ inception, alongside some version of a TV series—usually tend to be much darker than their onscreen counterparts, but that very well might change this summer. The trailer for the film definitely retains’ the Turtles’ trademark humor and bravado, but it is grounded in a big budget ‘reality’ with Megan Fox and Will Arnett along for the ride. Oh, and Whoopi Goldberg too, making what we hope will be a fun cameo.

So, the question is, what will fans have to say? Will the Turtles ever reach the cult status they so ‘righteously’ deserve, as Michelangelo would proclaim? Tweet us @YAMzine to let us know if you’re excited for this new popcorn movie!