So, all of Nerdom is up in arms over the new Michael Bay Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Here’s my stance: “Bring it on.” I am a comic book geek, if you cut me, I bleed four color ink. So, when Hollywood wants to make a movie that’s based on a comic book, I’m all for it.

Listen, I know this TMNT is not “your TMNT.” Heck, it’s not even the Turtles cartoon from the late 80s or the movies from the 90s. It’s not based on Eastman and Laird’s revolutionary vision of four radioactive turtles that were raised by a rat who knew martial arts. No, this is different. And that’s okay.

See, Michael Bay makes great “popcorn” movies. And to me, if more people see a movie and want to know more about the source material, all the better. I can’t think of one comic book store that wouldn’t love to sell those movie viewers a trade paperback of the original run or even the newer stuff from IDW. Heck, even the Archie run for the kids would move units when the movie comes out.

Comic book movies are here, and they’re here to stay. As such, there will always be movies that deviate from whence they came. But in the long run, isn’t it great that these movies — regardless of the outcome — are being recognized for the “cool crap” that they are?

At the very least, you can dust off your “Comic Book Guy” t-shirt and, after you’ve squeezed into it, educate those also in line for the movie as to just how wonderful the original way was. Just like grandpa did.

Or, you can sit back, grab a big old box of popcorn and a liter of Coke, and try to enjoy yourself.