IDW is planning to go big with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2027. The publisher announced huge new plans for the Heroes in a Half Shell during its presentation at this weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con.
When the best-selling flagship series reaches issue #25 in 2027, current writer Gene Luen Yang will pass the bo staff to award-winning writer Matthew Rosenberg (If Destruction Be Our Lot, Spawn, Uncanny X-Men) and amazing artist Juann Cabal (Daredevil, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Elektra). While the acclaimed writer is no stranger to playing in Marvel and DC’s sandbox, it’s the indie space where he has truly thrived and made an unforgettable impact on the comic industry. Rosenberg, a lifelong resident of the Turtles’ very own New York City, is bringing this same energy to the Heroes in a Half-Shell. Prepare for a thrilling story as the greatest roster of villains, both new and old, have assembled to hunt down the Turtles over the course of a single night.
“Before I was even a teenager, I was spending all my time reading superhero comics. But it wasn’t until a clerk at my local comic shop told me I had to buy an issue of the Eastman and Laird run of TMNT that I actually fell in love with comics,” stated Rosenberg. “From my first introduction to those Mirage issues, I’ve followed the Turtles the whole way. It is truly an honour to not only add to the legacy of four of New York’s greatest heroes, but to follow in the footsteps of so many creators I love like Erik Larsen, Jim Lawson, Sophie Campbell, Tom Waltz, and most recently legends like Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra, Gene Luen Yang, and Freddie E. Williams II. I hope I can bring even just a little bit of what I love about the Turtles to this book. We’re making a book that has everything I love about TMNT: shells-against-the-wall grittiness, laugh-out-loud humor, non-stop intensity, and some genuine family drama.”
“Working on TMNT has been a dream come true,” commented Yang. “I’m sad to leave, though I’m also excited about the creator-owned project that is pulling me away. And I’m super excited to continue with the Turtles as a fan! Matthew Rosenberg is going to knock it out of the park!”
The best-selling saga The Last Ronin returns to comic shops next summer for its epic finale and will leave fans feeling shellshocked. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin III – Return for New York reunites the legendary original creative team – Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Isaac & Esau Escorza, Ben Bishop, Luis Antonio Delgado, and Shawn Lee – for the can’t-miss conclusion of their grand plans for the Roninverse and its new heroes Casey Marie Jones, Odyn, Moja, Uno, and Yi.
“When Kevin Eastman and I sat down to write the original TMNT: THE LAST RONIN, we had high hopes readers would love the story just as much as we loved telling it. Little did we know, that love would be exponentially returned to us and our amazing art teams,” said Waltz. “From that first volume, throughout all the subsequent prequels/sequels that have followed in what we now fondly call the Roninverse. And, here we are, capping off the main trilogy with TMNT: THE LAST RONIN III – RETURN FOR NEW YORK… and we couldn’t be happier! Our creative excitement and enthusiasm remain fully intact, and we are all striving to produce a grand finale worthy of its predecessors. But the real question is, will Casey Marie Jones, Odyn, Uno, Yi, and Moja be worthy of their TMNT predecessors in this ultimate battle for the heart and soul of New York City?”
“It’s hard to believe this journey started nearly forty years ago with a simple twenty five page outline by Peter Laird and myself, finally brought to life with such an incredible creative team, the support of Nickelodeon and IDW, and most of all, the fans,” stated Eastman. “We couldn’t have done it without you! We all hope this final instalment of this trilogy is worthy, we’re all working hard to bring this important part of this next generation of Ninja Turtles to a place we never dreamed we’d be able to when we first started. Thanks a billion trillion!”
More big reveals will leap out of the shadows later this year about IDW’s exciting plans for Turtles comics in 2027. In the meantime, the massive milestone issue TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #300 – which kicks off the first part of the blockbuster story ‘The City That Never Dies’ – and the action-packed oversized one-shot TMNT: THE LAST RONIN – TRAINING DAY are available now at comic shops.
