IDW has been ambitiously expanding the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) universe with a series of exciting projects in recent years. In 2024, the franchise saw the relaunch of its flagship comic under the guidance of writer Jason Aaron, the sequel to the best-selling TMNT: The Last Ronin, and a unique crossover with the Naruto universe titled TMNT x Naruto. As we move into 2025, the main TMNT series introduces a new regular artist and a refreshed narrative, reuniting the four Turtles—Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo—albeit under strained circumstances.
During IGN Fan Fest 2025, we had the opportunity to discuss the future of these series with Jason Aaron and TMNT x Naruto writer Caleb Goellner. We delved into the evolution of their stories, the overarching mission for the TMNT line, and the potential reconciliation of the iconic brothers. Here's what we discovered.
The Mission Statement of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
IDW's recent launch of multiple TMNT series has been met with significant success, with the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 selling approximately 300,000 copies and ranking among the top-selling comics of 2024. Jason Aaron shared his vision for the series, emphasizing a return to the gritty essence of the original Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird TMNT comics from the Mirage days.
"For me, on this book, the guiding principle was just looking back at that original series, the original Mirage Studios book," Aaron explained. "Last year was the 40th anniversary of that series, kicking off and introducing the Turtles, and that was my expert first experience with those characters. Before the films or the cartoons or anything, it was that original black and white Mirage Studios book. So I wanted to try to recapture some of the grittiness and griminess and the big double-page spreads and action scenes of grimy turtles fighting ninjas in New York City alleyways."
Aaron's approach also focuses on evolving the characters, reflecting their growth and the challenges they face as they reunite and strive to become the heroes they once were. "That's kind of the spirit we were going for, but also to tell a story that felt new and felt like it was taking these characters forward after all the stuff they'd been through in the previous 150 issues of the IDW series, to see how they've kind of grown up a little bit and reached a turning point in their lives where they're going in four different directions and trying to figure out how do they come back together and be the heroes they used to be that they need to be to win this fight."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11 - Exclusive Preview Gallery
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The success of TMNT #1 aligns with a broader trend of audiences favoring reboots and streamlined versions of major franchises, as seen with Marvel’s Ultimate Universe line, DC’s Absolute line, and Skybound’s Energon Universe. Aaron acknowledges this demand for accessible entry points into these universes, expressing his excitement about contributing to the TMNT series.
"It certainly seems like it after last year, and I'm very happy to have been a part of a couple of those, even though I've been doing this for 20 years and I've written, wrote a whole bunch of stuff for Marvel in the last few years, I've written for what feels like every company in comics. I still don't really even think about that stuff," Aaron says. "I sit down to do my job here at my desk, in an empty basement by myself, and I'm just trying to make up stories that get me excited. And I knew as soon as I got the call about doing Turtles, which was not really a job I'd ever imagined would come my way when I got that call, I was excited for that opportunity and realized I think I can do something kind of cool."
Aaron's collaboration with a diverse group of artists in the initial issues has been instrumental in bringing his vision to life. He is particularly thrilled about the consistent visual style introduced by the new regular artist, Juan Ferreyra, starting with issue #6.
"Again, it made sense to use different artists for those first five issues because we focused on the different Turtles, and then issue #5 focused on our new bad guy who's the District Attorney of New York City," Aaron explains. "But having Juan come on with issue #6 made sense when the main bulk of the plot picks up. And Juan, even though he was following this group of titans on this book, artistic Titans, he's doing incredible work. I think anybody who sees issues #6 and #7 realized this guy was born to draw the Turtles. He was born to draw this kind of Turtle story again, jumping through alleyways, running across the rooftops of Manhattan. Juan's work on this has been absolutely killer. So I think even though he's following all those legends, he's really making this book his own, I think, in a huge way."
A TMNT Family Reunion
Aaron's TMNT run begins with the Turtles scattered across the globe, each facing their own unique challenges. By the end of the first storyline, they are reunited in New York City, but their relationships are far from harmonious. Aaron finds great satisfaction in exploring the dynamics of the brothers as they come back together.
"Those first four issues were really fun to write when you're seeing each of the brothers kind of in a different situation around the globe," Aaron reflects. "I had a lot of fun with those - what kind of trouble they had gotten into and then what starts to bring them back together. But the real fun is what happens once they are all together, seeing how those four characters bounce off each other. At this point in time in the book, things aren't great. They’re not really happy to see each other, and they're not reliving old times. They're very much rubbing each other the wrong way."
The return to New York introduces new challenges, including a city weaponized against them by a new villain from the Foot Clan. "None of them really want to be there, the pieces don't fit together anymore like they used to. And then in issue #6, when they finally make their way back to New York City, we see that the city has changed as well. The entire city of New York City has been weaponized against them by this new villain who's a part of the Foot Clan. So the Turtles find themselves the most hated entities in the Five Boroughs, the Six Boroughs, I guess, including Mutant Town. So the odds are stacked against them in a huge way, and again, they can't even stand to be around each, it seems like. So how are they going to come together and win this fight?"
Merging the TMNT and Naruto Universes
The crossover series TMNT x Naruto, crafted by Caleb Goellner and artist Hendry Prasetya, introduces a world where the Turtles and the Uzumaki Clan coexist, meeting for the first time. Goellner praises Prasetya's redesign of the Turtles to fit seamlessly into the Naruto universe.
"I couldn't be happier," Goellner shares. "I only had a few basic little suggestions about how to do that. I can't take any credit for the Turtles’ awesome redesigns. I was like, ‘I don't know, put them in masks in the first issue, like in Naruto,’ and what they came back with was, it's unreal. I hope they get made into toys. I don't have any say. I don't have any insight, but that's my wish, just so I can put them up on my shelf with my collection."
The crossover thrives on the interactions between characters from both universes. Goellner highlights his favorite pairings, particularly appreciating the dynamics between Kakashi and the younger characters, and the humor brought by Mikey.
"The job for me is sort of to make sure all of the characters have a moment together through the course of the book, because you don't want to leave anybody hanging," Goellner states. "I really like seeing Kakashi with anyone because now that I'm a dad, Kakashi is my viewpoint character to the Naruto world. I'm like, ‘How do you manage all these kids?’ Splinter, you know, I'm not as wise and strong and as good at fighting as Splinter, so I love him, too, but Kakashi is doing a lot of internal face-palming, but he's staying profesh and he's keeping the trains moving for the youth. I'm going to cheat and just say all of them."
Goellner also teases upcoming developments as the story progresses into Big Apple Village, hinting at a major TMNT villain requested by Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto. "He had one request for this crossover. It was to have a certain villain appear and for the Naruto characters to fight that certain villain," Goellner reveals. "I'm not going to say who, but I think everybody's going to be pretty stoked. I know I am, and I can't wait to see how folks react because so far the vibe on the book's super positive, and I really appreciate everybody coming on this journey."
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #3 - Exclusive Preview Gallery
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7 hit stores on February 26, while Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #3 is set to release on March 26. Fans can also look forward to IGN's exclusive preview of the final chapter of TMNT: The Last Ronin II - Re-Evolution.
As part of IGN Fan Fest 2025, we also provided an early look at IDW's new Godzilla shared universe and a sneak peek of an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog storyline.
