TMNT Relaunch Will Be Helmed by Marvel & DC Superstar Jason Aaron, With New #1 Issue

Fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were shocked to learn that IDW’s current TMNT series will end with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150, however they can rest easy in the just-announced knowledge that this will be followed by a relaunch of the series with a major new creative team. After an acclaimed run, writer Sophie Campbell will be stepping down from the main series, however after The Hollywood Reporter revealed that IDW had renewed its license for the franchise, fans knew the Heroes in a Half-Shell would return in some form.

Now, as exclusively revealed by ComicBook.com, fans have learned that IDW will relaunch the series with a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. While this marks a new volume of the story, it’s not a reboot, and will continue IDW’s existing TMNT canon. However, the big news is the writer slated to take over – none other than Jason Aaron, the star writer behind Marvel’s Avengers and Thor: God of Thunder, DC’s Batman Off-World and Action Comics, and Image Comics’ Southern Bastards and The Goddamned.

DC has yet to announce the artists for the upcoming series – news which will come later this week – however fans will be elated to know that a big-name like Aaron will be the writing talent behind the new era. Aaron’s run will begin with a short prelude story in this June’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha #1. Aaron says:

Launching a new TMNT comic series in the midst of the characters’ 40th anniversary is clearly one of those dream jobs of all comic book dream jobs. Especially for me, a kid who first fell in love with the Turtles all those years ago because of that original Mirage Studios series, buying those groundbreaking issues fresh off the rack, comics that kicked you in the face with their action-packed grit and gloriously raw attitude. I couldn’t be more honored and thrilled to get to add to that esteemed legacy of comic book face-kicking, especially as part of an amazing IDW run that has expanded the world and timeline of the Turtles in such daring and exciting ways. In terms of what’s to come, the kid in me wants you to know that you can expect some good old-fashioned grit, a sprinkle of dark, new attitude and all the bone-cracking action that four mutated ninja brothers can possibly handle.

IDW’s Relaunch Secures Avengers and Action Comics Writer

Aaron is a major name in comics, and has experience with some of the biggest franchises in the medium. His crime series Scalped (with R. M. Guéra) is a fixture of ‘Best Comics’ lists, while recent successes include Marvel’s 2019 War of the Realms event and Batman Off-World, which is chronicling Batman’s canonical first foray into space. Aaron’s stories are known for including a healthy dose of violence and a keen interest in legacy, with Aaron having transformed Marvel’s Ghost Rider and Avengers lore by revealing iterations of Marvel’s most iconic heroes dating back to 1,000,000 BC. Given how core these themes are to IDW’s TMNT lore – where Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael are each the reincarnated sons of the ninja Hamato Yoshi – Aaron is the ideal candidate to carry the series forward.

Sophie Campbell’s run has been celebrated for taking huge swings with TMNT, from reintroducing their forgotten sister Venus to establishing the Mutant Town district and essentially giving the brothers their own city to protect. The Turtles have also unlocked mystic ninja powers by training under former enemy Shredder and discovered the apocalyptic threat of the monstrous Armaggon. It’s a tough act for any creative team to follow, but if anyone’s up to the task, it’s Jason Aaron. IDW’s Editor-in-Chief Jamie S. Rich states:

Working with Jason Aaron has been something I have wanted to do for a long time, so that in itself is a treat. Even better, though, is getting to go on an expedition with him to explore a fictional world that he hasn’t worked in before. And of course, he has not disappointed. From the very first conversations, it was clear that he brought a real passion to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the sort of excitement you can only get from a true fan. He’s a master of his craft, and each new script has only gotten me more excited for the rest of the world to see what he’s coming up with.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 marks a new era for the franchise under IDW’s tenure, as superstar writer Jason Aaron gets a chance to tell his own stories in the world of Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha #1 is coming from IDW Publishing this June.

Source: ComicBook.com