This year marks the 40th anniversary of the acclaimed “Heroes in a Half Shell”, and to help celebrate the occasion, comic book publisher “IDW” recently announced they are relaunching their ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book with a fresh Issue #1 this July. The previous run, written by Sophie Campbell, comes to an end with Issue #150 this April. The upcoming series is written by Jason Aaron, best known for being at the helm of several Marvel series over the last 15 years, from Wolverine, to Thor, to the Avengers.
Aaron’s run on the title starts with a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha” one-shot that will be published in June. From there, the new series will launch in July, with each of the first 4 issues focusing on a different Turtle (and with each featuring a different artist).
- Issue #1 will focus on Raphael, by artiste Joëlle Jones
- Issue #2 will focus on Michelangelo, by artist Rafael Albuquerque
- Issue #3 will focus on Leonardo, by Cliff Chiang
- Issue #4 will focus on Donatello, by Chris Burnham
The new series will be a continuation of the previous run by Campbell, so it’s not a reset to the timeline, but it still marks a new entry point for those looking to jump on board reading the Ninja Turtles.
Aaron released a statement recently following the announcement of the artist team: “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.”
Look for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha” this June and issue #1 of the new ongoing series this July, in your local comic shop (or available for digital purchase on Amazon/Comixology).