First details and look at the art for IDW’s new TMNT series arrive

The Turtles are not going anywhere, as publisher IDW is about to relaunch the TMNT series in style with June’s “Alpha” issue.

Cowabunga!

It’s been an interesting time as of late for IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The book has been one of the publisher’s biggest and most celebrated series’, but comes to a close soon with issue #150. As we revealed a while back though, don’t look for the bros to go anywhere once that happens.

The superhero ninja team will be staying put at IDW, and launching into a brand new series called… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Up to this week we didn’t know very much about this new title, but we’ve finally got a few tidbits to share, including some of the artists that’ll be providing the visuals.

Fans will be able to pick up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha #1 will be landing to start all of this newness off in June. That will tell a 10 page “preview”prelude” story, before the regular series picks up in July with TMNT #1.

Once that starts too, fans can look for an all-star team of pencilers to be on board, including Rafael Albuquerque, Joëlle Jones, Cliff Chiang, and Chris Burnham. That fab-four will join writer Jason Aaron across the first four issues, though there’s no word on what’ll be happening thereafter.

As for that sneak peek at the designs for this new title too, scroll down to take a look.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Jason on such a special project, with so many talented artists,” stated Albuquerque. “Being a child from the ‘80s, the TMNT cartoon has a special place in my heart, so having the chance to draw them for the first time kind of completes a full circle, full of nostalgia and excitement. I can’t wait to reveal what we’re working on!”

Rafael Albuquerque

Burham has a strong personal connection to the TMNT’s comic history and is amazed to be added to the franchise’s history of excellent artists. “I am SO excited to be working on the Turtles! I’ve been a TMNT fan since the black and white days – Fugitoid is one of the first comics I ever owned, and the original Donatello One-Issue Micro Series is one of my favorite comics of all time. I discovered so many amazing artists as a kid reading the Turtles – beyond Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird there’s Mark Bodé, Rick Veitch, Mark Martin, Richard Corben, Michael Zulli, Eric Talbot, Jim Lawson, Sophie Campbell… the list goes on and on and it’s a great honor to add my name to it!”

Chris Burnham

Chiang also has fond memories of the Heroes in a Half Shell and is thrilled to be working with Aaron. “I still remember the thrill of reading those early black-and-white issues and how they ushered in a new wave of independent comics, and I’m incredibly excited to be a part of this next chapter for the Turtles. Even better, Jason and I have been friends for a long time but haven’t yet worked together, so I get to kill two Mousers with one sword.”

Cliff Chiang

“For me, working on TMNT was first a nostalgia hit – being an ’80s kid, I consumed it all!” said Jones. “But at its heart, and why I think it still resonates with people today, is that it’s a story about a family of outcasts brimming with personality and the conflicts that come out of it. Or maybe I just like the giant rat father figure, which might be something for me to unpack with a therapist at a later date!”

Joëlle Jones