Home / Comics / SDCC 22: IDW to expand the ‘Ronin’ universe in new TMNT mini-series

SDCC 22: IDW to expand the ‘Ronin’ universe in new TMNT mini-series

If you thought the saga of The Last Ronin was over, you might want to think again. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming back this November.

Before the end

I think it’s probably fair to say that The Last Ronin was the most impactful and probably most popular Ninja Turtles series in a long time. The IDW comics mini-series dug into the past of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s creation, to bring forth a ‘lost’ story that was decades in the making.

But if you’ve read it, then you know that once that story was done… it was done. Or maybe not. And that’s because IDW will be heading back into that sub-universe, for a story that takes place before The Last Ronin. And if you’re looking for more from the Ronin-verse, you’re gonna get it.

“Continuing to expand on an idea Peter Laird and I had thirty-five years ago with this incredible creative team has been the adventure of a lifetime,” says Eastman. “To continue exploring and telling stories within the Last Ronin universe couldn’t possibly be more exciting for me. I’m so thrilled we get to stay and play here for a while and I can’t wait to share everything we have planned. Buckle up, TMNT fans! We’ve got two turtle universes that are both about to get seriously awesome!”

“When Kevin Eastman and I first began collaborating on TMNT: The Last Ronin, we were building on a very solid foundation,” says Waltz. “We had the basic outline for the story that Kevin and Peter Laird had written back in 1987, which provided a fantastic roadmap for the story we wanted to tell. But as time passed, we began to realize that Last Ronin’s story was so much bigger than we had originally anticipated–past, present, and future. There’s so much more about this world that we still want to share with our fans. TMNT: The Last Ronin–The Lost Years represents the first expansion of what we now fondly call the ‘Ronin-verse.’ It offers our many loyal readers a much more detailed look at the Ronin’s past, as well as sharing a glimpse of an exciting future for the many allies he’s been forced to leave behind.”

“It’s all very top secret at the moment,” Bishop confides, “but I will say this—believe it or not, even more so than in the original Last Roninseries, the stuff I get to draw in Lost Years is an old-school TMNT kid’s wildest dream come true! I’m so excited to get the gang back together again so we can expand even more on this world we’ve been building—not only in Last Ronin, but in the TMNT universe as a whole,” says Bishop.

“Kevin, Tom, and Ben set big expectations with The Last Ronin, but that was only the beginning,” says editor Charles Beacham.“With Lost Years we’re going bigger, digging deeper, and giving fans more of what they didn’t even know they wanted. This is the start of an all-new chapter for TMNT and you won’t want to miss it.”

IDW press release

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—The Lost Years #1 will have a trio of variant covers. Cover A will come from the legendary Kevin Eastman, as well as Ben Bishop, with Cover B delivered by SL Gallant. Then there is a retailer incentive edition coming from Mike Deodato as well.

Look for all of the above to land on the racks this November.

About Jason Micciche

Jason's been knee deep in videogames since he was but a lad. Cutting his teeth on the pixely glory that was the Atari 2600, he's been hack'n'slashing and shoot'em'uping ever since. Mainly an FPS and action guy, Jason enjoys the occasional well crafted title from every genre.

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