Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Is In The Best Possible Hands
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles might be most famous for their eponymous ’80s cartoon, but the heroes in a half shell got their start in the pages of a black-and-white indie comic. Now, in the year of their 40th anniversary, the pizza-loving reptiles are going back to their roots. Comic book publisher IDW has tapped former Marvel writer Jason Aaron to relaunch the Turtles in a brand new comic.
Marvel Writer Set To Relaunch The Comics
An Eisner-award winner, Aaron is currently writing Batman and Superman for DC but will soon add the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to his resume. In June, IDW will release the one-shot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Alpha #1, featuring a 10-page story from Aaron that will serve as a prelude to his new ongoing series. The following month will see IDW’s 13-year-old, 150-issue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic relaunched with a new creative team and restarting at #1.
It’s important to note that this relaunch is just that and not a reboot of the IDW TMNT universe. Aaron’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be a continuation of the storyline that began in 2011. Of course, the comic will still be a new beginning of sorts, hence the new creative team and numbering.
The Perfect Way To Celebrate TMNT’s 40th Anniversary
Meanwhile, Jason Aaron couldn’t be happier with his new gig. “Launching a new TMNT comic series in the midst of the character’s 40th anniversary is clearly one of those dream jobs of all comic book dream jobs,” Aaron said in a statement regarding the relaunch.
The writer went on to say that he originally “fell in love” with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles years ago thanks to the “original Mirage Studios series.” Jason described the original black-and-white run of Mirage comics as “comics that kicked you in the face” with “action-packed grit” and a “gloriously raw attitude.”
Jason Aaron Is The Right Man For The Job
The former Avengers writer ended his statement by saying he “couldn’t be more honored” to become a part of the Turtle’s “esteemed legacy of comic book face-kicking.” Aaron promised that his run on the new book would feature “all the bone-cracking action that four mutated ninja brothers can possibly handle.”
As for IDW, the company appears to be just as excited as Aaron when it comes to their new collaboration. Mark Doyle, Co-Publisher of IDW, recently called Jason Aaron “one of the best storytellers in comics” and declared that the writer just “gets” the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Multiple Artists Tapped For The Comic?
The lucky artist assigned to Aaron’s newly relaunched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has not yet been revealed. Doyle, however, has referred to “artists” plural when discussing the new book, raising the possibility of a revolving creative team for the new book. Throughout the first IDW TMNT run, the art was fairly solid, so there’s a good chance the publisher will pick a creative team that compliments Aaron’s top-tier writing.
Series Set To Debut In July
IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could be seen as the definitive version of the four reptilian brothers. The comic pulled from every iteration of the Turtles that came before it, finding inspiration in not only the original Mirage comic but also the iconic animated series. Even more obscure sources, such as the ill-fated live-action Next Mutation TV show and the Archie Comics series loosely inspired by the cartoon, have been represented in the IDW comic.It will be interesting to see what an all-star writer like Jason Aaron can bring to the TMNT, and we look forward to checking out the newly relaunched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic when it debuts in July.
