Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles To Get Second Ongoing Series

IDW looks to expand the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise with a second ongoing series set to focus on the supporting cast.

Since the first issue, IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been a faithful and popular reboot of the Turtles franchise by going back to the concept’s roots. The original black and white comics were dark, violent and had deep, complex storylines that were all but forgotten in the wake of the cartoon and movies that followed.

With TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman on board, IDW’s TMNT comic series brought some of that attitude and grittiness back and it paid off handsomely with a hit series that just celebrated its fiftieth issue and shows no sign of slowing down.

Now, IDW has announced that TMNT is getting a second ongoing series that will tell stories of the large and varied supporting cast the book has built over the years.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe will launch this August with the creative team of writer Paul Allor and artist Damian Couceiro. The new series will also include backup stories backups written by Tom Waltz and Eastman with artist Bill Sienkiewicz.

Yes, you read that right. Bill Sienkiewicz.

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Series editor Bobby Curnow describes the title as a series that can tell stories from around the TMNT world as well as allow creators some freedom to tell stories in different ways.

"“In addition to enabling us to tell stories that we might not get the time to otherwise, my aim for this series is encourage creators, both new and familiar to TMNT, to stretch their creative muscles and run. Often in the past we’ve been shackled a bit to the events of the ongoing title. Here, if a creator wants to tell a story that’s a bit farther away, in either tone or plot, than what is happening in the ongoing title, we can explore it. My hope is that we’ll be able to nurture and flourish the creativity that has always been a huge part of TMNT, and in doing so, bring new creators and readers to the title.”"

Cover art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #1 by Freddie Williams II

A second ongoing series makes perfect sense for IDW, seeing as they have been publishing a steady stream of miniseries and one-shots almost from the day TMNT #1 made its debut. A regular series where all those stories can now find a home as well as the crossover possibilities make this a win-win for everybody.

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From the IDW press release:

"Introducing a new era in TMNT! This series will explore characters and story-lines that are pivotal to the IDW TMNT universe! When a mysterious new mutant targets Baxter Stockman, it will be up to the TMNT to reluctantly save him. Little does everyone know that a larger trap is being laid by a new arch-foe! Plus a back-up story from TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and comics legend Bill Sienkiewicz!"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #1 will arrive in comic shops this August.