IDW Publishing is expanding the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe with a new comic series, Tales of the TMNT: Tear in Time. This follows the publisher's ongoing efforts to provide new adventures for the franchise, even as the animated series has been canceled and the Mutant Mayhem sequel remains in development.
Writer Andrew Joustra and artist Louie Joyce are helming the new series. Joustra, who is also working on the concluding arc of the current Tales of the TMNT comic, Coastal Chaos, stated that Tear in Time will be his third arc for the series. He expressed excitement about further developing this corner of the TMNT universe and hinted at more stories to come after Tear in Time. He also noted that the fate of the entire Tales universe is at stake in this arc, which will incorporate characters from Mutant Mayhem, the Tales TV series, and previous comic arcs.
Joustra also revealed that the character Renet Tilley will play a significant role, with an opportunity to show genuine character growth. The finale of the Coastal Chaos series will see the Turtles facing off against Armaggon, requiring them to get creative and enlist help from their Mutanimal friends to save the city. A surprise in the final pages of Coastal Chaos is set to lead into the events of Tear in Time.
Artist Louie Joyce highlighted the richness of the TMNT universe and its supporting characters, noting the fun in bringing in characters from various cartoons and movies, and establishing new versions of characters like Fugitoid, Zog, and Armaggon. Joyce described Tear in Time as an epic story that significantly widens the scope of the Tales universe. He also mentioned drawing the cover for issue #3 of Tear in Time, putting his own spin on the iconic TMNT #1 cover. The final issue of Coastal Chaos will feature a "big time mutant animal showdown at the docks."
Tales of the TMNT: Coastal Chaos #3 is slated for release on November 18, with Tales of the TMNT: Tear in Time #1 following on December 16. Both issues can be preordered at local comic shops.
This new comic endeavor continues the legacy of the franchise, drawing inspiration from its many iterations, including the recent Mutant Mayhem film. An earlier IGN review of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles noted that while the first half of that series didn't reach the heights of Mutant Mayhem, it successfully reimagined the film's animation style and delved into the individual Turtles' psyches.