In just three weeks, TMNT Tuesday has already become the place for shellheads to get the inside scoop on all things Turtles. This week, we’re bringing you something extra special: Jason Aaron, the writer steering the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles through uncharted sewers, answers fan questions. Aaron has built a reputation for redefining iconic characters like Thor and Batman, and now he’s bringing that signature approach to our Heroes in a Half-Shell.
Aaron kicks things off by reflecting on the Turtles’ impact on his comic book journey. From there, he dives into balancing his creative vision with IDW’s rich 150-issue legacy. He teases dark days ahead for NYC, with villain Hieronymus Hale tightening his grip and Karai plotting from the shadows. And if you thought the fireman fight in issue #6 was intense, Aaron promises Juan Ferreyra’s art will take the next arc to explosive new heights.
Plus, there’s plenty of fan-fueled fun! Scotty P wants to know what a TMNT/Scalped crossover would look like (spoiler: don’t hold your breath), and Aaron reveals his favorite panel so far—Donnie in the heat of battle. So grab a slice of pizza and settle in for an epic chat with the new TMNT mastermind. Trust us, you won’t want to miss what’s lurking in issue #8!
Scroll down to see your questions answered, plus unlettered preview pages for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7!
Important TMNT Dates:
- TMNT MUTANT NATION #4 on sale February 12, 2025
- TMNT #8 pre-order deadline Monday February 17, 2025
AIPT: Jason, thanks for joining in on the TMNT Tuesday fun! To kick things off I’m curious, you’ve written Batman, Thor, what is it about TMNT that you enjoy writing specifically?
Jason: Hey, hello, thanks for letting me be a part of this. The Ninja Turtles are such iconic characters, and I really love the instrumental part they’ve played in comic book history, going back to the days when I was a kid first discovering comics. I love getting the chance to say something with those characters and hopefully show fans old and new what I think is cool about them. Also, we need more comics with nunchucks.
AIPT: Now that you say that, nunchucks are seriously lacking in all of comics. Weird!
Moving on to fan questions, we start with Owen who asks: What has it been like balancing both wanting to carve your own creative spin on the Heroes in a Half-Shell while also staying true to the previous 150 issues worth of history that came before?
Jason: Hey, Owen. I think that’s always the challenge, right? Whether I’m writing Thor or Batman or whoever. I always wanna try and distill what I think is most important in making each character interesting and exciting and then show my work as best I can, hopefully, while telling a story that feels familiar but also new and uncharted. Tom [Waltz] and Sophie [Campbell] and everybody involved with the IDW run did so many cool, fresh stories with these characters. I’ve just been happy to be a part of that world.
Courtesy IDW
AIPT: And we’re happy you’re delivering awesome stories within it!
Next up, Scotty P asks: The Turtles have had a lot of crossovers lately. How would you write a TMNT/Scalped crossover series? Yes, I know this is a ridiculous question.
Jason: Ha. You trying to get me fired, Scotty P? I love taking the Turtles to some dark and grimy places. But the world of Scalped might be a step too far. (Though I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Scalped Omnibus Vol. 1 is in stores now.)
Moving back to TMNT questions, AIPT writer CJ asks: Is there a Turtles character you haven’t written yet but want to?
Jason: Several. I just wanted to keep this opening story very contained and focused, cast-wise.
AIPT: It’s apt you kept that answer concise, Jason!
Next up, John asks: Will Splinter attempt to reconnect with the other turtles like how he’s attempting to communicate with Donnie!?
Jason: Not sure what you’re talking about. That’s clearly just a dead rat that Donnie is carrying around. Issue #7 is on sale later this month!
Courtesy IDW
AIPT: I think I see what you did there, Jason!
Amkhir asks: What do you see in the future of Hale? Do you think he will be short-time villain who everyone will forget about or do you have bigger plans for him? Because we already see that his court and speech skills are good enough to hide his more personal reasons to hate mutants already.
Jason: Well, I certainly have big plans for Hieronymus Hale. Beyond that, who knows, that’s not for me to decide. I’m just here to tell the story as I see it. And we’ll see more of Hale’s dark designs for the city of New York in issue #8.
AIPT: Issue 8 is sounding crazier and crazier! Next up, Andrew asks: How has it been different working with a single artist (Juan Ferreyra) on multiple issues vs. working with 5 different artists on the first 5 issues? What were some challenges and surprises?
Jason: Both have been amazing experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing cavalcade of artists I got to work with across those opening issues. They all brought such beautiful perspectives to these characters and their world. There weren’t really any challenges, but everybody who signed up was such an incredible talent.
And the same goes for Juan. It made sense that issue #6 would be the point where one artist would take hold, since that is when the threads of the story finally come together. And if you liked what you saw from Juan in issue #6, and I for one was blown away, then wait’ll you see what he does when the action picks up in our second arc.
Courtesy IDW
AIPT: Next up, Tiffany Ugwu gets Jason to think about each Turtle’s journey, asking: Which Turtle’s journey before the foot attacked did you like best?
Jason: I loved writing each of them. I think Raph’s was the first idea I had, of him in prison, kinda realizing that he likes it, which I thought would do a good job of setting the tone. The Leo issue was a special treat, because I’ve wanted to work with Cliff Chiang for about 15 years. Donnie’s story changed the most, as he was originally going to be a prisoner of a circus, but that changed into an underground “safari.”
And of course, as I said, I do like writing about nunchucks, and I tried to put some of my own childhood Karate experience into that one, about how the spirit of the nunchuck is that you have to be able to beat yourself up and survive.
AIPT: Time to pick a favorite, Owen asks: Do you have a favorite panel from your run so far?
Jason: Hmmm, that’s a tough question. I’d say a panel from issue #6, by Juan, where Donnie is about to get axed by a fireman, and he’s bent over, snarling. I got to see that page in New York when I first met Juan, and holy hell, it looks even better in person.
Courtesy IDW
AIPT: And finally one more question from AIPT, Karai has been lurking in the shadows. What can you tease about her? And what’s Casey’s status? He’s had a really hard time, man!
Jason: As you see in issue #6, poor Casey’s in a coma, after being shot by Hale. As for Karai, yes, her absence will be addressed. As for why she’s in the shadows and what exactly she’s up to…issue #8 will provide your first glimpse at an answer.
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