This fall, IDW sharpens its focus on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe with two gritty solo miniseries that dive deep into the lives of its most iconic supporting characters. It begins on August 27 with Shredder from Dan Watters and Michele Bandini, and then continues on September 17 with Casey Jones by Alex Paknadel and Amancay Nahuelpan.
Both series promise bold reinventions, more character studies than traditional hero or villain spotlights, and mark a major creative expansion for TMNT fans eager to explore the world beyond the Turtles themselves.
Courtesy of IDW.
Shredder (Dan Watters and Michele Bandini)
For Watters (Home Sick Pilots, Lucifer), the approach to Shredder was to take everything that made the character terrifying, and then strip it away. No Foot Clan. No sprawling empire. Just Oroku Saki, his blades, and a simmering rage.
“We’re removing his clan and his resources,” Watters said. “This is Shredder relying on his wits and his blades… exploiting his knowledge of the secret corners of the world that allowed him to build up the Foot Clan in the first place.”
The result is a vengeance-driven ronin tale steeped in the lore of TMNT but told from a perspective rarely explored.
Courtesy IDW
“It’s rooted in the alien technologies, the magic and mysticism, the gang wars and hidden ninja histories of the TMNT universe,” Watters said. “And then I’m letting Shredder stab them.”
Bandini’s artwork brings the pain with gorgeously choreographed fight scenes and a final-page reveal in issue #1 that Watters confidently predicts “is going to be iconic going forward.”
Courtesy IDW
Shredder, after all, isn’t just another villain; he’s the dark mirror of the Turtles themselves.
“He’s a centuries-old ninja who’s been resurrected from death multiple times, including a trip through literal Hell,” Watters said. “There’s a renewed quaking rage in his gut that’s driving him to burn it all down. And probably stab it.”
Courtesy of IDW.
Casey Jones (Alex Paknadel and Amancay Nahuelpan)
While Shredder rips its lead down to his violent essence, Casey Jones puts its titular character back on the street — broken, bleeding, and dangerously close to losing himself.
Fresh off a coma (thanks to DA Hale’s brutal assault in the main TMNT series), Casey is out to prove he’s still got it, even if he hasn’t fully recovered.
“He’s back on the streets with something to prove,” Paknadel explained. “That’s a recipe for disaster, or ‘drama,’ as we call it in the trade.”
Courtesy of IDW.
For longtime fans, this solo book is a long-overdue love letter to Casey’s multiple iterations.
“One of the stated goals of the book from its inception has been to unify the impulsive Mirage iteration of Casey with the slightly more nuanced and emotional IDW take,” Paknadel said. “You’re going to get all the ‘goongala goongala’ skull-cracking you could ever want, but it’s all armor for this sweet, unwaveringly loyal kid.”
That emotional undercurrent pairs beautifully with Nahuelpan’s kinetic visual storytelling.
“The book starts at 100 mph, and it doesn’t really let up,” Paknadel said. “There’s a new enemy out there plucking mutants from the streets, and they embody everything Casey hates and fears.”
Paknadel promises a fast-paced, emotionally raw experience, grounded in street-level New York grit.
“This is the mean, uncompromising Casey book we’ve waited decades for,” Paknadel said.
Courtesy of IDW.
TMNT Fans: Don’t Sleep on FOC
With both books heading to final order cutoff rather ssoon, the message from the writers is clear: These aren’t just spin-offs; they’re essential expansions of the TMNT universe.
Watters calls Shredder “a revenge tale… a ronin story” that will turn familiar elements on their heads. Meanwhile, Paknadel says Casey Jones delivers “the most unhinged and breathlessly thrilling book possible,” and anchored by a character who’s as broken as he is brave.
For readers ready to go deeper into the shadows of the TMNT world, Shredder and Casey Jones offer two unforgettable journeys into vengeance, survival, and identity, each with a blade (or hockey stick) ready to swing.
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