A bold new chapter for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series is coming this December, as Eisner Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang (Superman Smashes the Klan) teams up with fan-favorite artist Freddie E. Williams II (Batman/TMNT, Godzilla vs. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) for issue #13. It’s not out yet, but preorders show it’s a huge hit already, as IDW has revealed comic shops have put in over 100,000 orders.
The issue is kicking off a fresh storyline just in time for the holidays. Those sales may be up for the excitement, along with news that IDW gathered an all-star roster of artists to create a dazzling lineup of blind bag variant covers.
“When I heard Gene and Freddie were kicking off a new run for our flagship TMNT series, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for us to commemorate their debut issue with a blind bag,” remarked Ryan Balkam, IDW Director of Sales. “Listening to the retailers and fans is something that’s very important to us, so we made sure to line up an incredible roster of cover artists and kept these bags affordable for everyone. We’re extremely humbled by the giant response to the launch of this new run and so appreciative of all the support you’ve shown us. We can’t wait for you guys to get your hands on the comic this December.”
The pre-order deadline was originally set for October 20 but was moved up a week to October 13. This is because order projections were higher than expected, and the printer will now receive extra time to produce more copies to meet the increased demand in the key comic and blind bags.
“Like everyone else who grew up in the ‘80s, I’ve been a fan of the Turtles since I was a kid. The Turtles even gave me my start in comics through the Xeric Grant, so I’m beyond thrilled to dive into their universe,” commented Yang. “Freddie and I are so grateful for the support TMNT #13 has gotten from retailers and fans. We can’t wait for the world to see what we’ve got planned!”
“Drawing as the regular artist for the TMNT is the culmination of 30 years: playing the TMNT Roleplaying game, zig zagging through comic book crossovers for a decade, and having the honor of collaborating with my hero Kevin Eastman,” stated Williams II. “I’m so excited to be here, I’m having a great time teaming up with Gene Yang, and I hope everyone will love what we are cooking up together!””
You must be logged in to post a comment.