The next era of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has officially been revealed.
During IDW Publishing’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, the publisher announced that Matthew Rosenberg (If Destruction Be Our Lot, Spawn, Uncanny X-Men) and artist Juann Cabal (Daredevil, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Elektra) will become the new creative team on the flagship Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series beginning with issue #25 in 2027.
Rosenberg gave his first official interview with AIPT, which ran today on the AIPT Comics podcast. Stream it below.
The announcement marks the end of Gene Luen Yang’s run on the series, with Rosenberg stepping in to guide the Heroes in a Half Shell through what promises to be one of their toughest nights yet. According to IDW, the new arc traps Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael in a relentless battle across New York City as a massive lineup of classic and brand-new villains joins forces to hunt them down over the course of a single night.
For Rosenberg, the assignment is deeply personal.
“Before I was even a teenager, I was spending all my time reading superhero comics. But it wasn’t until a clerk at my local comic shop told me I had to buy an issue of the Eastman and Laird run of TMNT that I actually fell in love with comics,” Rosenberg said.
He added that he hopes to honor the many creators who have shaped the franchise over the decades, citing Erik Larsen, Jim Lawson, Sophie Campbell, Tom Waltz, Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra, Gene Luen Yang, and Freddie E. Williams II as inspirations.
“We’re making a book that has everything I love about TMNT: shells-against-the-wall grittiness, laugh-out-loud humor, non-stop intensity, and some genuine family drama.”
Yang also shared his excitement for the transition, saying he’s stepping away to focus on a creator-owned project while remaining a fan of the series.
“Working on TMNT has been a dream come true,” Yang said. “I’m sad to leave, though I’m also excited about the creator-owned project that is pulling me away. And I’m super excited to continue with the Turtles as a fan! Matthew Rosenberg is going to knock it out of the park!”
‘The Last Ronin’ trilogy reaches its conclusion
IDW also confirmed that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin III – Return for New York will arrive next summer, bringing the main Roninverse trilogy to a close.
The series reunites the original creative team of Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Isaac Escorza, Esau Escorza, Ben Bishop, Luis Antonio Delgado, and Shawn Lee for what is being billed as the final chapter in the story of Casey Marie Jones, Odyn, Moja, Uno, and Yi.
“When Kevin Eastman and I sat down to write the original TMNT: The Last Ronin, we had high hopes readers would love the story just as much as we loved telling it,” Waltz said. “Our creative excitement and enthusiasm remain fully intact, and we are all striving to produce a grand finale worthy of its predecessors.”
Eastman reflected on the franchise’s long journey, noting that what began as a simple outline he created with Peter Laird nearly four decades ago has grown into something far beyond what either creator imagined.
IDW teased that more TMNT announcements for 2027 will be revealed later this year. In the meantime, fans can pick up the milestone Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #300, which launches “The City That Never Dies,” as well as the oversized one-shot TMNT: The Last Ronin – Training Day, both available now in comic shops.
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