Credit: YouTube channel "Speedokaggen" by creator Magnus Edlund / TMNT Copyright owners IDW Publishing, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures For a long time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans have been crying out for a dark iteration of the heroes-in-a-half-shell. But though the franchise started out dark and gritty with the Mirage Comics way back in the ’80s, since then they’ve had more family-friendly appeal, which has ensured that the IP would endure over the decades — and it certainly has.
In that time, there have been four television shows, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012), and Rise of the TMNT (2018), and a live-action show, Next Mutation: Ninja Turtles (1997). Alongside these some of these shows there have even been feature-length animated films.
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And that’s just television — in movie theaters, we’ve seen six TMNT movies: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), TMNT (2007), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016).
Now, there’s yet another installment on the way titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023). And don’t get us started on all the TMNT video game titles there have been over the years. But while all the shows, movies and games have had universal appeal, luckily, the comic books have, in recent years, returned to their gritty roots.
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From IDW Publishing, who’ve been churning out TMNT comics since 2011, comes the widely popular “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin” (2020) series. Though it was released three years ago, it remains just as popular, as there’s a brand-new prequel series titled “The Lost Years” (2023) currently being released month by month.
“The Last Ronin” follows lone and depressed Ninja Turtle Michelangelo who’s out for blood following the deaths of his three brothers. Set several decades after the more traditional stories, it takes place in a dystopian and futuristic New York City, which is under the rule of an evil tyrant — the grandson of the Ninja Turtles’ iconic nemesis, The Shredder.
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“The Lost Years” takes place years before “The Last Ronin”, however, there’s also a present-day storyline which deals with the aftermath of the flagship comic, and also introduces four brand-new Ninja Turtle characters, two of whom are female.
Soon, there will even be a sequel to “The Last Ronin”, as recently confirmed by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman. And, as recently reported by Polygon, there’s now a “Triple-A” video game based on the hugely popular comic book series in development, which, like the comics, will focus on Michelangelo in a “God of War“-style adventure.
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Hopefully, the game means that we’re one step closer to a live-action TMNT reboot that’s geared towards an adult audience, perhaps even one that’s also based on “The Last Ronin”, which is the reboot we’ve all been waiting for in this franchise, even if it does only currently exist as a comic book. And while there’s another live-action reboot in the works, it’s unlikely to be inspired by the hit comic book series, as it’s being penned by two Saturday Night Live writers.
But never say never, and if they’ve already seen the dark and gritty fan-made “Last Ronin” film/trailer that found its way onto YouTube last year, there’s every chance they’ll have been deeply inspired to do a major rewrite! The short film, titled “TMNT: The Last Ronin Animation“, was shared by YouTube channel “Speedokaggen” by creator Magnus Edlund.
Check it out below:
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Though short and sweet, the fan-made film does give us a snapshot of what a mature-themed TMNT film could look like. But even putting this film aside, a huge source of inspiration would be the incredibly popular John Wick films starring Keanu Reeves, whose tone this film echoes. So, will we see a TMNT film based off “The Last Ronin”? Well, if we do, Ninja Turtles could easily become the next John Wick. Who needs Keanu Reeves when you have an enraged Michelangelo tearing through the scum of New York City?!
As per IDW, here’s the synopsis for “The Last Ronin — Lost Years”:
RETURN TO THE RONIN-VERSE! In the smash-hit miniseries TMNT: The Last Ronin, readers were taken on a pulse-pounding trek through time — past, present, future — to witness the final gut-wrenching days of the Heroes in a Half Shell. For Michelangelo in particular, the march to his heart-breaking last battle was long and dangerous, taking him from New York City, to Japan, across Asia and Europe, and then back home again to administer final justice against those guilty of killing his family.
But what happened during those fateful years when he had only the need for vengeance and Master Splinter’s journal to guide him? What battles did he fight? What hard lessons did he learn? The time has come to find out as original miniseries writers Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz join artist Ben Bishop (TMNT: The Last Ronin) to finally reveal what adventures the Last Ronin experienced during his vengeful journey. While in the present, a new master, Casey Marie Jones, prepares her young terrapin students to be the next generation of… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
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“The Lost Years” issues 1 and 2 are on sale now. Meanwhile, Mutant Mayhem is heading to theaters this summer.
Check out the brand-new trailer below:
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As per Wikipedia, here’s the official synopsis for Mutant Mayhem:
After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a notorious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.
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Mutant Mayhem stars Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo), Brady Noon (Raphael), Jackie Chan (Splinter), Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil), Seth Rogen (Bebop), John Cena (Rocksteady), Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), Ice Cube (Superfly), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko), Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom), Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut), and Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman).
Mutant Mayhem (2023) will be released in theaters on August 4, 2023.
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Would you like to see a John Wick-style Ninja Turtles movie? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!