Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) is now out in theaters, and so far, reviews have been very positive.
The CG-animated reboot focuses on the four titular Turtles, this time with a huge emphasis on the teenage aspect. And just as the subtitle suggests, there are plenty of other mutants from the wider franchise, some iconic, others not so much.
Credit: Paramount Animation / Nickelodeon Movies (via YouTube)
The film will undoubtedly keep fans and younger audiences entertained over the summer, but there’s more going on in the world of TMNT than you might realize.
Forget canisters of ooze landing in the sewers — the comic books are where the Ninja Turtles were born. First, Mirage Studios held the rights, then Image Comics, Archie Comics, Dreamwave Productions, and now, IDW Publishing (there are also some Manga comics).
IDW Publishing has been churning out TMNT comics since 2011, but it’s one of their latest runs that has caught the attention of the wider fanbase. Since its release in 2020, the TMNT reboot “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin” (2020) has continued to grow.
If you aren’t familiar, “The Last Ronin” takes place in a futuristic and dystopian New York City, where Michelangelo embarks on a quest to avenge the deaths of his fallen brothers, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael.
“Lost Years” explains how Michelangelo became the titular “Last Ronin” while introducing a diverse new team in the form of four brand-new turtle characters, Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno, who are being trained to become the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The prequel/sequel series is made up of five issues (Issue #5 goes on sale tomorrow, August 2), with each issue (which jumps forward three years in the “present day”) offering a few panels that tease these four new characters during their juvenile years.
However, the one-shot edition, “Lost Day”, takes place 10 years after the events of “The Last Ronin” and acts as a pilot for “Re-Evolution.” It finds Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno as teenagers who are being trained by April O’Neil and her daughter Casey Marie Jones.
“Lost Day” is the new team’s first official outing. Quite literally, as it’s the first time they take to the streets of New York, where readers are introduced to new characters who will undoubtedly reappear in “Re-Evolution,” which will focus on the new Ninja Turtles.
Odyn, Yi, Moja, and Uno are an interesting assortment. Though there are many similarities between Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello, they’re also very different. For starters, there are two females (Yi and Moja) and two snapping turtles (Odyn and Moja).
They’re also unique individual characters. Yi, seemingly the leader, is sharp and cunning yet extremely abrasive (and so far quite unlikable), while Odyn is the opposite; he’s big, cuddly, and somewhat infantile in his behavior and mannerisms.
Moja appears to be quite protective over Odyn, while Yi, the second female, is a tinkerer or mechanic. Both female characters seem to be the most reasonable and level-headed of the four new Ninja Turtles.
While the original Ninja Turtles continue to appear in flashbacks, these new characters are their official replacements — at least here in the world of “The Last Ronin.” It’s unknown whether Michelangelo will also return in “Re-Evolution,” but as the entire “Ronin-verse” is built upon his character, it’s unlikely we’ll be saying our goodbyes in the current series.
So, with Mutant Mayhem out in theaters and “Lost Years” churning out new issues, what other TMNT installments are on the horizon? Let’s lift that manhole cover and take a look.
Upcoming TMNT Installments
Mutant Mayhem Paramount+ series
Credit: Paramount Animation / Nickelodeon Movies (via YouTube)
The main IDW Publishing “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comic books will continue to run alongside “The Last Ronin” series. There’s even an exciting crossover now available in stores on online, titled “TMNT x Stranger Things” (2023).
As recently announced, “The Last Ronin II — Re-Evolution” will arrive later this year, with the first issue releasing in December. This will be considered the second series, as “Lost Years” is viewed as a prequel/sequel hybrid or a “Last Ronin 1.5”.
We’ve known for quite some time that several TMNT villain-focused films are making their way to Paramount+. While it is yet to be confirmed whether these are part of the Mutant Mayhem shared universe, given the recent news that a shared universe is in development, and when you take into account just how many villains are introduced and teased, in the new film, it’s pretty obvious these upcoming installments will be connected.
A brand-new live-action TMNT reboot is reportedly still in development, with Saturday Night Live writers Casey Jost and Colin Jost attached. The film will not follow on from the two recent live-action reboots, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016). However, based on Kevin Eastman’s comments surrounding The Last Ronin video game, we also now know it won’t be based on that comic book series either.
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!
Credit: YouTube channel “Speedokaggen” by creator Magnus Edlund / TMNT Copyright owners IDW Publishing, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures
A special one-shot set in the Ronin-verse! After the Last Ronin defeated Oroku Hiroto, Master of the Foot Clan, New York City was free for the first time in more than a decade. But along with the newfound freedom comes a dangerous power vacuum waiting to be filled, and without a common enemy in the Foot Clan, various factions are vying to take control. Longtime resistance leader April O’Neil finds herself and her loved ones—including four small mutant turtles she and her daughter, Casey Marie Jones, are raising and training together—once again caught up in the battle for the soul of the city.
When April takes the young mutant turtles with her on a supply run into the city, they become lost and must find their way back to the sewer lair or risk becoming collateral damage in the newest power struggle overtaking the streets. Old memories mix with new realities as April and her four small charges race to get back home before it’s too late.
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.
Credit: Nickelodeon Movies / Paramount Pictures
