Two New Last Ronin Projects Announced by IDW for 2023 as Eastman and Waltz’s Phenomenal “Ronin-verse” Continues to Expand
IDW announces today that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Years, the upcoming five-issue prequel to the New York Times best-selling The Last Ronin, will further expand its epic tale with a tie-in one-shot by writers Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, illustrator Ben Bishop, and colorist Luis Antonio Delgado. The 40-page special issue, available in May, is called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Day Special and will straddle both the past and the future of the Last Ronin universe, setting the stage for thrilling new tales to come.
In Lost Day, longtime resistance leader April O’Neil finds herself and her loved ones—including the four young 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 New York City. When April takes the turtles with her on a supply run into the city, they get lost and 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 Tom Waltz and I dig deep into the evolution of New York City post-Last Ronin, the Lost Day tale brings the future of all things TMNT up close and very personal,” says Eastman. “Buckle up, things are about to get messy!”
“The amazing success of TMNT: The Last Ronin has certainly opened doors to new and exciting storytelling opportunities within what we are now fondly calling the Ronin-verse,” says Waltz. “Lost Years will expand upon some of the Last Ronin’s history that was hinted at in the first volume, while simultaneously pushing forward the new reality that was teased in its epilogue… And within Lost Years, Kevin and I are excited to have the opportunity to join artist Ben Bishop to tell a one-shot tale, Lost Day. The past, present, and future are full of surprises that we can’t wait to share with our readers!”
“Having a chance to expand on the world and characters of the Last Ronin story is the opportunity of a lifetime, and we’ve got some really fun, exciting, and historic stuff coming! Can’t wait for everyone to see it,” says Bishop.
“Although the main Lost Years series focuses on Michelangelo’s past and the journey that made him the unyielding warrior we saw in The Last Ronin, we realized that Lost Years was also an exciting opportunity to look ahead,” says senior editor Charles Beacham. “This action-packed Lost Day Special is going to pull at heartstrings and have readers on the edge of their seats as they get the first in-depth look at the little turtles teased at the end of The Last Ronin. It’s going to be epic!”
With the highly anticipated debut of TMNT: The Last Ronin—Lost Years slated for January 25th, IDW has also announced an expanded Director’s Cut edition of the miniseries’ first issue, which will be available in April. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Years #1 Director’s Cut will feature never-before-seen supplemental materials from legendary TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, as well as series artists Ben Bishop and SL Gallant.
“The creation of the Last Ronin Universe with Peter Laird and Tom Waltz has truly been an amazing journey through and through,” says Eastman, “and one of the best parts has been all the nooks and crannies we left open to go back and explore, given the chance. Lost Years is the first trip back.Iit has been incredible, and with the Director’s Cut, you’ll get to see a bit more of that world.”
For fans hungry for more insight into the creative process behind Last Ronin’s runaway success, Lost Years, Director’s Cut offers an exclusive look at the concept’s evolution from a speculative draft composed by Eastman and Laird in the nascent days of TMNT’s indie comics era to a New York Times best-selling, internationally beloved phenomenon, as well as the new, expansive universe that has emerged as a result.
“Just like with TMNT: The Last Ronin, there is a ton of development work taking place on Lost Years that is just as entertaining and exciting as the story being told in the comics,” said Waltz. “In particular, the art designs—both characters and settings—have been a joy to watch unfold, and I couldn’t be happier that our many loyal fans will get a chance to peek at the amazing work being done behind the scenes.”
Springing from a lost 1987 storyline by TMNT co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, The Last Ronin tells the heartrending revenge story of a sole, shrouded Turtle in a dark, possible future, undertaking a seemingly hopeless mission to obtain justice for his fallen family and friends. The kinetic layouts from Eastman, atmospheric illustrations from Isaac & Esau Escorza and Ben Bishop, thrilling script full of surprises from longtime TMNT scribe Tom Waltz, and bold hues from colorist Luis Antonio Delgado instantly resonated with fans and critics alike. Debuting in October 2020 as a quarterly periodical in a prestige oversized format, The Last Ronin took the comic world by storm, eventually leading to over 840,000 units of the individual comic books in print and New York Times best seller status for its hardcover collection with more than 125,000 copies sold.
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For information on how to acquire the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—The Lost Years five-part miniseries and its special one-shot tie-in, please visit Penguin Random House or www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you.