Believe it, boys and girls. Naruto is on the horizon in a way we have never seen before. Earlier this year, fans learned Naruto and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were . IDW Publishing and Viz Media is on the cusp of the crossover, and we just got a brand-new peek at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto. And yes, this one brings the one-and-only Kakashi center stage.
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As you can see below, the sneak peek was posted by ANN ahead of the comic’s debut next week. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is set to begin in mid-November. The special preview brings Team 7 together for a mission, and Kakashi is leading the charge. Of course, the crew is joined by April O’Niel as the reporter managed to plead a case to the Hidden Leaf Village, and Tsunade asked Naruto’s crew to help the girl out.
The Intersection of Naruto and TMNT
In this preview, fans are given a clear look at how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto will look and feel. Caleb Goellner is writing the comic after making a name for themselves with Sonic the Hedgehog. Hendry Prasetya is overseeing drawing while Raul Angulo doing coloring. Plus, lettering has been tasked to Ed Dukeshire. IDW Publishing and Viz Media assembled a top-notch team to handle the comic, and this new preview promises big things for fans.
After all, we get to meet Team 7 face-to-face as genin once again. Naruto is back in his iconic orange suit while Sasuke rocks his usual blue-white look. As for Sakura, the girl’s hair is perfectly cut, so we are well past the Chunnin Exam arc. Given the timing, this Team 7 mission has to be set just before Sasuke leaves the Hidden Leaf Village for Orochimaru, so life for Team 7 hasn’t yet hit the fan.
Give Us More Manga x Comic Collaborations
With a crack team in charge, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is just the latest crossover between manga and western comics. It isn’t often that western comics bring manga into their realm, but it has happened before. Marvel once did an impressive collaboration with Attack on Titan, and of course, manga has a long history with tackling western IPs.
From Wolverine to Deadpool and Spider-Man, a number of Marvel heroes have been given manga titles over the years. Right now, Deadpool Samurai is a big hit for Marvel and Shueisha as its second season just began. As for other publishing houses, DC Comics has delved into manga before. Joker One: Operation Joker debuted a couple years ago to great success as it features the Joker raising a Baby Batman. From Superman Meshi to Batman: Justice Buster, DC Comics is also getting into the manga space, and now IDW Publishing is doing the same with TMNT.
As for what’s next, well – we will have to see. The manga industry is growing by the day, and current sales stateside make it to the top-selling type of graphic novel. The market heavily favors manga thanks to readers, so there is more interest in these comic crossovers than ever before. So if we see Chainsaw Man fight Spawn one day, don’t be surprised.
What do you think about this latest peek at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto? Are you planning to check out the IDW series? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
