Peter Laird’s Lost TMNT Comics To Finally Be Reprinted by IDW (Exclusive)

Most longtime Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans know the story of how Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird published the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics through their own Mirage Studios in the 1980s, and eventually handed the series off to longtime Mirage Studios artist Jim Lawson for a run in the 1990s. Fewer know that Laird returned to the Turtles in the 2000s, launching a new TMNT series, again published through Mirage Studios, collaborating with Lawson to pick up where the previous Mirage series left off. That’s because those later TMNT comics have long been out of print and have never been collected, but that’s about to change. IDW Publishing is launching TMNT: Journeys, a new monthly series that will reprint every issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Vol. 4) (sometimes called TMNT due to how the title appears on covers), those late-Mirage Laird/Lawson comics, first as individual issue and then new collections for the first time.

IDW Publishing has TMNT: Journeys #1, reprinting the first issue of the series by Laird and Lawson, to go on sale on August 20th, with a pre-order deadline of Monday, July 14th. Eastman, contributing to this volume of TMNT for the first time, will create a brand-new variant cover to accompany TMNT: Journeys #1, the main cover of which will use Michael Dooney’s original, iconic TMNT #1 cover art, seen below.

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Where Eastman has been involved in the IDW Publishing era of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics from the start, TMNT Vol. 4 was Laird’s final time (to date) working directly on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic (though IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is based on an idea Eastman and Laird conceived of together during their initial collaboration). The team at IDW Publishing says they see TMNT: Journeys as an opportunity to celebrate Laird’s legacy as creator and longtime steward of the Ninja Turtles.

“I have been asking about Mirage volume four of TMNT since I started at IDW 2 years ago,” says Ryan Balkam, IDW’s Specialty Sales Manager. “When I found out we were finally going to release, I jumped out of my chair in excitement. Getting a chance to honor the final TMNT series that Peter Laird, co-creator of TMNT, worked on is an immense honor.”

He continues, “The TMNT fans and retailers that continue to support our books have been amazing. I can’t wait for them to relive or experience these books for the first time. They’re in for an exciting journey.”

Here’s the official solicitation synopsis for TMNT: Journeys #1:

A LOST PIECE OF TMNT HISTORY BROUGHT BACK TO LIGHT!

Twenty four years ago legendary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Peter Laird joined forces with Jim Lawson and the legendary talent at Mirage Studios to continue the epic journey of the Ninja Turtles in the fourth volume of their ongoing series. TMNT: Journeys reprints that epic series here for the very first time! The Ninja Turtles are growing up and facing off against new, frightening dangers that could tear the four brothers apart and change New York City forever. Meanwhile, April and Casey Jones prepare for the next step in their relationship as they’re expecting a baby. And Master Splinter trains with Shadow Jones for the dark forces threatening the family ahead. With a brand-new variant cover by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, this is a can’t-miss story for all TMNT fans!

A Piece of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Mirage Comics History Restored

Eastman and Laird debuted the TMNT in 1984 in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. The series, published through Mirage Studios, ran until Eastman and Laird concluded the series with the original “City at War” epic in 1993. Lawson then became writer and artist for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which relaunched with a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 in 1993 and lasted until 1995, when a flood at Mirage Studios prompted the cancellation of the series. Image Comics – under the guidance of Erik Larsen, and the creative team of Gary Carlson and Frank Fosco – then became the series’ publisher, launching the third Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series in 1996. Though originally envisioned as a continuation of the Mirage era, the series ended abruptly in 1999 and has been rendered non-canonical by Laird’s TMNT Vol. 4. (IDW has since reprinted and given the Image era a proper ending via its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends series.)

Laird and Lawson launched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 4 in 2001, ignoring the Image era and restarting the story where the previous Mirage era ended. TMNT released consistently through 2006, until Laird’s focus shifted to the then-upcoming TMNT movie. He returned to the comic in 2008, publishing a few more issues in limited print runs and online before selling the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise to Nickelodeon in 2009.

For those wanting to experience the Mirage Comics Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saga from its start ahead of TMNT: Journeys’ launch, IDW Publishing has collected Eastman and Laird’s original Mirage Comics Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection, and more recently released the more expansive hardcover Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Compendium volumes, which also collect TMNT stories by guest writers and artists of the era. Earlier this year, IDW published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Mirage Years (1993–1995), collecting Lawson’s complete Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into a single hardcover.

TMNT: Journeys #1 goes on sale on August 20th. In the meantime, look for news about a brand-new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series from IDW Publishing coming very soon.