NYCC '26: IDW to Publish The First Ronin Next Spring
Stan Sakai takes on the popular TMNT spin-off series.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin was a monster hit for IDW when it launched back in 2020. The series was billed as a The Dark Knight Returns-styled future, final storyline for TMNT formed decades ago by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird when they were still working together on the comic book. The story follows the final living brother, Michelangelo, on a mission to avenge his fallen family members. Dark, gritty, and compelling with striking art, The Last Ronin pushed a ton of units for IDW and has spawned a sequel, one-shots, and is being adapted into a video game by PlatinumGames.
With that in mind, it's not too surprising to hear that IDW isn't done with The Last Ronin, and is now gearing up for a prequel series dubbed The First Ronin. The first issue will arrive in March of 2027 and is bringing with it quite the pedigree of talent: artist Soo Lee and the legendary Stan Sakai. Sakai has a long history in the industry, working on his series Usagi Yojimbo since 1984 and dabbling in the world of TMNT multiple times over the years. Sakai's last turn with the Ninja Turtles was in 2023's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen miniseries. Now, Sakai is back to pen the earliest adventure of the brothers... before the brothers even existed!
These turtles are not mutants, but instead turtle humanoid yōkai, which are Japanese monsters/spirits from folklore. They join General Kameyama in a great battle in 1600s, saving the lone survivor who must now prepare for a larger war between yōkai. The series will launch in March of 2027 and serves as a spiritual precursor to The Last Ronin. Of The First Ronin, Sakai says "I enjoyed all of their incarnations, including ‘The Last Ronin,’ so I am really excited to be writing ‘The First Ronin.’ It will have new variations of the Turtles, not mutants this time but yōkai. That is just one of the surprises in store."
If you're interested, be sure to ask for your local comic shop to add it to your pull list!
Source: The Wrap
