Just when fans thought the Turtles have seen it all: alien warlords, mutant rivals, an entire multiverse of alternate shells, IDW Publishing has found yet another tubular timeline worth exploring.
The publisher gave us exclusive information on its newest limited series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tear in Time, set in the world of Paramount+’s 2024 animated seriesTales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And this time, the Heroes in a Half Shell aren’t just facing down a single villain, they’re up against the collapse of their own future.
For anyone who’s somehow avoided this franchise since 1984, the TMNT consist of four brothers (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael) mutated by ooze into humanoid turtles, trained in ninjutsu by their similarly mutated rat sensei, Splinter. Living in the sewers of New York City, they battle everything from the Foot Clan to alien empires, sneaking in pizza breaks here and there while also navigating typical teenage troubles.
Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the franchise began as a comic book series before exploding into cartoons, movies, toys, and, most recently, the Mutant Mayhem film universe.
Now, the Tear in Time is adding another chapter to that legacy, and it’s a wild one. Per the official solicitation, “The Turtles are traveling through time, and this time it isn’t all fun and video games. In the far-off and totally not far-out future of 2037, the world is under Triceraton control! Everyone’s favorite Timestress, Renent, recruits the Turtles to the future to save their slightly older, no-longer teenage friends from Triceraton destruction!”
Renet Tilley is a time-traveling sorceress, first introduced back in the Turtles’ 1984-2014 Mirage comics era. Armed with the mystical Time Scepter (or, depending on the continuity, borrowed cosmic tools she’s not always supposed to have), Renet has a habit of popping into the Turtles’ lives at the worst yet most narratively convenient moments.
The Triceratons are a warmongering species of anthropomorphic, triceratops-esque aliens. Interestingly, they predate the Turtles themselves, created by Eastman and Laird originally for the Mirage Studio’s Fugitoid comic series. Their rivalry with the Turtles has carried through decades of comics, cartoons, and video games, making them one of the franchises’ most enduring threats.
Now, with Renet and the Triceratons set to collide with the Turtles once more, it’s up to writer Andrew Joustra and artist Louie Joyce to bring the story to life, a task that Joustra doesn’t take lightly.
“Tear in Time is the largest scale story I’ve written for TMNT to date,” Joustra says. “It brings together characters and storylines from Mutant Mayhem, the Tales animated series, and our previous comic arcs in a big way.”
Joustra also teased just how central Renet will be to the story’s stakes. “Longtime fans may be excited to see Renet journey to our timeline, and newer fans will get to meet her for the first time. Whenever she shows up, the turtles are inevitably thrust into a harrowing adventure, and this one will have implications for the entire time-space continuum.”
But beneath the multiversal chaos, Joustra says the story is ultimately about what’s always made the Turtles resonate across generations. “There have been so many incredible interactions of TMNT over the years and each generation tends to have its favorites. But at the core of each one is the love and resilience of four brothers and the people/mutants they share their lives with. This story is a love letter to all of them.”
Joustra made his IDW debut writing the first volume of Tales of the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, where he introduced the classic character, Fugitoid. He’s currently mid-run on Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coastal Chaos, which introduces longtime villain Armaggon, the anthropomorphic bounty hunter shark. Issue #1 is on sale now, with #2 and #3 available for pre-order anywhere comics can be found.
That passion for TMNT also carried onto the big screen, where Joustra has contributed to Mutant Mayhem as script and recording coordinator and wrote the 2025 animated short Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2: Lost in New Jersey.
Tear in Time arrives as IDW continues expanding its TMNT comics line. The publisher’s flagship title, simply named Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, relaunched in 2024 under writer Jason Aaron, and will reach its 25th issue in January 2027 under a new creative team, with current writer Gene Luen Yang handing the reins to Matthew Rosenberg (Spawn, Uncanny X-Men), joined by artist Juann Cabal (Daredevil, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man).
Meanwhile, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin saga will reach its conclusion in Summer 2027, with the original creative time of Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Issac and Esau Escorza, and Ben Bishop returning to close out the story in The Last Ronin III–Return to New York.
Fans of the Turtle Brothers can catch the debut issue of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tear in Time on December 12, 2026, available in comics stores and
