Mike Eakins
The debut issue of the epic TMNT miniseries, The Last Ronin, has taken comic fandom by storm as one of the biggest events of 2020 with more than 180,000 copies in print! Now, IDW welcomes hardcore fans to a special behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this instant classic with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #1 Director’s Cut, due to hit stores in March 2021.
Featuring never-before-seen layouts from Kevin Eastman, story notes that date back decades, character designs, script pages, and much more, the Director’s Cut delves deep into the lore of The Last Ronin’s future New York City, where a lone surviving Turtle goes on a seemingly hopeless mission to obtain justice for his fallen family and friends. This 64-page special issue is a must-have for any TMNT aficionado who wants to discover the story behind the story!
“The creation of The Last Ronin has been — and continues to be — an excitingly collaborative experience, with tons of creative designs and decisions happening behind-the-scenes and during production. The Director’s Cut gives us a cool opportunity to intimately share with our many wonderful readers the creative process that’s been driving this newest TMNT tale, all the cool extras that happen before we even get to the printer and into stores,” says Tom Waltz, the longtime writer of IDW’s ongoing TMNT series and scripter for The Last Ronin.
Originally an unpublished 1987 story concept from the minds of TMNT co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, The Last Ronin took shape as a comic book miniseries in 2020 with a script by Tom Waltz; layouts by Eastman; pencils and inks by Esau Escorza, Isaac Escorza, and Ben Bishop; and colors by Luis Antonio Delgado.
”We expected this to be a popular book, given its history and concept. Nonetheless, the fan reaction to The Last Ronin has far exceeded our expectations. This Director’s Cut Edition is a great way to give back to those fans and give them a behind-the-curtain look at what went into making this monumental issue,” says TMNT Group Editor Bobby Curnow.
In addition to the news of issue #1’s Director’s Cut, IDW is announcing the revised on-sale date for the next eagerly-awaited chapter of TMNT: The Last Ronin. Issue #2 will be available on February 17th, with a story that reveals more dark secrets of The Ronin’s past and sets him on a path alongside an unexpected new ally.
