Jorge Jimenez Teases Second Issue of Naruto x TMNT Comic Series

On Sunday, September 22, 2024, artist Jorge Jiménez provided an exciting preview of the highly anticipated second issue of the Naruto and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) crossover comic. Jiménez is working alongside co-illustrator Hendry Prasetya, with Caleb Goellner as the writer. Notably, Prasetya also created an alternate cover for the first volume, while Jiménez’s cover was utilized for the final version.

The Naruto x TMNT comic series is set to make its debut on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, with plans for a total of four issues. It has been hinted that each issue will feature multiple variant covers, although specific details remain unclear at this time.

Naruto x TMNT Second Issue Cover Features Naruto’s Nine-Tails Cloak Alongside Donatello

The cover of the second issue for the Naruto x TMNT collaboration showcases Donatello, dressed in full ninja attire, standing alongside Naruto in his Nine-Tails Cloak form. The duo is depicted standing in a water puddle. In the upper left and lower right corners of the cover, fans can spot elements from both characters’ origins: a broken vial of ooze over a sewer grate representing Donatello’s past and a baby photo of Naruto adorned with the Eight Trigrams seal.

The plot will kick off with a meeting between April O’Neil, a steadfast ally of the heroes in a half shell, and Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. This encounter captures the attention of the Foot Clan, leading to a collaborative effort between the Hidden Leaf and the TMNT. To simplify the storyline, a version of the TMNT universe will blend with the world created by renowned mangaka Masashi Kishimoto.

Although the comic is currently intended as a four-issue series, should it garner enough popularity, publishers Shueisha, Viz Media, and IDW Publishing may decide to extend its run—similar to their decision with the Deadpool: Samurai manga series. Recently, several popular manga collaborations with comic book characters have been released or are set to be launched soon, indicating a thriving market for such projects.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise was originally conceived by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, first debuting as a comic published by Mirage Studios from 1984 to 2014. This was followed by the launch of the iconic animated series in 1987, which enjoyed a nearly decade-long run. The franchise has since branched out into toys, video games, animated and live-action films, and much more.

Similarly, Kishimoto’s Naruto manga began its serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in September 1999 and concluded in November 2014. A television anime adaptation was produced by Studio Pierrot, airing from 2002 to 2007, and returned from 2007 to 2017 under the Shippuden title.

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