The Original Shredder Returns in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus | SDCC 2025

IDW Publishing has revealed its aboriginal plans for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise astatine San Diego Comic-Con. IGN tin exclusively uncover IDW's adjacent large TMNT lawsuit comic, a crossover epic dubbed TMNT: Battle Nexus.

If that sanction sounds familiar, it's due to the fact that the Battle Nexus has appeared successful aggregate incarnations of the TMNT comics and animated series. It's a magnitude that links unneurotic galore worlds successful the multiverse, and a spot wherever each fewer years a tourney is held to crown the top combatant successful each reality.

Check retired the slideshow assemblage beneath to spot screen creation for TMNT: Battle Nexus, and work connected to larn much astir the caller series:

TMNT: Battle Nexus is simply a five-issue constricted series, with each section handled by a antithetic originative squad but telling a unified story. The afloat originative lineup includes writers Tom Waltz, Paul Allor, Sophie Campbell, Caleb Goellner, and Erik Burnham, and artists the Escorza brothers, Ben Bishop, Vitor Cafaggi, Omar Francia, and Hendry Prasetya.

Arguably the biggest selling constituent of Battle Nexus is that it features the instrumentality of the archetypal Shredder from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Mirage Comics TMNT run. Fittingly, this villain is inactive rendered successful that classical black-and-white style. He'll beryllium joined by Metalhead from the 2012 animated series, Slash from the IDW universe, and Ninjara, who is making her IDW debut here. These 4 villains person been handpicked to decision the Turtles successful this high-stakes tournament.

"There are galore moments and events successful TMNT lore that I telephone 'touchstones' -- accepted happenings similar the household visiting the aged workplace successful Northampton to regroup and regenerate," Waltz tells IGN. "Well, competing successful the Battle Nexus is different of those touchstones, and my chap TMNT collaborators and I, on with the large editorial squad astatine IDW and Paramount, person travel up with a caller twist connected the Battle Nexus that I judge volition stroke aged and caller fan's minds, and I couldn't beryllium prouder to beryllium a portion of it. Five antithetic originative teams combining to nutrient 1 cohesively bombastic tale, featuring the instauration of a fan-favorite quality from TMNT lore to the IDW Universe. I anticipation everyone's acceptable to rumble...Battle Nexus style!"

"When IDW asked maine to travel connected committee this project, I was excited," Allor says. "And erstwhile I saw the afloat database of artists and writers involved, I was freaking thrilled! What an unthinkable line-up of radical who person fixed their hearts and souls to IDW's ninja turtles continuity implicit the years. And present they're coming unneurotic for a heartfelt, action-packed, wiiiildly over-the-top communicative that celebrates everything we emotion astir our heroes successful a half-shell. The fans are gonna emotion it."

Art by Ben Bishop. (Image Credit: IDW/Nickelodeon)

Burnham says, "Some of my fondest memories arsenic a comic scholar are of the gonzo play events filled with chaotic action, affectional stakes, and unexpected moments... and I'm blessed to study that these kinds of books are conscionable arsenic overmuch amusive to enactment connected arsenic to read! I was honored to beryllium portion of the unit that steered this series, and it was a joyousness (and a challenge) putting a bow connected things with my chapter. I'm already acceptable for the adjacent one!"

Goellner says, "It’s Battle Nexus, baby! This lawsuit is simply a labour of emotion by a radical of highly chill radical I’m arrogant to know, larn from, and person a blast creating stories with. If fans person fractional arsenic overmuch amusive speechmaking it arsenic we’ve had moving unneurotic connected it, IDW’s got a roller coaster, a bouncy house, and a rave combined connected its hands. Let’s go!"

"I conscionable finished speechmaking the Battle Nexus storyline and felt similar eight-year-old Vitor again, wholly excited aft speechmaking his caller variation of Secret Wars!" Cafaggi says. "As a TMNT fan, I felt precise privileged to person work this beforehand and besides wholly excited to beryllium capable to beryllium a portion of it arsenic an artist! This is going to beryllium a memorable portion of enactment for me, for sure!"

Bishop says, “I can’t archer you however overmuch I’m looking guardant to sending my favourite turtle, Leonardo, into conflict against 1 of the coolest versions of the Shredder ever. But, the existent icing connected the barroom is I get to bash it each alongside my LAST RONIN - TURTLE KILLING brothers successful arms, the Escorza bros, Tom Waltz, and Luis Antonio Delgado... There volition beryllium blood!"

Art by Freddie E. Williams II. (Image Credit: IDW)

Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter broke the quality that large changes are coming to IDW's flagship TMNT comic. Current creators Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra volition beryllium ending their tally with contented #12, paving the mode for a caller originative squad and caller presumption quo successful December's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. Taking implicit the publication are Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and Freddie E. Williams II (Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

TMNT: Battle Nexus #1 volition beryllium released connected November 12, 2025, with a last bid cutoff of October 6. You tin preorder a transcript astatine your section comic shop.

For much connected TMNT, find retired however to work IDW's TMNT comics successful 2025. You tin besides cheque retired everything announced astatine SDCC 2025 truthful far.

Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected BlueSky.