The upcoming TMNT comic book published by IDW, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution, is a disappointing sex and species swapped continuation of the beloved TMNT franchise. Despite being penned by the original creative team, including writers Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, and featuring the IDW team of Ben Bishop, Esau Escoraza, and Isaac Escorza, the direction taken in this instalment is a disservice to the iconic characters and the narrative established in the previous series.
Set more than a decade after the events of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II, this sequel presents a grim and chaotic version of New York City, once again in need of protection. However, instead of continuing the story of the original TMNT, the focus shifts to a new generation of turtles: Yi, Uno, Odyn, and Moja, mentored by Casey Marie Jones. A female sensei, how stunning and brave.
Eastman is quoted as saying: “Casey Marie Jones is the woman in the purple you see there with the half of a Casey mask on, and she’s trained to become the sensei and general parent of the new turtles. They’re going out on one of their first missions,” and “one of the things that we did want to do was really update the characters. There’s two male, two female turtle characters.” About the new species swapped turtles he said: “But with this, Tom and I had a very specific idea, where we wanted them to be different species of turtles. So they would have different physical attributes, and that would translate into their height and weight and even personality.“
IDW’s decision to sideline the original characters in favour of introducing new ones feels like a betrayal to fans who have followed the adventures of Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael for decades.
Moreover, IDW’s retconning of established lore, such as the creation of a new universe dubbed the “Roninverse,” further distances Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II from the rich history of the TMNT franchise. The decision to deviate from IDW’s established continuity feels unnecessary and disrupts the cohesion of the larger TMNT universe.
Popular YouTuber RazörFist also weighed in on X: “To summarize the Last Ronin sequel: >South American sweatshop artwork >Unnecessary continuation of a finished story >L̵e̵o̵n̵a̵r̵d̵o̵ Girlboss leads. Wake me up when IDW loses the rights to the TMNT.“
The gritty and mature tone of the series, while attempting to differentiate itself from previous iterations, ultimately falls flat. The attempt to portray the new turtles as battle-hardened warriors in a dystopian setting feels forced and lacks the charm and depth of the original characters. The excessive focus on grittiness and bleakness detracts from the heart and humour that has been a hallmark of the TMNT franchise.
The introduction of new characters with little resemblance to the original turtles feels like a missed opportunity to explore different facets of the existing cast. The new turtles lack the familiarity and connection that fans have with their predecessors, making it difficult to invest in their journey.
It isn’t clear whether IDW has its own internal DEI requirements, whether Eastmen and his team decided on self-imposed DEI requirements, or whether this is simply an attempt to virtue signal. What is clear though is that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II is an absolute travesty bent on destroying the legacy of the original TNMT.
Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution fails to capture the magic of the original TMNT comics. Instead of building upon the established lore and characters, it introduces unnecessary retcons and new characters that lack the depth and appeal of the originals. Fans of the franchise deserve better than this lacklustre continuation.
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So Casey Jones got some bolt-on implants, and the turtles are now some generic looking characters with no colored headbands, the same sets of weapons, and to actually tell what gender they are you have to physically examine their tails and cloacas like on real turtles. OK.
Pretty much sums it up yes
I will read it and make my own opinion. Perhaps, I think Fandom Pulse should too before jumping to these kinds of conclusions.
Keep deluding yourself Gamma
Eastman literally said it, and the link to his quote is in the article.