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IDW continues to expand the world of its successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin now-franchise. Its latest addition, the January 15-debuting prequel five-issue limited series TMNT: The Last Ronin—Lost Years, is getting a new May tie-in 40-page one-shot special Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Day Special.
Written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, illustrated by Ben Bishop, and colored by Luis Antonio Delgado the Lost Day Special will "straddle both the past and the future of the Last Ronin universe."
In the story "longtime resistance leader" April O'Neil finds herself, her daughter, Casey Marie Jones, and the four young mutant turtles she and Casey Marie are raising and training together once again "caught up in the battle for the soul of New York City."
"When April takes the turtles with her on a supply run into the city, they get lost and risk becoming collateral damage in the newest power struggle overtaking the streets," reads IDW's description. "Old memories mix with new realities as April and her four small charges race to get back home before it's too late."
"As Tom Waltz and I dig deep into the evolution of New York City post-Last Ronin, the Lost Day tale brings the future of all things TMNT up close and very personal,” says Eastman in IDW's announcement. "Buckle up, things are about to get messy!"
"The amazing success of TMNT: The Last Ronin has certainly opened doors to new and exciting storytelling opportunities within what we are now fondly calling the Ronin-verse," adds Waltz.
"Lost Years will expand upon some of the Last Ronin's history that was hinted at in the first volume, while simultaneously pushing forward the new reality that was teased in its epilogue."
IDW also announced an expanded Director's Cut edition of the new limited series' first issue, which will go on sale in April. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Years #1 Director's Cut will feature "never-before-seen" supplemental materials from TMNT co-creator Eastman, as well as series artists Ben Bishop and SL Gallant.
"Just like with TMNT: The Last Ronin, there is a ton of development work taking place on Lost Years that is just as entertaining and exciting as the story being told in the comics," says Waltz. "In particular, the art designs—both characters and settings—have been a joy to watch unfold, and I couldn't be happier that our many loyal fans will get a chance to peek at the amazing work being done behind the scenes.
Published between October 2020 and April 2022, The Last Ronin told the story of the last living member of the four original Turtles, Michelangelo, as he took up his brothers' weapons for a revenge-fueled quest against the Foot Clan in a dark future with some familiar faces such as April O'Neil in tow.
The Last Ronin was based on concepts originally conceived back in the '80s by TMNT creators Eastman and Peter Laird. Eastman himself is credited as one of the creators of the limited series, providing layouts for the interior pages.
IDW reports the original limited series sold over 850k issues and 125k copies of the collection.
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