IDW Publishing has revealed its future plans for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise at San Diego Comic-Con. IGN can exclusively reveal IDW's next big TMNT event comic, a crossover epic dubbed TMNT: Battle Nexus.
If that name sounds familiar, it's because the Battle Nexus has appeared in multiple incarnations of the TMNT comics and animated series. It's a dimension that links together many worlds in the multiverse, and a place where every few years a tournament is held to crown the greatest fighter in all reality.
Check out the slideshow gallery below to see cover art for TMNT: Battle Nexus, and read on to learn more about the new series:
TMNT: Battle Nexus is a five-issue limited series, with each chapter handled by a different creative team but telling a unified story. The full creative 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 point of Battle Nexus is that it features the return of the original Shredder from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Mirage Comics TMNT run. Fittingly, this villain is still rendered in that classic black-and-white style. He'll be joined by Metalhead from the 2012 animated series, Slash from the IDW universe, and Ninjara, who is making her IDW debut here. These four villains have been handpicked to defeat the Turtles in this high-stakes tournament.
"There are many moments and events in TMNT lore that I call 'touchstones' -- traditional happenings like the family visiting the old farm in Northampton to regroup and regenerate," Waltz tells IGN. "Well, competing in the Battle Nexus is another of those touchstones, and my fellow TMNT collaborators and I, along with the great editorial team at IDW and Paramount, have come up with a new twist on the Battle Nexus that I believe will blow old and new fan's minds, and I couldn't be prouder to be a part of it. Five different creative teams combining to produce one cohesively bombastic tale, featuring the introduction of a fan-favorite character from TMNT lore to the IDW Universe. I hope everyone's ready to rumble...Battle Nexus style!"
"When IDW asked me to come on board this project, I was excited," Allor says. "And when I saw the full list of artists and writers involved, I was freaking thrilled! What an incredible line-up of people who have given their hearts and souls to IDW's ninja turtles continuity over the years. And now they're coming together for a heartfelt, action-packed, wiiiildly over-the-top story that celebrates everything we love about our heroes in a half-shell. The fans are gonna love it."
Burnham says, "Some of my fondest memories as a comic reader are of the gonzo weekly events filled with chaotic action, emotional stakes, and unexpected moments... and I'm happy to report that these kinds of books are just as much fun to work on as to read! I was honored to be part of the crew that steered this series, and it was a joy (and a challenge) putting a bow on things with my chapter. I'm already ready for the next one!"
Goellner says, "It’s Battle Nexus, baby! This event is a labor of love by a group of extremely cool people I’m proud to know, learn from, and have a blast creating stories with. If fans have half as much fun reading it as we’ve had working together on it, IDW’s got a roller coaster, a bouncy house, and a rave combined on its hands. Let’s go!"
"I just finished reading the Battle Nexus storyline and felt like eight-year-old Vitor again, completely excited after reading his new edition of Secret Wars!" Cafaggi says. "As a TMNT fan, I felt very privileged to have read this beforehand and also completely excited to be able to be a part of it as an artist! This is going to be a memorable piece of work for me, for sure!"
Bishop says, “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to sending my favorite turtle, Leonardo, into battle against one of the coolest versions of the Shredder ever. But, the real icing on the cake is I get to do it all alongside my LAST RONIN - TURTLE KILLING brothers in arms, the Escorza bros, Tom Waltz, and Luis Antonio Delgado... There will be blood!"
Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that big changes are coming to IDW's flagship TMNT comic. Current creators Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra will be ending their run with issue #12, paving the way for a new creative team and new status quo in December's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. Taking over the book are Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and Freddie E. Williams II (Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
TMNT: Battle Nexus #1 will be released on November 12, 2025, with a final order cutoff of October 6. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.
For more on TMNT, find out how to read IDW's TMNT comics in 2025. You can also check out everything announced at SDCC 2025 so far.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
