I Thought Splitting Up the TMNT Was a Bad Idea, But Their New Era Is Proving Me Wrong

I’ll be honest: I didn’t always have complete faith in Jason Aaron’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles experiment. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jason Aaron as much as the next reader – I still haven’t put down the first issue of Namor – but when I heard Aaron planned to split the Turtles after how the last series ended, I was skeptical.

With the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 – written by Jason Aaron, with art by Joëlle Jones – I’m happy to say that I have already been proven wrong. Especially given what has been teased to happen in the upcoming issues, splitting up the Turtles is the best idea that Jason Aaron could’ve come up with to start this relaunch.

Though my skepticism might’ve been warranted initially, what has happened has totally turned me around, and now I can safely say the relaunch is already worth every penny as 2024’s hottest selling comic.

The Debut Issue Of The Ninja Turtles Reboot Has Already Convinced Me To Give It A Chance

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 – Written By Jason Aaron; Art By Joëlle Jones; Color By Ronda Pattison; Lettering By Shawn Lee

I hate to sound like a snob, but I grew up on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had the toys, I watched all the cartoons – and I really do mean all the cartoons, begging my mom to record them when I wasn’t home – and I ran up my parents pockets for all the shirts and merchandise we could get our hands on, too. Then, I read the comics when I grew up, and the deal was sealed. To underscore, I have long been an absolute diehard fan of the franchise, but importantly, my love was for the Ninja Turtles as a team.

I usually like to keep an open mind about creative content, but I couldn’t wrap my head around the decision to break the Turtle brothers up, when they are so proven as a team. Why fix something that was never broken – that was essentially my thought process, and maybe a split Turtles team would’ve been easier to digest for me if not for the ending of the previous IDW TMNT series. The modern era of Turtles ended with a glimpse into the next generation, while the OG Turtles were more united than ever – something Jason Aaron’s relaunch immediately contradicted.

Jason Aaron’s TMNT Relaunch Has Earned My Patience As A Reader

A New Approach & Fresh Execution

Thankfully, Aaron has already made a believer out of me. I became too accustomed to the idea of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I couldn’t envision Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael apart for that reason. And yet, having them apart has made for some of the Turtles most compelling stories in years. So far, readers got to see a violent Raphael in prison and it brought the franchise back to its gritty roots immediately. Next, we’re about to get Mikey as a movie star, and Leonardo as, essentially, nomad figuring himself out.

There was a time when I’d argue that there was no point in splitting up the shell brothers right now, but seeing each turtle’s individual life has been such a joy to watch. It gives a rare insight into their personalities, and we’re seeing it as they’re exploring themselves in real time. I’m not saying we should discard the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles forever and give them all solo series, but a break from the team dynamic is building anticipation for when they finally reunite, only adding to their importance.