Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reveals the Shocking Return of a Legendary Character

IDW Publishing is about to reunite its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the one person they thought they would never see again.

Per ComicBook, the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19 by writer Gene Luen Yang, artist Fero Pe, and colorist Luis Antonio Delgado will mark the return of one of the most important-yet-rarely-seen characters in the entire franchise — Tang Shen. Although the details regarding the return of the Turtles' mother remain under wraps, the fact that she is finally being resurrected along with the rest of the family is a momentous occasion, especially after Splinter's own recent return from the dead.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19

• Written by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II
• Art by FERO PE
• Colors by LUIS ANTONIO DELGADO
• Main cover art by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II & ANDREW DALHOUSE
• Variant covers by DAVE WACHTER and FERO PE

The official solicit synopsis for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19 by IDW Publishing reads, "After the stunning conclusion to the Ujigami saga, the Hamato Clan is truly, completely whole for the first time in centuries. With much having changed since their parents were in the land of the living, the Turtles take them out on the town, but underneath this happy reunion are dark tidings. Though the Turtles' parents have returned from the dead… something has come with them."

IDW Senior Group Editor Jake Thomas said of Tang-Shen's upcoming return, "Family has always been a key element of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but there's been one family member that has always been just out of reach." Thomas went on to note that, while Tang-Shen has previously "only been glimpsed fleetingly in the Turtles’ rare experiences with the ethereal plane," the conclusion of the ongoing Ujigami saga will see her finally step into the land of the living.

Tang-Shen's Upcoming Return Is Promising For TMNT's Comic Book Workdbuilding

Thomas also teased how Tang-Shen's return would play into the future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, stating, "Surely transgressing the sacred border that separates the lands of the living and the dead will not have damning and dramatic repercussions! Surely none of this will have anything to do with our upcoming TMNT epic, 'The City That Never Dies'! Congratulations on the family reunion, Turtles! Best of luck! (You're going to need it)."

Tang-Shen was first seen in the pages of 2011's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5, which gave readers then-new insight into the centuries-old story of the Hamato Clan. While the eponymous brothers of the series and Splinter have since been resurrected, more than once in Splinter's case, Tang-Shen has never been afforded that opportunity, at least not until just a few months from now.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19 from IDW Publishing goes on sale June 10.