It’s no exaggeration that IDW has been heavily promoting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 that launches a new era for the Heroes in the Half Shell under the new creative team of writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Freddie E. Williams II. Today the publisher announced that TMNT #13 received more than 100k orders.
This news comes a day after the pre-order deadline yesterday which was moved up a week due to sales projections being higher than expected necessitating the extra time for printers to produce more copies to meet the increased demand.
Next week sees the release of TMNT #12, the final issue of the current creative team of writer Jason Aaron and artist Juan Ferreya, which is guaranteed to be highly in demand issue as well.
Check out the official press release below as well as the newly released Kevin Eastman TMNT #13 variant cover.
From original co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird to the recent hit duo of Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (TMNT) comic books have an impressive legacy of innovative and exciting writers and artists. Now, the eagerly anticipated arrival of a thrilling new creative team on IDW Publishing’s flagship TMNT comic book series has ushered in a whole new level of Turtle Power.
Multiple Eisner-winning writer Gene Luen Yang and blockbuster artist Freddie E. Williams II are hopping on the best-selling comic book series with this December’s TMNT #13, and with them comes technodrome-sized sales from fans and comic book retailers – more than 100,000 copies have been ordered!
“Like everyone else who grew up in the ‘80s, I’ve been a fan of the Turtles since I was a kid. The Turtles even gave me my start in comics through the Xeric Grant, so I’m beyond thrilled to dive into their universe,” commented Yang. “Freddie and I are so grateful for the support TMNT #13 has gotten from retailers and fans. We can’t wait for the world to see what we’ve got planned!”
“Drawing as the regular artist for the TMNT is the culmination of 30 years: playing the TMNT Roleplaying game, zig zagging through comic book crossovers for a decade, and having the honor of collaborating with my hero Kevin Eastman,” stated Williams II. “I’m so excited to be here, I’m having a great time teaming up with Gene Yang, and I hope everyone will love what we are cooking up together!””
With a brand-new storyline that features the first appearance of the mysterious new villain Ujigami and an all-star roster of cover artists to celebrate with a blind bag, Yang and Williams II’s opening salvo is already receiving glowing reactions from critics who got an early look at the key issue.
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- “Accessible to every reader […] a great jumping on point without sacrificing what came before” – Nicole Drum, ComicBook.com
- “This new creative team is cooking up something special” – Taimur Dar, The Beat
- “Nothing will reverberate harder through the TMNT community like the arrival of TMNT #13” – Sean O’Connell, CBR
- “The Turtles are in good hands” – Alex Zalben, Comic Book Club
- “Captures everything that makes the Turtles timeless” – Sal Crivelli, ComicPop
- “A bold new chapter in TMNT comics” – David Brooke, AIPT
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“When I heard Gene and Freddie were kicking off a new run for our flagship TMNT series, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for us to commemorate their debut issue with a blind bag,” remarked Ryan Balkam, IDW Director of Sales. “Listening to the retailers and fans is something that’s very important to us, so we made sure to line up an incredible roster of cover artists and kept these bags affordable for everyone. We’re extremely humbled by the giant response to the launch of this new run and so appreciative of all the support you’ve shown us. We can’t wait for you guys to get your hands on the comic this December.”
TMNT #13 will arrive in comic shops on December 10, 2025 with covers by Williams II and colorist Andrew Dalhouse, Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop, Jared Cullum, Clayton Crain, Daniel Warren Johnson, Dustin Nguyen, David Nakayama, Nathan Szerdy (blind bag exclusive) and Rahzzah (blind bag exclusive).
English (US) · 