One of the bigger announcements to come out of SDCC 2025 was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Battle Nexus, a new series that draws on the entire TMNT multiverse. While the Mirage Comics version of Shredder will be one of the main players in this fighting tournament, it seems fans can expect many different incarnations of the Turtles to put in an appearance.
IGN can exclusively reveal that each issue of Battle Nexus will include a backup story that pits the Turtles of the movies, animated shows, and comics against one another, all due to the machinations of the villain Mr. Ogg. The match-ups featured include:
- The 1990 movie Turtles vs. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Turtles
- Mirage Comics Turtles vs. Rise of the TMNT Turtles
- 1987 Animated Turtles vs. Archie Comics Turtles
- 2003 Animated Turtles vs. 2012 Animated Turtles
Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive look at the variant covers spotlighting these epic match-ups:
These one-page backup stories will be written by TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures writer Erik Burnham and drawn by artist Sarah Myer, with colors by Luis Antonio Delgado. Each issue of the series will feature a variant cover spotlighting these multiversal matches, with artists including Dan Schoening, Louie Joyce, Jim Lawson, Andy Suriano, Ken Mitchroney, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, and Ciro Nieli.
"You can't imagine my excitement when the powers that be asked me to play in a secret corner of the Battle Nexus, and to mix and match some of my favorite iterations of the TMNT to boot!" Burnham tells IGN. "We got to play with Turtles from every kind of medium -- movies, TV, and, of course, comics -- and I hope to do so again someday; I'd love to dig in and really explore their similarities and differences. One page comics can be challenging, especially with so many characters to get involved, but I knew my TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures collaborator, Sarah Myer, would be able to crush it on the page, since they've pulled off that kind of magic before... add in Luis Antonio Delgado's colors and it all results in the perfect dessert after the entree of the main Battle Nexus story. (And wait'll you see who the ultimate champion of Mr. Ogg's sidebar battle nexus is -- I guarantee you that it's not who you think!)"
"I’m so thankful to IDW and Nickelodeon for the opportunity to illustrate crossovers in TMNT: Battle Nexus!" Myer says. "And because my teammate Erik Burnham is writing it, you know there will be some clever and unexpected interactions between different Turtle iterations (They’re HOW tall?! The younger Turtles must be taking their vitamins!), and the sharp and sassy humor of Mr. Ogg breaking the fourth wall. As a Turtle fan and artist I’m geeking out because this series of strips features even more TMNT versions and styles than before, and I've got the pleasure of working again with colorist Luis Delgado in bringing these many Turtles to life. Our team is looking forward to sharing our excitement and love for these characters with you!"
"I've been a lifelong fan of TMNT from the very beginning," Randolph says. "Anytime I'm asked to rep the TMNT 2003 flag it's an honor and something that's hard to pass up. Colorist Emilio Lopez and I both worked on the show, so that particular iteration will always hold a special place in our hearts. Never forget that we did Battle Nexus first!"
Joyce adds, "I've always been a huge fan of artist jams in comics and these Battle Nexus covers provide the perfect canvas to see different artists smash together iconic versions of the Turtles! Stoked to be repping the Tales of the TMNT crew!"
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.
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