So You Want to Read TMNT Comics? – Part 5: Change is IDW (2011-present)

Volume 5 – Vol. I: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2011) #1-100, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro Series” #1-8, “Infestation 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1-2, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Secret History of the Foot Clan” #1-4, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Villain Micro-Series” #1-8, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire” #1-3, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time” #1-4, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters” #1-4, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals” #1-4, “Free Comic Book Day: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2015), “Free Comic Book Day: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2017,) “Free Comic Book Day: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2019,) “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey & April” #1-4, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Deviations” #1, “Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything” #1-5, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe” #1-25, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X” #1-5, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters II” #1-5, “Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road” #1-5, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Macro Series” #1-4, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell” #1-5, “The X-Files: Conspiracy: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” #1, “IDW 20/20: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” #1, “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” #1-6, “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II” #1-6, “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” #1-6, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” (2012,) “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” (2014,) “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30th Anniversary Special”

Age rating: T for teen. Of all the series, this one gets the heaviest but isn’t always, or usually, heavy. If you were good reading the original series, or most of what DC and Marvel is putting out, it’s the same vibe.

Start here if: you’re looking to get into current “TMNT” comics while being 100% caught up on all the backstory. For anyone who wants to read a LOT of comics but not read a ton of “TMNT” comics. It’s also for the lapsed fan who wants to see any and all of the previous eras remixed and redone.

Throughout the last few parts, I’ve talked about the sale of the entire “TMNT” enterprise – sans Volume 4 – to Viacom but then kept referring to IDW trades. What gives? The long and short is that IDW aka Idea and Design Works was given the license for all “TMNT” comics in 2011 by Viacom (now owned by Paramount,) just a couple years after acquiring the Turtles. Once they got it, they launched a brand new series “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Vol. 5) and began to reprint as many past iterations as they could, either in single-issue floppies like Volume 1’s “B&W Classics” and “Color Classics” and then in collections, straight to collections like “TMNT Adventures” or into big omnibuses/ultimate collections.

I’ve already talked enough about those older comics though. If you want details and reading orders, check out the past 4 parts. We’re here to talk about Volume 5, which is really just the designation used to help place it in relation to the others; most just call it the IDW “TMNT” comic.

What’s notable about Volume 5, and why the IDW designation is more common, is that it’s the first non-tie-in series to not be set in the “Mirage Continuity.” Volume 3 may have gotten the boot but it was published with Volumes 1 & 2 as its past. Volume 5 is a complete reboot. Additionally, it’s the first turtles comic that Kevin Eastman has had long-term involvement in since the original run, even providing layouts for the first few issues, though he’s much more a story/creative consultant and occasional issue creator than hands-on creative force. That distinction goes to Tom Waltz & Bobby Curnow.

I don’t want to reduce this just to the writers but this is meant to be just some table setting before the order. While I can’t list all the artists from the main title, I can list a few of the big ones – Dan Duncan, Mateus Santolouco, Corey Smith, David Wachter, Michael Dialynas, and Sophie Campbell.

Big shout out here to the other two mainstays of the series too – Ronda Pattinson on colors and Shawn Lee on letters. Over 130 issues apiece! They kept this thing feeling consistent and whole alongside the writers.

You’ll also notice that I called this “Volume 5 – Vol. I.” That’s because the trades renumber themselves after issue #100 and a new creator takes the reins from Waltz, though he’s still pretty involved. We’ll get there, don’t worry.

Continued below

I should stop yammering on because in this run there are SO. MANY. COMICS. It is by far the longest continuous “TMNT” mainline and US-based comic and has a ton of spin-offs. While this sounds like trying to find every comic would make my head explode, it wasn’t nearly as bad as figuring out Volume 1, or even “Adventures.” Most of that comes down to these comics being modern and thus having well documented publication dates, contents, as well as the expectation that they will be collected in a reasonable time and in a sensible order. There are always exceptions, of course, but for the most part it holds true here.

In fact, it holds doubly true for many licensed IDW series.

See, IDW has this thing called the “IDW Collections” where they take series that have had a lot of mini-series or various eras and recollect them into these gorgeous oversized hardcovers (and now softcovers!) with a brand new reading order. Sometimes it’s pretty drastic – like the “Transformers Phase 1” stuff – and sometimes it’s more subtle, which is the case for “TMNT.” They’re also wicked comprehensive; though, as I’ll point out later, a few holes remain.

Because of this, and because Volume 5 has so many readily accessible reading orders, I’m doing these lists a little differently than I would otherwise. For one, just assume that if a series is here, it has “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” at the top. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, like the main series, I’ll only be using the specific identifiers. I’ll detail the other specifics at each stage but the gist is I’m doing three lists: For the Trades, IDW Collectionist, and Publication Completionist.

For The Trades

As the name implies, this reading order uses the trade collections as its base. Because the various series and events in Volume 5 proper are mostly chronological, that’s what this order prioritizes. Why not the “IDW collections” though? The reason is because trades are cheaper, more accessible, and allow you to catch up to current far faster. Also because the simplicity of the IDW Collection list means I could write “read “TMNT IDW Collections” 1-13 in that order,” and be done with it.

Or it would have been that simple if there weren’t also a bunch of out of continuity crossovers.

IDW’s gone back and forth over the years on whether it’s a good idea to crossover their many licensed properties. When they had a lot from different license holders, this was more common. In the years since, they seem to have lost a lot of these licenses, taking the trades & singles out of print and digital along with it; they’re also having other issues as well. Regardless, most of these crossovers or special events were treated as extraneous, at least within the “TMNT” world.

Because I’m trying to be as comprehensive as I can, I will be including any crossovers that were collected based on publication date and marking them in italics so you know you can skip over them if you can’t find them. The only exceptions are the two “Ghostbusters” crossovers. For some reason they’re collected in the “IDW Collections” and I have to assume that makes them more canon than the others? Ugh. This is why I ignored “continuity” in Volume 1.

I’m also going to slot in the two annual issues as individual listings because, apparently, they were not in any of the regular trades. Who knew? They are in the IDW Collections. I won’t be listing them as primary, as I normally would, because if you’re getting the IDW Collections already, you might as well just be reading those.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 1: Change is Constant – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #1-4
”Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series,” Volume 1 – “Micro-Series” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 2: Enemies Old, Enemies New – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #5-8

“Infestation 2,” Volume 3 OR Infestation 2: The Complete Series – “Infestation 2: TMNT” #1-2 & “Infestation 2: Dungeons & Dragons” #1-2. Complete collection also includes “Infestation 2” #1-2, “Infestation 2 Team-Up” #1, “Infestation 2: 30 Days of Night” #1, “Infestation 2: G.I. Joe” #1-2, “Infestation 2: Transformers #1-2.”

Continued below

(A perfect example of one of the IDW crossovers I meant. Two issues bookending a series of one-shots or two issue mini-series that take place in the various books of IDW licenses or publishes. It takes place well outside the bounds of the main series but if you want to read it, this is when it came out.)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 3: Shadows of the Past – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #9-12
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series,” Volume 2 – Micro-Series” #5-8
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 4: Sins of the Fathers – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #13-16
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” 2012 [UNCOLLECTED IN TRADE] – “IDW Collection,” Vol. 3 only.

(There was actually a deluxe hardcover edition of the Annual, which was fully drawn by Kevin Eastman, that was colored and had a bunch of process work with it. This is the same for the 2014 annual so if you can track those down, give them a read. Otherwise, find the single issue and read it here.)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 5: Krang War – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #17-20
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret History of the Foot Clan” – “The Secret History of the Foot Clan” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 6: City Fall Part 1 – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #21-24
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Villain Micro-Series,” Volume 1 – “Villain Micro-Series” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 7: City Fall Part 2 – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #25-28
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Villain Micro-Series,” Volume 2 – “Villain Micro-Series” #5-8
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 8: Northampton – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #29-32
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire” – “Utrom Empire” #1-3
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 9: Monsters, Misfits, and Madmen – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #33-36
“The X-Files: Conspiracy” – “The X-Files: Conspiracy: TMNT” & “Conspiracy” #1-2, “Conspiracy: Ghostbusters,” “Conspiracy: Transformers,” “Conspiracy: The Crow”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” 2014 [UNCOLLECTED IN TRADE] – “IDW Collection,” Vol. 4 only.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time” – “Turtles in Time” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 10: New Mutant Order – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #37-40
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters” – “TMNT/Ghostbusters” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 11: Attack On Technodrome – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #41-44
“Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” – “Batman/TMNT” #1-6
“Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II” – “Batman/TMNT II” #1-6
“Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” – “Batman/TMNT III” #1-6

(While being out of continuity, the first volume of “Batman/TMNT” makes explicit reference to the events of ‘Attack on Technodrome,’ so I chose to locate it here. Since the three don’t share many other references to later events and instead tell a cohesive story, I grouped them together. For a true publication reading order, slot in the first series after “TMNT,” Volume 14, the second after “TMNT Universe,” Volume 4, and the third after “TMNT,” Volume 23.

There’s also an Omnibus collecting all three that just came out as of the time of writing that also includes the deluxe edition of the original mini.)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals” – “Mutanimals” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 12: Vengeance Part 1 – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #45-47, “FCBD 2015”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey & April” – “Casey & April” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 13: Vengeance Part 2 – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #48-50
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 14: Order from Chaos – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #51-55
“Deviations” – “TMNT: Deviations” #1 & “G.I. Joe: Deviations,” “Transformers: Deviations,” “The X-Files: Deviations,” “Ghostbusters: Deviations”

(This and the later “IDW 20/20” series – which has yet to be collected so it’s not in THIS list – are essentially “Elseworlds” or “What If?” stories for various IDW series of the time, hence their lack of inclusion in the “canon.” They’re not quite the same as the crossovers but they share the same fragmented approach.)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything” – “Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything” #1-5
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 15: Leatherhead – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #56-60
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 16: Chasing Phantoms – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #61-65
Continued below

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe,” Volume 1 – “TMNT Universe” #1-5
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 17: Desperate Measures – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #66-70
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe,” Volume 2: The New Strangeness – “TMNT Universe” #6-10
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X” – “Dimension X” #1-5
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 18: Trial of Krang – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #71-75, “FCBD 2017”
“Usagi Yojimbo/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Collection:” – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo” & ‘Turtle Soup and Rabbit Stew,’ ‘The Crossing,’ ‘The Treaty,’ “Usagi Yojimbo” (Vol. 2) #1-3.

(As per tradition, “TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo” will not get italics as it is special and I won’t hear otherwise. It’s also here because that’s the approximate publication point of the original comic.)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters,” Volume 2 – “TMNT/Ghostbusters II” #1-5
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe,” Volume 3: Karai’s Path – “TMNT Universe” #11-15
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 19: Invasion of the Triceratons – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #76-80
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe,” Volume 4: Home – “TMNT Universe” #16-20
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 20: Kingdom of Rats – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #81-85 & ‘Kingdom of Rats Prologue’

(I should note that the ‘Kingdom of Rats Prologue’ is actually a backup in “TMNT Universe” #19 and is also collected in Volume 4. However, since it appears at the start of the trade, I figured it’d be good to mention it as it isn’t officially credited on the copyright page of the volume.)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe,” Volume 5: The Coming Doom – “TMNT Universe” #21-25
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road” – “Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road” #1-5
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 21: Battle Lines – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #86-89
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Macro Series” – “Macro Series” #1-4
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 22: City at War Part 1 – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #90-95 & “Free Comic Book Day” 2019

(I had a bear of a time confirming the placement of “Free Comic Book Day” 2019. Why? Well, for some fakakta reason this issue goes by two different names, has been partially re-released twice, and may or may not be just the ending to issue #93 and then a creative recap of the important plot points thus far. Bear with me here.

First off, the subtitle for the issue is “Casualty of War.” That is also the name of the first story. I was able to find the same pages at the end of issue #93 with no interruption within the pages of ‘City at War, Part 1.’ This is the name it appears under when I try to find the issue on ComiXology or on IDW’s website, which sadly linked the name with the 2015 “FCBD” issue instead. I have yet to confirm if this story appeared in the ORIGINAL issue #93 but I think it’s safe to assume, based on pacing and page counts, that this was the case. Still, I’m leaving it in place just in case on the subsequent lists.

Now comes the fun part. The second story is called “Road to War.” This is a recap of the story thus far and all the important bits, narrated by a key character. It is inessential but is a good refresher for anyone who’s forgotten the whole heck of a lot that’s happened. That story is then UPDATED for the free “Road to 100” one-shot to incorporate the events of ‘City at War’ up through issue #99 and reuses the same cover as “FCBD” 2019. It does not, however, include “Casualty of War.” This one-shot is not on any of the lists below because by the time you’d be reading it, you’ll have already read both the story arc itself AND “FCBD” 2019.

Finally, there’s the “Road to 100” Deluxe Edition, which reprints neither version of “Road to War” nor “Casualty of War,” and is instead a reprint of issue #100 with an extensive interview/oral history of the IDW series to that point – a seriously good buy if you’re interested in that kind of thing, which, let’s be real, you probably are.

Continued below

Hopefully this helps anyone avoid the frantic and way too long search I had to do to confirm what in the heck was happening with this issue.)

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell” – “Shredder in Hell” #1-5
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Volume 23: City at War Part 2 – “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #96-100

IDW Collectionist

This is the reading order for those who want every story in the best* possible order, crisscrossing when necessary and lumped together when not. It’s also for anyone who’s reading or re-reading these in single issues rather than the trades or the actual “IDW Collection” hardcovers/softcovers.

*I’m sure there are other bespoke orders out there. This is the one that the folks at IDW have created and one that worked quite well for me when doing this read through originally.

Not many notes on this one. It’s pretty straightforward. Same rules for the out-of-continuity crossover issues apply – you can find their trades above – and I will be breaking this section up by the collection number so I don’t have to keep writing it. I also won’t be underlining like I have for all the past lists since, well, there’s only one item per line. No need to differentiate. Finally, if I’ve included a short story, I’ll be prefacing it with the issue it can be found in.

Vol. 1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #1-4
“30th Anniversary Special” – ‘A Lot to Learn’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #5
“Micro-Series: Raphael” #1

(Despite each issue having a subtitle, the “Micro Series” is actually a numbered series this time. Same for the “Villain Micro-Series” and “Macro Series.”)

“Micro-Series: Michelangelo” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #6
“Micro-Series: Donatello” #3
“Infestation 2: TMNT” #1-2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #7-8
“Micro-Series: Leonardo” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #9-10
“Micro-Series: Splinter” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #11-12

Vol. 2
“Micro-Series: Casey Jones” #6
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #13-14
“Micro-Series: April” #7
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #15-16
“Micro-Series: Fugitoid” #8
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #17-20
“Villains Micro-Series: Krang” #1
“Villains Micro-Series: Baxter Stockman” #2
“The Secret History of the Foot Clan” #1-4

Vol. 3
“TMNT Annual” 2012
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #21-22
“Villains Micro-Series: Old Hob” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #23-24
“Villains Micro-Series: Alopex” #4
“Villains Micro-Series: Karai” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #25
“Villains Micro-Series: Hun” #6
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #26
“Villains Micro-Series: Bebop & Rocksteady” #7
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #27-28
“Villains Micro-Series: Shredder” #8

Vol. 4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #29
“Utrom Empire” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #30
“Utrom Empire” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #31-32
“Utrom Empire” #3
“TMNT Annual” 2014
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #33
“The X-Files: Conspiracy: TMNT” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #34-37

Vol. 5
“Turtles in Time” #1-4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #38-40
“TMNT/Ghostbusters” #1-4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #41-44
“Batman/TMNT” #1-6
“Batman/TMNT II” #1-6
“Batman/TMNT III” #1-6

Vol. 6
“Mutanimals” #1-4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #45-46
“Free Comic Book Day” 2015
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #47-50
“Casey & April” #1-4

Vol. 7
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #51-58
“TMNT: Deviations” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #59-64

Vol. 8
“Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything” #1-5
“TMNT Universe” #1-4 – ‘The War to Come’
“TMNT Universe” #1-5 (Backup) – ‘Inside Out’

(“TMNT Universe” was a pseudo-anthology title that ran alongside the main “TMNT” book for a couple years. It featured two stories per issue, with the exception of #11 & #25, often serializing one and/or the other over the course of a few months. While the trades collected the stories part-and-parcel, the “IDW Collection” splits the two. Since I’m making this list for anyone trying to recreate the order with single issues, I’m leading with the issue #s, then indicating whether it was a backup, and then the title of the story.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #65
“TMNT Universe” #5 – ‘Urban Legends’
“TMNT Universe” #6 – ‘The Rot in the Shell’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #66
“TMNT Universe” #10 (Backup) – Teenage Mutant Ninja Pepperoni’
Continued below

“TMNT Universe” #6-9 (Backup) – ‘What is Ninja?’
“TMNT Universe” #7-8 – ‘Metalhead 2.0’

Vol. 9
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #67-70
“TMNT Universe” #9-10 – ‘Toad Baron’s Ball’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #71-72
“TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo” #1

(If you read Part 1 of this series, you may be wondering why this crossover is included again. Simple. It’s included in Volume 9 and, apparently, features this version of the turtles? I have to admit, that bit went over my head when I read the story back in 2017. As for why I put it on that list as well, I could say it’s because I think all the “TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo” stories read well one after the other, which is true, but the real reason is I forgot it was slotted in here and thought if I didn’t put it on that list, it wouldn’t end up anywhere.

Regardless, there’s no harm in reading it twice. More Stan Sakai art!)

“TMNT Universe” #11 – ‘The Jersey Devil’
“TMNT Universe” #12-15 – ‘Karai’s Path’
“TMNT Universe” #12-15 (Backup) – ‘Prey’

Vol. 10
“TMNT Universe” #19-20 – ‘Service Animals’
“TMNT Universe” #20 – ‘Through Red Eyes’
“Free Comic Book Day” 2017
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #73
“Dimension X” #1-5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #74-75
“TMNT/Ghostbusters 2” #1-5

Vol. 11
“TMNT Universe” #16-17 – ‘From the Heart, For the Herd’
“TMNT Universe” #16-17 (Backup) – Triceratots!’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #76-77
“TMNT Universe” #18 – ‘Monster Hunt’
“TMNT Universe” #18 (Backup) – ‘Mutagen Maintenance’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #78
“TMNT Universe” #21 (Backup) – ‘How Woody Spent His Triceraton Invasion’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #79-80
“TMNT Universe” #21-22 – ‘Lost Causes’
“TMNT Universe” #22 (Backup) – ‘Dangerous Waters’
“TMNT Universe” #23 (Backup) – ‘Nobody Cares’
“TMNT Universe” #19 (Backup) – ‘Kingdom of Rats Prologue’

(The prologue is actually not listed as it’s own thing in the collections and instead is added to the credits of “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #81. It’s weird because the single issue DOESN’T include the prologue but the trade “Kingdom of Rats” does.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #81-84
“Macro-Series: Donatello” #1

Vol. 12
“Macro-Series: Michelangelo” #2
“TMNT Universe” #23-24 – ‘…And Out Came the Reptiles’
“TMNT Universe” #24 (Backup) – ‘Life At Sea’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #85
“TMNT Universe” #25
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #86-88
“Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road” #1-5
“Macro-Series: Leonardo” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #89

Vol. 13
“Macro-Series: Raphael” #4
“TMNT: IDW 20/20” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #90-93
“Free Comic Book Day” 2019
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #94-99
“Shredder in Hell” #1-5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #100

Publication Completionist

Why, oh why, would you read this way, I ask? Why, oh why, would I even list this as an OPTION? Honestly? Curiosity. I wanted to know how different this order would be from the IDW Collection aka the chronological order since the chronological order fixes any real-life problems like publishing delays or prologue stories that really do work better as prologues. It allows for a smoother experience whereas what I wanted was the chunkiest, bumpiest, most mashed-up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) cartoon pizza topping combo of a list.

i.e. What was it like to be reading these books as they came out?

Well, after much consternation and consulting with the TMNT Wikia, Comic Vine, and the TMNT: The Collection, I was able to make an order that is as close as I could get to reading these things as they were published. For any dates that had two comics on them, I made notes in case you want to flip them around. It’s not TOO different from the chronological one but it’s different enough to merit placement. Let’s go!

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #1-4
“Micro-Series: Raphael” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #5
“Micro-Series: Michelangelo” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #6-7
“Micro-Series: Donatello” #3
“Infestation 2: TMNT” #1-2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #8
“Micro-Series: Leonardo” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #9-10
“Micro-Series: Splinter” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #11-12
Continued below

“Micro-Series: Casey Jones” #6

(#12 and “Casey Jones” can be read in either order.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #13
“Micro-Series: April” #7
“Micro-Series: Fugitoid” #8
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #14-15
“TMNT Annual” 2012

(#15 and “Annual” 2012 can be read in either order.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #16-17
“The Secret History of the Foot Clan” #1-2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #18-19
“The Secret History of the Foot Clan” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #20
“The Secret History of the Foot Clan” #4

(#20 and “Foot Clan” #4 can be read in either order.)

“Villains Micro-Series: Krang” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #21
“Villains Micro-Series: Baxter Stockman” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #22
“Villains Micro-Series: Old Hob” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #23
“Villains Micro-Series: Alopex” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #24
“Villains Micro-Series: Karai” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #25
“Villains Micro-Series: Hun” #6
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #26
“Villains Micro-Series: Bebop & Rocksteady” #7
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #27-28

(#27 and “Bebop & Rocksteady” can be read in either order.)

“Villains Micro-Series: Shredder” #8
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #29
“Utrom Empire” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #30

(#30 and “Utrom Empire” #1 can be read in either order.)

“Utrom Empire” #2
“The X-Files: Conspiracy: TMNT” #1

(“X-Files” and “Utrom Empire” #2 can be read in either order.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #31
“Utrom Empire” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #32-33
“30th Anniversary Special” – ‘A Lot to Learn’
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #34-35
“Turtles in Time” #1

(#35 and “Turtles in Time” #1 can be read in either order.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #36
“Turtles in Time” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #37
“TMNT Annual” 2014
“Turtles in Time” #3-4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #38-39
“TMNT/Ghostbusters” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #40
“TMNT/Ghostbusters” #2

(#40 and “Ghostbusters” #2 can be read in either order.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #41
“TMNT/Ghostbusters” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #42
“TMNT/Ghostbusters” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #43
“Mutanimals” #1

(#43 and “Mutanimals” #1 can be read in either order.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #44
“Mutanimals” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #45
“Free Comic Book Day” 2015
“Mutanimals” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #46
“Mutanimals” #4
“Casey & April” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #47
“Casey & April” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #48-49
“Casey & April” #3-4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #50-52
“Batman/TMNT” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #53
“Batman/TMNT” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #54
“Batman/TMNT” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #55
“Batman/TMNT” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #56
“TMNT: Deviations” #1
“Batman/TMNT” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #57
“Batman/TMNT” #6
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #58

(#58 and “Batman/TMNT” #6 can be read in either order, but I’d leave this one as is to close out “Batman/TMNT” earlier and while keeping the pattern.)

“Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything” #1-2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #59
“Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything” #3-5

(#59 and “Bebop & Rocksteady” #3 can be read in either order)

Halfway there. Have a Pepperoni for support.

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #60-61
“TMNT Universe” #1

(Because this is issue by issue, I’m not splitting out the Universe main titles & back-ups.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #62
“TMNT Universe” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #63
“TMNT Universe” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #64
“TMNT Universe” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #65
“TMNT Universe” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #66
“TMNT Universe” #6

(#66 and “Universe” #6 can be read in either order, though I believe this one keeps the pattern better.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #67
“TMNT Universe” #7-8
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #68
“TMNT Universe” #9
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #69
“Free Comic Book Day” 2017
“TMNT Universe” #10
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #70
“TMNT Universe” #11
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #71
“TMNT Universe” #12
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #72
“TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo” #1

(#72 and “Usagi Yojimbo” can be read in either order)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #73
“Dimension X” #1

(#73 and “Dimension X” #1 can be read in either order)

Continued below

“TMNT Universe” #13
“Dimension X” #2-5

(“Universe” #13 and “Dimension X” #2 can be read in either order)

“TMNT Universe” #14
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #74
“TMNT Universe” #15
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #75
“TMNT/Ghostbusters 2” #1-3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #76

(#76 and “Ghostbusters 2” #3 can be read in either order)

“TMNT/Ghostbusters 2” #4
“TMNT Universe” #16

(“Universe” #16 and “Ghostbusters 2” #4 can be read in either order)

“TMNT/Ghostbusters 2” #5
“Batman/TMNT II” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #77

(#77 and “Batman/TMNT II” #1 can be read in either order)

“Batman/TMNT II” #2
“TMNT Universe” #17

(“Universe” #17 and “Batman/TMNT II” #2 can be read in either order)

“TMNT Universe” #18
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #78
“Batman/TMNT II” #3
“TMNT Universe” #19
“Batman/TMNT II” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #79
“Batman/TMNT II” #5
“TMNT Universe” #20

(“Universe” #20 and “Batman/TMNT II” #5 can be read in either order)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #80-81
“Batman/TMNT II” #6
“TMNT Universe” #21-#22
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #82-83

“TMNT Universe” #23-24
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #84
“TMNT Universe” #25
“Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road” #1-3

(“Universe” #25 and “Bebop & Rocksteady” #1 can be read in either order, though I prefer this one to close out “Universe” before starting a new mini.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #85
“Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road” #4-5

(#85 and “Bebop & Rocksteady” #4 can be read in either order, though I prefer this one as it’s a cleaner break in the weekly mini and doesn’t leave issue #5 dangling.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #86
“Macro-Series: Donatello” #1
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #87
“Macro-Series: Michelangelo” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #88
“Macro-Series: Leonardo” #3

(#88 and “Macro-Series” #3 can be read in either order, though this order keeps the pattern.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #89
“Macro-Series: Raphael” #4

(#89 and “Macro-Series” #4 can be read in either order, though this order keeps the pattern.)

“TMNT: IDW 20/20” #1
“Shredder in Hell” #1

(“IDW 20/20” and “Shredder in Hell” #1 can be read in either order, though with it being out-of-continuity, it really doesn’t matter.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #90-91
“Shredder in Hell” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #92-93
“Batman/TMNT III” #1
“Free Comic Book Day” 2019
“Shredder in Hell” #3
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #94
“Batman/TMNT III” #2
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #95
“Batman/TMNT III” #3

(#95 and “Batman/TMNT III” #3 can be read in either order, though this order keeps the pattern.)

“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #96
“Batman/TMNT III” #4
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #97
“Shredder in Hell” #4

(#97 and “Shredder in Hell” #4 can be read in either order.)

“Batman/TMNT III” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #98
“Batman/TMNT III” #6
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #99
“Shredder in Hell” #5
“TMNT” (Vol. 5) #100

Volume 5 – Vol. II aka Reborn: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2011) #101-141, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” (2020,) “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” (2021,) “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” (2022), “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual” (2023,) “Free Comic Book Day: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2022,) “Jennika” #1-3, “Jennika II” #1-6, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” #1-5, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II” #1-5, “Armageddon Game Opening Moves” #1-2, “The Armageddon Game” #1-8, “The Armageddon Game – The Alliance” #1-6, “TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo: Where/When” #1-5, “TMNT vs. Street Fighter” #1-2, “TMNT/Stranger Things” #1, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin” #1-5, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin: The Lost Years” #1-5, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin – Lost Day Special” #1

Age rating: T for teen. New verse, same as the first.

Start here if: you’re looking to get into current “TMNT” comics BUT don’t want all the baggage of reading 100s of issues. There are still quite a number of issues to read but the “Reborn” era provides a clean starting point with a radically different status quo. Still the same series, just a new direction that weaves in the old.

Continued below

After the massive shake-up that was “TMNT” (Vol. 5) #100, Waltz & Curnow stepped back from the scripting & story chair and Sophie Campbell took the reins. By all accounts, the two remained involved – Curnow was the editor until he left IDW as far as I’m aware and Eastman & Waltz retain story consultant credit. However it was Campbell driving the plot as writer/artist for the first few issues. Ronda Pattison & Shawn Lee remained on as well. Ronda even scripted a few of the early issues of “Reborn.”

Let’s also get that elephant out of the room. Yes, they did renumber and rename the trades to “Reborn” Vol. 1, Vol. 2, etc. I actually think this was a smart idea, seeing as how it’s a natural breaking point, makes it easy to keep track of how far into the era we are since it started at #101, and doesn’t stop the single issue numbering, thus confusing everyone. Plus, it gave me the excuse to break up this era’s list.

You will notice that I only listed #101-141. Since the series is still ongoing, I only listed through the most recent issue. Essentially, each list is going to be

OK. That’s enough preamble. The three lists are below, same as before.