Warning: Mild Spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x NarutoThe worlds ofTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesandNarutocollide at long last, as IDW Publishing brings these beloved ninja franchises together for the crossover of the year. Screen Rant spoke with writer Caleb Goellner about what fans of both series can expect. Screen Rant is pleased topresent Goellner’s answers to the crossover’s most burning questions, as well as an exclusive first look at the highly anticipated second issue.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto#1 – written by Caleb Goellner, with art by Hendry Prasetya – is set in a unique hybrid of both franchise’s universes, uniting the two iconic casts of ninjas againsta common threat: the Foot Clan.
Variant Cover Artists:
Hendry Prasetya, John Amor, Jahnoy Lindsay
When Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi receive a mission to escort reporter April O’Neil and the mutation research she’s safeguarding back to her home of Big Apple Village, they aren’t expecting to be attacked by the Foot Clan. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arrive just in time to defeat the Foot’s ambush, but despite their shared enemy, the two teams have a lot to learn about each other if they’re going to get along! While the Turtles introduce Team 7 to their lives under the Big Apple Village, though, the Foot Clan sees another opportunity to steal the secrets of the ooze for themselves…
The fan-favorite characters don’t get along at first, resulting in an all-out brawl betweenNaruto’s powerful jutsuand the TMNT’s unrivaled teamwork. Yet ultimately,Naruto’s Team 7 squadand the TMNT must work through their differences to protect April O’Neil and the secrets she’s uncovered.
Exclusive: Screen Rant Interviews “Ninja Turtles X Naruto” Author Caleb Goellner About The Highly Anticipated Crossover
Ninja Turtles X Naruto#1 (Of 4) Available Now From IDW Publishing
Screen Rant: How did you choose the Naruto time period for the series to take place in (after Team 7 meets Orochi, but before Sasuke leaves Konoha)?
Caleb Goellner: “There are a few reasons the book takes place when it does, but mostly this loose point in time is the most recognizable to longtime fans of either series and hopefully the most accessible to newcomers. I gotta say, I’d be stoked if this book introduced anyone to the TMNT or Naruto for the first time, or helped them dig back in.”
SR: The art style, from Jorge Jimenez’s covers and Hendry Prasetya’s art seems an amazing choice for this combination of universes: can you speak to that balance between traditional manga and modern American comic styles?
CG: “It’s an honor to work on a book with Jorge on covers and Hendry Prasetya on interiors. I might be as much of a fan of them as I am of TMNT and Naruto. I know there was a desire from partners in Japan to see new art styles applied toMasashi Kishimoto’s characters, and the art, color, and lettering talent on this book really bridged the gap with jutsu-grade skill. I know people will love looking at the passion everyone’s put on the page.”
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SR: Any chance of the Foot Clan working with any notableNaruto villainsin the future? The Foot and the Akatsuki may have a lot in common with each other! (Which, if Shredder is supposed to be like Madara… the TMNT are NOT prepared.)
CG: “Nothing would make me happier than seeing this book lead to more cool stories, whatever they might be. So I hope fans have a blast with this series. Publishers really pay attention to performance, so send your shadow clone to buy an extra copy or two!”
“TMNT X Naruto” Writer Wants The Miniseries To “Bring Tears To Your Eyes”
Promises “Earnest Emotions” From Both Franchise’s Iconic Characters
SR: What are our odds of seeing Master Splinter with a Sage mode? The Turtles' masks alone have us thinking of seeing everything imaginable, so you can’t blame us.
CG: “I can’t spoil anything, but I do love the spirit of this chakra-rich question.”
SR: We’ve all been blown away with how perfectly these two franchises fit together in this first issue alone. Was there a particular story beat, or idea for this crossover that started those pieces falling into place from your side of things?
CG: “Thank you! I’m a big Shonen guy, so my head kind of veers from face fault gags to presenting groups of characters everyone loves in the hardest looking poses possible. Basically my motivation was to set up a series of events where Team 7 and the TMNT look so cool and express such earnest emotions that it brings tears to your eyes. And let me tell you, Hendry BRINGS it on every page.”
SR: Anything on your wishlist now that this crossover has become a reality?Last Ronin Mikey, for instance, seems like an incredible parallel to both Naruto and Sasuke during the Shippuden series.
CG: “Anything is possible if this series hits Sage Mode numbers. Personally I’d like Rock Lee to meet Casey Jones at some point… Okay, now I have to draw that myself just to post it on Instagram…”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto#2will be available August 13, 2025 from IDW Publishing.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is a multi-media franchise that began with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s comics in the 1980s. Throughout the years, their comic books expanded to movies, TV shows, video games, and toys. Most notably, the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ran for nearly a decade and has become a nostalgic staple of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Several other movies have featured the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael), including the trilogy of live-action films in the ‘90s and the more recent movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
Naruto
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
