Those who have been reading the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continuity from IDW are well aware that perennial villain the Rat King has been reinterpreted as a more mystical character and part of family of divine animal beings known as the Pantheon. For nearly a decade a long-gestating plotline has involved Rat King competing with his siblings for control of the world, with the TMNT and their various friends and foes serving as pawns. It appears that competition will finally come to a head as IDW has announced details for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game, an eight issue miniseries from writer Tom Waltz and Vincenzo Federici. No additional members of the creative team were mentioned in the press release.
Here’s how IDW described the miniseries:
In The Armageddon Game, the Turtles—under the leadership of the Shredder—begin a dangerous quest to seek out allies against Rat King’s trio of terror: LeatherKrang, Baxter Stockman, and Madame Null. It’s a mission that will see our heroes spread out across New York City…and across multiple dimensions! But they’d better hurry because their enemies are already on the march, and with the Turtles absent, Mutant Town is ripe for false flag attacks, mysterious new villains, and unexpected alliances. The time has come at last to find out who is playing the game…and who is being played!
The groundwork for The Armageddon Game has been over a decade in the making, beginning with the epic world-building collaboration between Waltz and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman over the series’ initial 100-issue run, continuing under the skillful direction of Sophie Campbell in the ongoing series since 2020, and boiling over most recently with the two-issue lead-in storyline, The Armageddon Game: Opening Moves.
As mentioned by the press release, Waltz handed the writing reins to Sophie Campbell two years ago but is making his return for this storyline nearly a decade in the making. Waltz expressed great excitement:
“It’s an absolute honor and privilege to return to IDW’s main TMNT continuity, and to have the opportunity to do it as the creative lead on a huge multilayered event like The Armageddon Game (which has been bouncing around in my brain ever since I stepped away after issue #100) is the veritable icing on the cake. I can’t wait for fans to see what we’ve been cooking up. We’ve got a big story to tell and some amazing collaborators joining us in the telling. Let the games begin!”
As an unabashed TMNT fan, artist Vincenzo Federici couldn’t be more overjoyed to be drawing the Turtles with Armageddon War:
“When I was seven, I decided that I would become a comic book artist when I grew up…and the credit for that decision goes to TMNT. I was obsessed with them and still am. My personal vision of TMNT is forged in the television series and films of the ’80s and ’90s, but I also take inspiration from those who have worked on the IDW series from the beginning, such as Mateus Santolouco or Sophie Campbell. In the tradition of those great artists, I’ll be giving my very best effort for this series. Readers will be delighted!”
Senior editor Charles Beacham, who recently took over editing the TMNT book following the departure of Bobby Curnow, is certainly beginning his stint with a bang:
“This story is going to be huge! There are a ton of players (and more than a few surprises), and honestly, this is just the start. When we reach the end of this saga, it will mark the beginning of a whole new era for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of TMNT or brand-new to the party, The Armageddon Game is not to be missed,” says .
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game #1 will have three variant covers, one featuring art by series artist Vincenzo Federici, a second featuring art by legendary TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, and a third retailer incentive edition featuring artwork by Pasquale Qualan.
Check out the cover for issue #2 by Vincenzo Federici below and look for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game #1 to arrive in stores this August.
