After unveiling details for a new Shredder series only a few short weeks ago, IDW announced earlier today that fan-favorite TMNT vigilante and ally Casey Jones will be headlining his very own six-issue comic book miniseries this September courtesy of the creative team of writer Alex Paknadel (Batman: Urban Legends) and artist Amancay Nahuelpan (Green Arrow) plus colorist Luis Antonio Delgado (TMNT: The Last Ronin).
Sporting his trademark hockey mask and bad boy attitude when he first appeared in 1985’s Raphael micro issue from franchise co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, there’s no denying that Casey Jones quickly became a popular character. Within the pages of the the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics from IDW, he’s certainly gone through quite a journey including a brief stint as a member of the Foot Clan. This new series not only picks up from recent developments of the main TMNT book but promises to take the character back to this roots.
Now recovered after being shot within the pages of Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra’s best-selling TMNT ongoing series, Casey Jones has a second chance at life and he’s going all-out. The vigilante hero’s hitting the streets and doing everything he can to protect the people of New York City, but Raphael and April O’Neil are worried that he’s pushing himself too hard. Things will only get worse as a new strain of mutagen starts changing the landscape of the city and an all-new frightening villain threatens everything Casey believes in.
Writer Alex Paknadel teased what’s to come including a new villain:
“As a weird British kid who once had the lyrics to ‘Turtle Power’ committed to memory, I feel like life has come full circle,” joked Paknadel. “IDW and a host of talented creators have deepened and enriched Casey’s mythology over many years, but Amancay and I are making our contribution at a uniquely exciting time. We’re going to be taking Casey back to his roots and confronting him with a terrifying, unstoppable villain who preys on the city’s most vulnerable mutants. If this book is half as much fun to read as it is to make, readers are going to have the time of their lives.”
This is a dream project for arist Amancay Nahuelpan who remarked:
“I’ve been a big fan of Casey Jones since I saw the cartoons and the movie when it first came out. Together with Raphael, they’ve always been my favorite TMNT characters and I am a big fan of New York City, so anything related to the Turtles and New York… I’m gonna be more than happy to draw!”
Series editor Dave Wielgos added:
“Casey Jones is one of the best characters in the TMNT universe. He’s loyal, brave, pure of heart, and as we’re going to see in this mini-series… more than a little reckless. Alex and Amancay are going to highlight all the attributes that have made Casey an enduring part of any incarnation of the TMNT he’s been a part of and put him through a challenge the likes of which he’s never been through before. If you love street-level vigilante stories and the world of the TMNT, you’re going to love our book.”
TMNT: CASEY JONES #1 (of 6 issues) is on sale Wednesday, September 10 with a pre-order deadline of Monday, August 4. In addition to Nahuelpan’s exciting cover, the debut issue will also feature incredibly cool variants by Danny Earls and Mike Henderson, plus a black and white variant of Earls’ cover and a sketch variant.
