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There are countless ninjas in pop culture, but few have quite as impressive a fandom as Naruto and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles have been at the center of a multimedia juggernaut for decades, while Naruto continues to be one of the most popular anime franchises on the planet. It was only a matter of time before we saw the Heroes in a Half-Shell team up with the loudest ninja in history for an epic comic book crossover event.

On top of relaunching the monthly TMNT comic and continuing the popular Last Ronin saga, IDW announced that they were teaming up with Viz Media to produce the most unexpected but oddly appropriate crossover we’ve seen in a while. Naruto and Michelangelo would absolutely hang together and, within five minutes, invent a pizza-ramen fusion dish that would be way better than it sounded. Sakura and Donatello quietly acknowledge how difficult it is being the smartest person in the room while Sasuke and Raphael brood in the corner. Throw in a training montage where Splinter and Kakashi complain about how difficult it is being a single father and we've got everything we need for a fun mini-series event.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto will be a four-issue crossover series that kicks off with issue #1 on November 13, 2024, which appears to start with April O’Neil visiting Tsunade, drawing the attention of the Foot Clan and the Hidden Leaf Village’s Team 7 before the Turtles swoop in the get involved. Judging by the artwork released for the series, it looks like the action will be split between Konoha and New York City, so we’re interested in seeing how Naruto and his lot react to a more modern setting. Maybe the Turtles will teach Naruto that maybe bright orange is a silly idea for a stealthy ninja to wear.

The first issue of IDW and Viz Media’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto series will launch on November 13, 2024.

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