I absolutely loved this issue. I have been a fan of the turtles since I was a kid, and to see such a fantastic story being produced in 2020 about my childhood heroes, it's a tremendous feeling. The Last Ronin is a dark, twisting path for the last of the legendary heroes in a half shell, and it's one I am all in for. One of the best releases of 2020, hands down. Read Full Review

A 10, I give this issue a solid 10. It's such a strong start to an excellent comic run. The darkness of it is something you just wouldn't expect when reading a TMNT comic book. Although the "cowabunga dude energy is nowhere to be found, it's replaced by depth and the feeling of longing. Read Full Review

Overall, this is the TMNT version of "The Dark Knight Returns. While that is an extremely high bar to meet, the first issue absolutely lives up to the comparison. I was completely blown away by the concept and execution, and I can't wait to see what the next issue holds for our hero. Although the issue comes with a hefty price tag of $8.99, it really is a unique take of TMNT that we haven't seen before. Read Full Review

Featuring some terrific visuals, fluid panels, and a cast of interesting characters, highlighted by a terrifying background. The Last Ronin would have been can be called a gem in the rough, if only it did not have so much hype around it. If does not waste any time trying to build momentum preferring to dive in on the action, and world build at the same time. Read Full Review

In the ways that Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns provided Batman with a sense of closure through taking readers through the Batman's final story (later sequels notwithstanding), so too do we see Eastman, Laird, and their fellow creators look to offer a comparable finale for their decades-long creations. Read Full Review

It's the TMNT event of 2020! Springing from the minds of TMNT co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird comes an epic like you've never seen before! Read Full Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #1 is highly recommended for fans of the comic medium. Issue #2 is already out. #3 will be out at the end of May. Read Full Review

Despite the fact that this is solidly set in the future of the current run of IDW comics, you dont need to have read a single issue to understand The Last Ronin. Frankly, any fan of the recent Old Person ___ comics need to check out this comic, as does any Turtle fan. The fact that Eastman and Laird have come back to work on this together alone is a great reason to read this book, honestly. The fact that it has delivered so far is icing on the cake. Read Full Review

I was super excited to read TMNT: The Last Ronin #1, but was trying not to get too hyped. Luckily, from the opening pages, The Last Ronin #1 is a fantastic start to this 5-issue mini-series. If you are a fan of the Mirage days of TMNT then you will feel right at home. If you are not as familiar it may take some adjusting, but any TMNT fan can pick this up and enjoy. Read Full Review

To be a true warrior one must know when to crouch, when to leap, and when to stand firm The Last Ronin. These teachings stick with The Last Ronin just as much as the guilt he carries. Regardless of who The Last Ronin is, we cant ignore the path our hero has traveled and the pain theyve felt in their journey. For TMNT fans this has been a long time coming to see Laird and Eastman back together again. They have surrounded themselves with an all-star team that shares their passion for TMNT storytelling and the end product is nothing short of amazing. Frank Miller has The Dark Knight Returns and now Laird, Eastman, and Waltz have The Last Ronin. This is going to be one hell of a story. Read Full Review

The Last Ronin #1 is a fascinating, great start to this long gestating story. While it might not be quite the Eastman/Laird reunion it's billed as, there is raw energy to it that hearkens back to the Mirage days. However, there is also a noticeable level of skill and refinement thanks to the book's other collaborators " from the Escorzas to co-writer Tom Waltz " that makes this book work so good. If (and that's a big if) the remaining issues are able to maintain this level of quality, this just might be the best Ninja Turtles comic ever created. If you consider how great IDW's ongoing TMNT series is, that's quite a feat. Read Full Review

This book is awesome, if you’re a fan of the TMNT you probably already have this on your pull list, and you won’t regret it! If you’re still not aboard the cowabunga train, I still say pick it up, this story has such an emotional core and deserves to be read. Read Full Review

Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's long-gestating 'final' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle story brings a whole new life and situation for the beloved characters of this franchise. It's brimming with gory battles, dystopian forces and rebellions, great character moments, and more tragic moments centering around these pop culture icons. A truly tragic yet beautiful final story for these iconic characters that leaves enough there to give hope for more stories in this world. Read Full Review

The Last Ronin #1 by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau & Isaac Escorza, Luis Antonio Delgado and Shawn Lee is a must-read for both new and old TMNT fans Read Full Review

Point blank reaction: I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Ive started reading through IDW Publishings TMNT books and while I havent read it all, The Last Ronin reads like one hell of a sendoff. I do wonder how hard this will be to actually get. Word is the print run was cut short and some shops think their full orders wont be filled. There are also around 70 variants out there for this book. This is definitely a read but I think its good enough to purchase. I feel like a lifetime of enjoying the various incarnations of the TMNT, whether its been comics, cartoons, or movies, has prepared me for this moment where they are down to one against all the evil in the world. Maybe it's cliche but The Last Ronin is an absolute blast. Read Full Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #1 is a fast paced opening for a series, that feels like it's been hyped and marketed for a long time, that does not disappoint. Read Full Review

It's TMNT by way of The Dark Knight Returns, down to the gritty internal monologues and vaguely cyberpunk aesthetic. Read Full Review

This is a blast! Don’t miss this one, great art, great story, great fun!

Impressive, a bit more impressive than I expected. Story moved fast and action sequencing matched perfectly. There's a true Ninja element to this story that applies well even in a future world. Coloring matched perfectly along with lettering also. Anticipating the next issue.

Pulling our favorite heroes out of the present day and placing them in bleak and apocalyptic future states has been a comic trope longer than I've been alive.

Whether It's Days of Future Past, The Dark Knight Returns, or Old Man Logan it is a popular story to tell because it takes our heroes out of the perpetual prime of their lives and places them face to face with their own mortality and roadblocks we all face in our lives as we age and begin to experience loss.

TMNT has always been my favorite IP and regardless of incarnation I always default to the characterizations of the 80's cartoons. I've read the Mirage comics which was always gritty but I'm never really read a Truly dark TMNT story. In TMNT #44 Donatello was beaten within an inch of his life but he was back in the next issue. In the much-maligned TMNT, Vol: 3/Urban Legends series the Turtles were all maimed over the course of the series but otherwise it was business as usual. The darkest TMNT story I actually recall reading was from the Archie run that featured Michaelangelo being captured and tortured with a cattle prod.

The Last Ronin is the first TMNT story that I've read in my 30+ years that gutted me emotionally. The story is a collaboration between Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (Creators) and Tom Waltz, the lead writer of the groundbreaking IDW run. The story fits into the future of any possible TMNT timeline you'd like to drop it into. The story is about the Last of the Hamato Clan going on a quest for revenge against the Foot Clan who have taken over the city of Manhatten and destroyed his family.

The comic is equal parts action, exposition, and worldbuilding. The pacing is also excellent and the nearest comparison I can make would be putting a quarter into an arcade machine and pressing start. The Last Ronin is skilled, crafty, and conveys a cunning you'd expect from an aged Ninja Turtle. He makes quick work of his enemies and is great at making decisions on the fly. The bulk of the story is from his perspective and the focus is constantly moving forward and the mission. The closest story I can compare this to would be the suicide run made by the X-Men during Days of Future Past.

About 2/3's of the way through the issue the situation gets dicey for our hero and he's faced with potentially failing in his mission and his Clan. This section of the book is the most heartfelt especially after we get the reveal of who the Last Ronin actually is. I've never read a TMNT story where the hero was this broken. The climax of the issue stuck with me days after reading and honestly may be the most shocking moments I've read in a comic this year.

TMNT: The Last Ronin is beautifully illustrated by Isaac and Esau Escorza. They join a talented stable of IDW artists that have tackled the franchise in recent years. There is a ton of energy on every page. They also get a variety of cool set pieces to work with on top of the excellent design of the Ronin. The linework and colors perfectly complement the script which represents a perfect merger of the Mirage and IDW works.

The Last Ronin #1 maybe the closest thing we'll see to a perfect single issue this year. It's definitely the purest take on TMNT we've seen in a while. You'll be hard-pressed to come up with a better comic in 2020. This one has it all.


Rating: God-Tier




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Wow was this book good. I grew up loving the turtles but had never read the comics. But this is a VERY good story. This is like a combination of a Batman, samurai and turtles story. Can’t recommend enough!

I've never read TMNT before but for a first time it was awesome!!!! Though i don't know much about TMNT comics i would guess that having a violent Michelangelo just shows that this comic serie is going to be serious one.

Wow! Never been a huge TMNT fan outside of the OG series, but this book was amazing. One of the best first issues I've read all year. Pick this book up and give it a read NOW!

This is my pick of the week, what a fantastic book, "The Last Ronin" is the Dark Knight Returns for TMNT fans.

Loved it, gritty art, great dialogue and fun. Called it b4 this came out (a dead clock is right twice a day lol!!) n the last page seals the book for me. Hope it keeps up from issue 2 onwards.

I'm not going to lie, I've never read a TMNT comic before. I used to love watching the 2003 cartoon as a kid, and when I heard of the concept of this series I was intrigued. I was expecting a Dark Knight Returns take on the turtles. Dark and violent. And while it was both dark and violent at times, it still possessed the fun I remember from the characters when I was growing up. This issue was action packed, fun, dark and full of heart all at the same time.

Fantastic first issue. Phenomenal action pages, strong art, exquisite setting and plenty of nice references and nods. Cant wait for next issue

It's great. Not perfect, but definitely on its way to be a modern day classic TMNT title.

DAAAAAAMMMN!!!

WICKED.


Story: 9/10
Art: 8/10
Overall: 9/10

Story: The journey and exploration of the world is great. Walking through the adventure, all good stuff. Some of the dialogue is a bit clunky, but nothing off-putting.

Art: It's good. Some dynamic shots, the colors are interesting and complimentary. It actually looks better than I expected. There were some bloody bits too... no complaints, honestly.

Overall: Last page reveal sealed the deal. It gave so much depth in the only way it should.
Anyway, bravo. This book did what I needed it to do, get me excited for book 2.

Bring it on!

Nothing to write home about, but it's a pleasure to see Eastman & Laird together again.

Solid story. The price point takes the rating down.