IDW reviews 10/22/25 – TMNT 12 review

October 22, 2025 Jeffrey Lyles IDW, Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT

TMNT 12 wraps up the spectacular run from writer Jason Aaron, artist Juan Ferreyra, letterer Shawn Lee and designer Nathan Widick.

Some stellar arcs can be sensational throughout each issue only to stumble on the home stretch or final issue. That’s not the case with TMNT 12, which expertly pays off the long saga of the turtles’ struggle to reconnect and dealing with the corrupt D.A. Hale.

Last issue, an exasperated Karai had enough of Hale’s antics after his efforts to besmirch the Turtles’ good name only resulted in them becoming sympathetic figures across New York City. Opting for an ironic twist, Karai used her dark magic skills to turn Hale into that which he hates most — a mutant.

Hale isn’t a lower tier mutant though. Karai infused him with a massive hybrid of animals that constantly evolve making him into a super mutant. One fully capable of laying waste to Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michaelangelo.

Alongside April, the turtles battle the mutated Hale while trying to keep civilians safe. Aaron did an amazing job of paying off the mutant hysteria subplot as the Turtles are the ones stepping up to the forefront on view of all of NYC fighting to keep them safe.

TMNT 12 makes for a tremendous showpiece of Ferreyra’s artwork. He makes such dramatic action sequences that conveys a real sense of movement combined with very emotional expressions from characters. His colors are also a gorgeous blend of bright hues that make the moments even more visually captivating.

Aaron also doesn’t leave the Splinter subplot lingering either. Throughout this run, Aaron has suggested that Splinter is still connected to his “sons” through some manner, but the full measure of that connection is revealed in this issue in a somewhat surprising result.

The creative team wraps up TMNT 12 in a way to give incoming creators Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams a clean slate for their take on the Turtles’ adventures without being bogged down by any last-minute twist. Aaron’s script doesn’t immediately place Yang in a narrative bind where he’s forced to fix a mistake Aaron made while turning the lights out.

TMNT 12 wraps one of the best yearlong creative runs of the heroes in a half shell in a while. This has been a sensational stint that Turtle fans who missed out on initially should absolutely check out in collected form.