Publisher IDW has given ANN an exclusive first look at the six-page preview for issue #1 and Viz Media's upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto four-issue crossover manga. The pre-order deadline for the first issue is October 7.
Image provided by IDW Publishing
Image provided by IDW Publishing
Image provided by IDW Publishing
Image provided by IDW Publishing
Image courtesy of IDW Publishing
Image provided by IDW Publishing
(Click the thumbnail to view larger size.)
Kim Jacinto drew the artwork for the variant below, which will be a 1:50 variant (meaning retailers get one copy of the variant for every 50 copies they order in the first issue ).
Image provided by IDW Publishing
Goellner provided ANN with a comment on the above variant cover:
Can you believe Kim Jacinto's amazing cover? It was humbling to be a part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto crossover and to see artists like Kim, Hendry Prasetya, Jorge Jiménez, Felipe Smith and others put in the work their respective takes on the works of Masashi Kishimoto, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. We've worked hard to bring pure joy with the power of friendship and can't wait to show everyone what we've been cooking up.
Image via IGNCaleb Goellner (Sonic the Hedgehog) is writing the comic, Hendry Prasetya (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) is drawing, Raúl Angulo is coloring and Ed Dukeshire is lettering. Jorge Jiménez and Prasetya drew the main cover art for issue #1, which will be published on November 13.
IDW describes the story of the comic book crossover:
This is the most exciting ninja battle you've ever dreamed of, do you dare! The heroes in a half-shell meet the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox in a crossover that everyone will be talking about.
When teenage reporter April O'Neil has a secret meeting with Tsunade, the leader of Konoha, it attracts the attention of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi. However, they weren't the only ones wondering what the two women were discussing. The evil Foot family has their own interest in April's visit, as they think she may hold valuable information about mutant research being conducted by scientist Baxter Stockman. When April is trapped between the forces of Konoha and the Foot Clan, it won't be long before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show up to lend her a hand!
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Naruto previously collaborated on merchandise at retail chain Box Lunch.
Masashi Kishimoto launched the Naruto ninja manga in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1999 and ended the series in November 2014. The manga has spawned the animated television series Naruto and Naruto Shippūden, OVAs, several anime, spin-off manga, Boruto sequel manga and anime series, a series of novels, stage plays, and video games.
Source: Email correspondence