Hun rises from the grave to reclaim the Purple Dragons, but Slash and Ninjara stand in his way in the newly announced TMNT: The Hunger one-shot.
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| Courtesy of IDW Publishing |
Before we get to this week’s reveal, a quick reminder for
TMNT fans: pre-orders for
TMNT: The Last Ronin – Training Day are due next Monday, June 8. If you’ve been following the next chapter of the
Last Ronin saga, make sure to let your local comic shop know before Final Order Cutoff arrives, and read
AIPT's interview with Tom Waltz!
Now, onto the big news.
IDW Publishing has announced
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hunger, a new one-shot from writer Paul Allor and artist Gavin Smith, arriving Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The news was first reported by
AIPT.
So what’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hunger about?
As the dead return in “The City that Never Dies,” an old enemy resurfaces. Hun, Casey Jones’ abusive father, was always quick to anger, and his time in the afterlife has done little to mellow him. Back from the dead, he seeks to reclaim his position as the leader of the Purple Dragons, and the only ones who can stop him are two recent returns from the Battle Nexus: Slash and Ninjara!
According to writer Paul Allor, the one-shot leans heavily into horror, crime, and character drama.
“I wanted this comic to feel like a surreal horror story, a brutal gang war, and an intimate character study, all crashing together on one very bad night in Mutant Town,” Allor said. “Hun returns from the dead with no interest in redemption or explanation; he just wants his power back. Against that, Slash and Ninjara are trying to find a way back into the world without losing themselves to violence all over again.”
Allor also emphasized just how dangerous Hun remains, even in a world filled with mutants and monsters.
“Let’s be honest: Hun is more monstrous than the actual monsters, a cold-blooded opportunist who relishes violence and control. I wrote him as part Ken McElroy, part gangland boogeyman, and all evil bastard. You don’t beat Hun, you just hope to survive him.”
The writer added, “I also need to give huge credit to IDW and Nickelodeon for letting me and artist Gavin Smith take some very big swings in the structure and narration of this issue.”
For longtime TMNT readers, the one-shot packs plenty of intrigue. Hun’s return alone raises major questions about how the events of “The City That Never Dies” will ripple through New York City’s criminal underworld. Even more exciting is the return of Slash and Ninjara, two fan-favorite characters who recently re-entered continuity through Battle Nexus.
That setup creates a fascinating clash of generations and rivalries. Hun has always represented one of the ugliest parts of Casey Jones’ past, while Slash and Ninjara have become two of the franchise’s most compelling wild cards. Putting all three characters on a collision course feels like a recipe for chaos.
Check out variant covers and main covers for the one-shot below!
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| TMNT: The Hunger | Cover A Gavin Smith | Credit: IDW |
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| TMNT: The Hunger | Cover B Dev Madan | Credit: IDW |
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| TMNT: The Hunger | Cover C Jeffrey Cruz | Credit: IDW |
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| TMNT: The Hunger | 1-10 Igor Monti | Credit: IDW |
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| TMNT: The Hunger | 1-25 Isobel Rees | Credit: IDW |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hunger #1
Writer: Paul Allor
Artist: Gavin Smith
On Sale: September 30, 2026
Final Order Cutoff: August 24, 2026
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Originally published: June 03, 2026.
