Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Editor Teases “Heavy Cost” Of Bringing Splinter Back From The Dead (Exclusive)

by

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were devastated by the loss of their mentor, Splinter, but he’s surprisingly returned from the dead. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #14, the Turtles are happily reunited with Splinter, though fans know things aren’t what they seem—the Turtles don’t realize Splinter is also their enemy, Ujigami. Editor Jake Thomas recently spoke with ComicBook about the current storyline, hinting that there will be a significant price to pay for Splinter’s return, and the Turtles haven’t even begun to pay it yet.

As a huge fan, I was thrilled to see Splinter back, but honestly, it feels like it came at a real price. The creators have hinted that bringing him back wasn’t easy, and his new form as Ujigami is just the beginning of the consequences. They’ve always believed there should be a cost for defying death, and that’s become a central theme in the story. We’ve seen a glimpse of that cost with Ujigami, but trust me, the Turtles – and maybe even all of us – are going to be dealing with the fallout for a long time to come. It’s going to be intense!

It’s rare to have the opportunity to turn a beloved hero into a dangerous villain, and Thomas is thrilled the series is taking such bold risks. He described it as ‘really thrilling’ and acknowledged the challenge, expressing gratitude for his talented creative team – Gene and Freddie – who are handling the story with skill and flair. He also thanked the team at Paramount for trusting them to tell these kinds of stories and take chances with characters that fans adore.

Thomas explained that he knows a story is promising when people in charge start to question whether it’s too daring. He said the real sign of a strong idea is when those with authority actually approve it.

The Surprises Don’t Stop At Splinter in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles


With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12 concluding the previous storyline, we asked Thomas what he found most inspiring about taking over the series. He began by praising the previous creative team – Jason, Juan, Joëlle Jones, Rafael Albuquerque, Cliff Chiang, Darick Robertson, Charles Beacham, Jamie S. Rich, Maggie Howell, and Andy Khouri – and expressed his gratitude for their work. Thomas explained that he was most excited by the strong foundation and high quality they established, calling it an “incredible feast” and a challenging standard to follow.

Thomas explained that Jason was excellent at understanding the heart of characters and relationships, and he demonstrated this by exploring the dynamics within the Turtles family before reuniting them. Now, Thomas, Gene, and Freddie are working to strengthen that family bond. However, they won’t be taking it easy on the Turtles – they have some tough challenges planned for them.

With the four original Turtles and Splinter reunited, you might think the show will quickly introduce a lot of new characters. However, the story will mainly stay focused on the relationships within the core Turtle family, even as new elements are added.

We’re still establishing the basics right now, so the main team will be small for this first part of the story. However, we’re already planning some interesting and unexpected supporting characters to introduce in the next part, and we’ll keep adding more as the story progresses, according to Thomas.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #14 is in comic stores now.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/comics/news/the-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-crossover-just-added-one-of-tmnts-most-divisive-characters/embed/#

Read More

2026-01-17 07:10