By all rights, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could have remained a comic book curiosity, forgotten to all but the most dedicated comic book readers as an 80’s superhero parody. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s original black-and-white comics openly tease Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men and Daredevil, but then they go on to do something amazing: They create a stunningly entertaining new TMNT universe that stands on its own.
Catching up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics can be initially confusing, as there have been various iterations of the comic since the 80’s. Below I lay out the simplest reading order for new fans looking to explore the Ninja Turtles catalog.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reading Order
Turtles Origins – The Mirage Studios Comics
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Volume 1
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 to #7
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Volume 2
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Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8-11, Michaelangelo, Leonardo, and Donatello “micro-series” one-shots
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Volume 3
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12, 14, 15, 17, and 19–21
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Volume 6
Reading Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles volume 6 prior to volumes 4 & 5 is clearly counter intuitive, nonetheless it’s the most sensible reading approach. Volume 6 contains a series of one-shots and short stories set within the TMNT universe, and is more for the most dedicated turtles fans.
You can also find a number of these stories collected in the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trade paperbacks.
You certainly don’t need to read Usagi Yojimbo as part of your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reading order, but then again, you also don’t need to read great comics at all. Usagi’s first story arc collected in Saga volume 1 involves the Turtles, and then goes to establish the greatest anthropomorphic samurai this side of Leonardo, Donatello, Rapheal, and Michelangelo.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 2
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16, #22, and #23
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 3
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #27, #28, and #29
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 4
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #32, #33, #37, and Turtle Soup
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 5
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #34 and #38–40
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 6
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #42 to #44
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 7
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #45 to #47
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Volume 4
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Volume 5
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #48 to #62
Ultimate Collections 4 and 5 collect the Turtles “City at War” story arc, the culmination (and ultimately conclusion) of Eastman and Laird’s work together on the turtles.
Turtles in the 90’s – Rebooted Series (Volume 2)
Mirage Studios series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 2 that ran from 1993–1995
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 8
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 to #5
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 9
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 to #9
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Volume 10
Collects: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10 to #13
TMNT Relaunch – The IDW Comics Reading Order
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 1
Collects: TMNT #1 to #12, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Splinter Micro-Series one-shots
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 2
Collects: TMNT #13–20, Casey Jones, April, Fugitoid, Krang, and Baxter Stockman Micro-Series one-shots, and the Secret History of the Foot Clan mini-series
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 3
Collects: TMNT #21–28, Old Hob, Alopex, Karai, Hun, Bebop and Rocksteady, and Shredder Micro-Series one-shots, plus 2012 Annual
The third IDW collection consists of the turtle’s City Fall event, which should be read in the following order:
City Fall Reading Order:
TMNT #21
TMNT #22
Micro-Series #3: Old Hob
TMNT #23
TMNT #24
#4: Alopex
#5: Karai
TMNT #25
#6: Hun
TMNT #26
#7: Bebop and Rocksteady
TMNT #27
TMNT #28
#8: Shredder
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 4
Collects: TMNT #29–37, Utrom Empire, and the 2014 Annual
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters
Batman: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, No. 1
As far as I can tell the six issue Batman / TMNT crossover occurs outside regular turtles continuity. Doesn’t stop it from being a blast – highly recommended read for fans of the turtles and Batman.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 10: New Mutant Order
Collects: TMNT #37 to #40
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 11: Attack On Technodrome
Collects: TMNT #41 to #44
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 12: Vengeance Part 1
Collects: TMNT #45 to #47, TMNT Free Comic Book Day 2015 (Read FCBD TMNT after TMNT #45)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey & April
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 13: Vengeance Part 2
Collects: TMNT #48 to #50
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 14: Order From Chaos
Collects: TMNT #51 to #55
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 15: Leatherhead
Collects: TMNT #56 to #60
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 16: Chasing Phantoms
Collects: Issues #61-65
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 17: Desperate Measures
Collects: Issues #66-70
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 18: Trial of Krang
Collects: Issues #71-75; 2017’s Free Comic Book Day Issue
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 19: Invasion of the Triceratons
Collects: Issues #76-80
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 20: Kingdom of Rats
Collects: Issues #81-85
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 21: Battle Lines
Collects: Issues #86-89
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 22: City at War, Pt. 1
Collects: Issues #90-95
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 23: City at War, Pt. 2
Collects: Issues #96-100
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol. 1 – From the Ashes
Collects: Issues #101-105
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol 2 – Life After Death
Collects: Issues 106-111
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol. 3 – Time After Time
Collects: 112-117
Why aren’t the 1996 Image and 2001 Mirage series included on this list?
I followed this list but had some suggested edits. The first occurrences of Radical + Total Carnage, Rat King, Nobody, and Leatherhead are in the Tales of TMNT Vol.1… For those who don’t know, Tales of TMNT Vol. 1 was published in the 80s (88-89?) but Vol. 2 picked up in the 2000s…. So, if you want the full context of what you’ll read in the Classics collection (Like the first interaction with Radical, when and how did Leatherhead move into TMNT old sewer hangout, etc.), you’ll need to read the Tales of TMNT simultaneously (it’s only 8 issues). I purchased Kindle Unlimited for a month and was able to read Tales of TMNT Omnibus + All 7 relevant volumes of TMNT Classics before going back to reading the hard copy of Ultimate Collection.
This should be updated with the stuff after volume 15. I belive it’s in the vol 23 now and have other side-stories not mentioned here. Still, great guide. Thanks for the help. ^^
I love ninja turtles I collect the comic books of it all the time and I wish for there to be more new comic books like of spinoffs and crossovers and graphic novels and some that would be like spider man star wars beast wars and power rangers and the mighty Mutanimals and the ninja turtles of the past and the future with a team up and great details and rare artwork I would also like it if there was a new ninja turtles game that would be arcade like and one that would be like super smash bros and a new cartoon show and new action figures for adult collectors with extra weapons and great colors and details and unreleased characters and the mighty mutanimals
The contents in the TMNT ultimate collection Volume 6 are available in the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trade paperbacks? I’m wanting to know because instead of buying the ultimate collection I opted to get the five volumes of The Works (which are the colored versions of the ultimate collection, as they have the same contents), sadly there’s no colored version of ultimate collection Volume 6, so I’m wondering if I should just get the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trade paperback.
The Ultimate vol 6 combines a couple different books. its full contents are
Don’t Judge a Book – 1985
You Had To be There – 1986
D’ants Fever – 1986
New York Ninja – 1986
Night Life – 1986
New Comic Day – 1986
Technofear – 1986
Crazy Man – 1986
Terror By Transmat! – 1987
The Survival Game – 1987
Word Warriors – 1987
Turtle Dreams – 1987
The Road Trip – 1987
The Lesson – 1987
Ghouls Night Out – 1987
Fun With Guns – 1987
49th Street Stompers – 1987
The Howl – 1987
It’s A Gas – 1988
Choices – 1988
Complete Carnage An’ Radical – 1988
Not One Word – 1988
Casey Jones, Private Eye – 1989
A Splinter In The Eye Of God? – 1989
O-Deed – 1989
Junkman – 1989
Meanwhile……1,000,000 B,C, – 1989
Bottoming Out – 1989
Untitled Nobody Story – 1989
Some of those stories appear in the classic vol. 1 Trade but as far as i can tell none of them appear in the Tales of the TMNT Vol. 1 trade. The definitely don’t have the same contents. And the Ultimate is B&W and everything else is color.
Ok thanks very much for the information, I finally found out the contents of Volume 6 finally. I will try to track down the stories.
the IDW TMNT series is what got me into comics back in 2012. I can’t recommend the series enough. Especially to new readers. Look, the Eastman & Laird vol. 1 stuff is classic and i love it. But I enjoy the IDW series more. And i doubt a new reader wants to drop the cash on one of the beautiful IDW ultimate editions.
And then there are those horrid parts of the “guest era” in vol 1 where they invited other creators to make TMNT material. Some of it was good, most was not.
IDW takes pieces from all the previous iterations of TMNT and molds them into one entertaining story.
And don’t get me started on Usagi. Its my favorite comic of all time. I don’t know if could recommend someone buying Saga vol 1 just for the TMNT story (and the short Leo one), but it IS a good one. And if you’re already into the mirage TMNT anyway then you’ll enjoy the rest of the Usagi book as well.
What about the Adventures comics published by Archie?