It’s a showdown for the ages when Naruto squares off against the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ greatest enemy, Shredder. The Heroes in a Half-Shell are no strangers to crossovers, having teamed up with the likes of the Power Rangers and Batman, just to name a few. Their latest crossover adventure comes in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, a four-issue limited series from IDW Publishing and Viz Media. We’ve seen Naruto officially recruited as the fifth Turtle, and now a preview for the finale teases the anticipated confrontation between Naruto and Shredder.
IDW released a preview of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #4 by Caleb Goellner, Hendry Prasetya, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire. The preview begins with an all-out fight with Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura going up against Shredder, who seems annoyed at their feeble attempts to harm him. Oroku Saki abandoned his humanity and transformed himself into the monstrous Shredder using the power of the ooze. He’s definitely a force to reckon with.
Shredder takes out each attacker one by one. Alopex decides she’s seen enough and makes a run for it with April O’Neil over her shoulder. Alopex says she hasn’t had a change of heart, but instead is trying to stay alive. Naruto calls Shredder a monster, and the Nine-Tailed Fox inside Naruto tries to persuade him to free it so they can see who the real monster is. However, Naruto argues that he doesn’t need help from the Nine-Tailed Fox, with our preview ending as Naruto begins to harness his chakra energy.
“IDW and VIZ Media present the shinobi showdown of your dreams in this action-packed crossover finale!” the description of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #4 reads. “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Team Seven have defeated the Foot Clan’s mutated forces, but the battle is far from over: Using the power of the ooze, Oroku Saki has abandoned his humanity and transformed himself into the monstrous Shredder. As he seeks revenge against Big Apple Village, it’s up to our heroes to end Shredder’s path of destruction and challenge the cycle of hatred consuming him. The fight you’ve been waiting for is finally here—Naruto vs. Shredder!”
In an early review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #1, ComicBook gave the crossover a 4 out of 5 rating, calling it “a ton of ninja fun, introducing interesting concepts and a brand new universe that many didn’t see coming,” along with “a must-buy for fans of either franchise,” if you’re wondering about the quality of the miniseries.
“Research is always key when you’re writing for established characters, so I re-read a ton of the Naruto manga – not only the early Team 7 adventures, which loosely feed into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto miniseries, but also the Shippuden era,” writer Caleb Goellner told ComicBook. “Early in the pitching stage, I wanted to figure out as many potential story scenarios as possible to give all of the project stakeholders flexibility, so I re-watched several Naruto movies and sat my OG 2003 Bandai Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi figures on my desk as faux totems of power.”
Shredder is also about to star in his own limited series, titled TMNT: Shredder by writer Dan Watters (Batman: Dark Patterns) and artist Michele Bandini (Spider-Man: City at War). The comic follows Shredder, who is removed from the Foot Clan, as he returns to New York to face a former protege who has their own rival clan. Shredder will also have a new look, designed by fan-favorite TMNT artist Mateus Santolouco.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #4 goes on sale Wednesday, June 4th. Let us know your thoughts on the preview in the comments below!
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