Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW Reading Order

The story of the creation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird is quite famous, not as much as the series itself. But if you don’t know, go watch the documentaries and read the books.

For now, we are here to talk about the giant fighting turtles named after Italian Renaissance artists that were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the Japanese martial art of ninjutsu. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo fought crimes from their home in the sewers of New York City and they quickly had to travel into other dimensions and to survive to other types of crazy adventures in comic book form, obviously, but also on TV and in the movies.

Published by Mirage Studios in 1984, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles helped start the Black & White revolution. But when other series disappeared, the turtles persisted. Well, publication stopped for a short period of time, but they came back, as strong as ever and they still fight the good fight in original stories published by IDW (Transformers, G.I. Joe).

When this new ongoing series started, with TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, and artist Dan Duncan taking charge of the creative work, it was a new beginning with rewritten origins and an ambitious mythology.

What to read before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles published by IDW?

Mostly, nothing. But, if you want a taste of the original stuff, it’s really a fun read and IDW collected the Mirage issues in black & white and colorized collection:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection (Black & White)
  • Volume 1, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #1–7, and Raphael #1.
  • Volume 2, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #8–11, and the Michaelangelo, Leonardo, and Donatello “micro-series” one-shots.
  • Volume 3, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #12, 14, 15, 17, and 19–21.
  • Volume 4, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #48–55.
  • Volume 5, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #56–62.
  • Volume 6, collects short stories/one-shots published between 1985 and 1989.
  • Volume 7, details coming soon.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics (colorized versions)
  • Volume 1, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issue #13 along with a collection of stories from the Shell Shock TP.
  • Volume 2, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #16, 22, and 23.
  • Volume 3, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #27–29.
  • Volume 4, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #32, 33, and 37 along with “The Ring”.
  • Volume 5, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #34 and #38–40.
  • Volume 6, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #42–44.
  • Volume 7, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #45–47 and six short stories.
  • Volume 8, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 2 issues #1–5.
  • Volume 9, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 2 issues #6–9.
  • Volume 10, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 2 issues #10–13.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Compendium Edition
  • Volume 1, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #1-7, 9-14; the Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Leonardo Micro-Series one-shots; Fugitoid #1; and Tales of TMNT #1-5.
  • Volume 2, collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vol. 1 issues #15–23, #27–29, and #31–37 of the ongoing series plus Tales of the TMNT #6 and 7, and the short story “The Ring.”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW Reading Order:

The very core of the Turtles family is at stake as the new origin of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is revealed! It’s a different world for the Turtles…

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol.1: Change is Constant
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1–4.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series Vol. 1
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series #1–4.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 2: Enemies Old, Enemies New
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5–8
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 3: Shadows of the Past
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #9–12
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series Vol. 2
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Micro-Series #5–8
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 4: Sins of the Fathers
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13–16
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 5: Krang War
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #17–20
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret History of the Foot Clan
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret History of the Foot Clan #1–4

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 6: City Fall Part 1
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #21–24
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Villain Micro-Series Vol. 1
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Villain Micro-Series #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 7: City Fall Part 2
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #25–28
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Villain Micro-Series Vol. 2
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Villain Micro-Series #5–8
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 8: Northampton
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #29–32
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire #1–3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 9: Monsters, Misfits, and Madmen
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #33–36
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 10: New Mutant Order
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #37–40

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Ghostbusters
Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Ghostbusters #1–4. For those who read the Ghostbusters, this takes place after Ghostbusters (Vol. 2) #20.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 11: Attack On Technodrome
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #41–44
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutanimals #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 12: Vengeance Part 1
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #45–47 and the 2015 FCBD issue

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey & April
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Casey & April #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 13: Vengeance Part 2
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #48–50
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 14: Order from Chaos
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #51–55
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 15: Leatherhead
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #56–60
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 16: Chasing Phantoms
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #61–65
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything
  Collects Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1–5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Vol. 1
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #1–5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 17: Desperate Measures
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #66–70
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Vol. 2: The New Strangeness
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #6–10
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 18: Trial of Krang
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #71–75 and the 2017 FCBD issue
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #1–5. Takes place between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #73 and #74.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Ghostbusters Vol. 02
Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Ghostbusters II #1–5. For those who read the Ghostbusters, this story takes place after Ghostbusters 101 #6.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Vol. 3: Karai’s Path
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #11–15
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 19: Invasion of the Triceratons
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #76–80
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Vol. 4: Home
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #16–20
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 20: Kingdom of Rats
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #81–85

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe Vol. 5: The Coming Doom
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #21–25
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road
  Collects Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #1-5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 21: Battle Lines
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #86–89
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Macro Series
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Macro Series #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 22: City at War Part 1
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #90–95
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell #1-5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 23: City at War Part 2
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #96–100
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reborn Vol. 1: From the Ashes
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #101–105
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika #1–3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Reborn, Vol. 2 – Life After Death
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #106–111
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II #1–6
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol. 3 – Time After Time
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #112-117
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn Vol. 4: Sow Wind, Reap Storm
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #118–123.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn Vol. 5: Mystic Sister
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #124-130.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game – Opening Moves
  Collects TMNT: The Armageddon Game Pre-Game stories “Kingdom of Rats Prelude,” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #84, and the 2020 and 2021 TMNT Annuals, as well as TMNT: The Armageddon Game-Opening Moves #1 and 2.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol. 6: Game Changers
  Collects Collects the 2022 Annual, issues #131 and 132 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the 2022 Free Comic Book Day TMNT issue
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game #1-8
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn Vol. 7: Isolation
  Collects issues #133—139. Those issues are tie-in to the TMNT: The Armageddon Game event
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Reborn, Vol. 8: Damage Done
  Collects issues #140–144 and the 2023 Annual

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Deluxe Hardcover Collections

If you have a bigger budget and/or are a collector, you’ll maybe prefer the beautiful Deluxe Hardcover Collection. It’s quite easier to follow, you buy them in order…

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 1
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1–12, A Lot to Learn (TMNT 30th Anniversary Special), Micro-Series: Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo and Splinter.
  • Now available as a Trade Paperback.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 2
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13–20, Micro-Series: Casey Jones, April and Fugitoid, Villains Micro-Series: Krang and Baxter Stockman, The Secret History of the Foot Clan #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 3
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #21–28, Villains Micro-Series: Old Hob, Alopex, Karai, Hun, Bebop and Rocksteady and Shredder, 2012 Annual

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 4
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #29–37, Utrom Empire #1–3, 2014 Annual
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 5
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #38–44, Turtles in Time #1–4, TMNT/Ghostbusters #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 6
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #45–50, 2015 FCBD issue, Mutanimals #1–4, Casey & April #1–4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 7
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #51–64
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 8
  Collects Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1–5, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #1–8, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65–66
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 9
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #67–72, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #9–15, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 10
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #73–75, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #19–20, 2017 FCBD issue, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #1–5, TMNT/Ghostbusters II #1–5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 11
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #76-84, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #16–18 + 21–22, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Macro-Series Donatello

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 12
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #85-89, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #23-25, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Macro-Series Leonardo and Michelangelo, Bebop and Rocksteady: Hit the Road #1-5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 13
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #90-100, 2019 Free Comic Book Day issue, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Macro-Series Raphael, Shredder in Hell #1-5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 14
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #101–112, the 2020 Annual, and the Jennika three-issue mini-series.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Vol. 15
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issues #113–124 and the Jennika II miniseries.

Not part of the IDW continuity

Those miniseries were published by IDW, but are not taking place in the same continuity as the main series. They offer crossover self-contained stories with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, of course.

• Infestation 2 Vol. 3
  Collects Infestation 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1–2
• Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  Collects Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1–6
• Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II
  Collects Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1–6
• Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
  Collects Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1–6
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1–5
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II
  Collects Mighty Morphin Power Rangers / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1-5
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin (also available in a Director’s Cut edition)
  Collects Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #1–5

All the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are right now available in an Omnibus:

• Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Omnibus
  Collects Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1–6, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1–6, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1–6, plus hundreds of pages of behind-the-scenes material from artist Freddie E. Williams II and a brand-new introduction by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman!