Published Sep 21, 2026, 5:14 PM EDT
TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is officially returning this December with a brand-new special, and this isn’t just a return for Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and a few select supporting characters. This release will feature a large returning cast, bringing back many of the franchise’s most iconic characters.
In three months, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will return with an oversized holiday release that will see a vast majority of the franchise’s most iconic characters reunite. This epic reunion will take place in IDW Publishing’s upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Holiday Special, which will be brought to life by the creative team of writer Pallie Paul Allor, artist Enid Balám, and colorist Luis Antonio Delgado.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Holiday Special #1 will be a 40-page, oversized issue available for $5.99 on December 9, 2026. IDW has confirmed that the holiday special will follow the events of the ongoing "The City That Never Dies" story arc, which is currently taking place in the publisher’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024–present) series. This means the special is far more than just a fun, unconnected one-shot and will instead be part of the official canon. Below are more details on the characters confirmed so far to return for this epic special.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Return This December, Plot Details Here
Main Cover by Enid Balám for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Holiday Special #1 (2026)
In addition to confirming that the holiday special will follow the events of the "The City That Never Dies" storyline, IDW has also provided an official synopsis for the issue, which can be found below in its entirety:
Winter has arrived, the holidays are rapidly approaching, and the characters of the TMNT Universe have wounds that need to heal. Tang Shen, inspired by Michelangelo's love of the holiday season, decides it's time for the Hamato Clan, their allies, and even some of their enemies to come together to share one holiday meal.
But will bad blood within the group allow them to break bread together? And are there external forces waiting outside the meal to break the group's bones? It's a holiday story only the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could be a part of!
Based on this synopsis, it’s clear that longtime franchise fans are in for a true treat, given that some of the Turtles’ most iconic villains and allies will be brought together under the same roof for the holiday season. While the official summary confirms the return of the Turtles and Tang Shen, the main cover gives a better idea of the other characters we can expect to see in the special.
Every Character Confirmed to Return in TMNT’s Holiday Special
1:25 Chalky Wong Variant for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Holiday Special #1 (2026)
Artist Enid Balám’s main cover for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Holiday Special is perhaps the most notable element of the early December solicitation, given that it reveals a whopping 16 characters who will likely be appearing in the issue. Granted, covers can sometimes be misleading. However, when paired with the summary that teases “it's time for the Hamato Clan, their allies, and even some of their enemies to come together to share one holiday meal,” it’s likely that this cover is an accurate depiction of the characters who will be featured in the story.
The characters featured on the cover include Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Splinter, April O'Neil, Casey Jones, Shredder, Oroku Karai, Bebop, Rocksteady, Old Hob, Alopex, Hamato Jennika, Slash, and Tang Shen. This is an impressive cast of characters set not only to return, but to soon be brought together under the same roof, potentially for the first time in TMNT history.
While the involvement of these characters in the narrative is all but guaranteed, there is also a chance that more familiar faces may be joining them for this special, as a comic cover can only fit so many characters. However, even if this gathering consists solely of the 16 characters portrayed on the cover, it still represents a massive reunion of both classic and relatively newer characters, making this one of the most ambitious Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles releases in recent memory.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Holiday Special #1 from IDW Publishing will be available to read on December 9, 2026!
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