In this review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2025, pull up a seat and get ready for some all new “Tales of the TMNT” as Donatello asks his brothers what they experienced during their time apart.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2025
Written by: Kenny Porter
Art: Michael Shelfer
Main Cover: Mateus Santolouco
Variant Covers: Kevin Eastman, Serg Acuña, Jared Cullum, Michael Shelfer
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: October 29, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2025 picks up in the aftermath of the brothers’ tumultuous reunion in New York, (so naturally they move to New Jersey). The team find plenty of street crime and mutant-haters across the river, but their teamwork is rusty, so while they do win the fight, egos and feelings are also bruised. Later in their new digs, the boys munch on pizza as Donatello prompts his brothers about their time apart in the past year.
Leonardo balks, so Michelangelo offers up a story about his time in Japan while filming his television show. It turns out that the production was damaging the ecosystem around Mount Kurama where they were filming. A frustrated Mikey takes a break to explore the area, only to be confronted by the protector of the mountain, a creature of Japanese myth called a Tengu (who turns out to be a mutant rescued by a trio of supernatural warriors…long story).
The Tengu challenges Mikey to fight him, but he declines, but that doesn’t stop the Tengu from trying to force his hand. At some point Mikey succumbs to his warrior rage but is still bested by the Tengu who forces Mikey to confront whether he is truly a warrior or just playing pretend (as an actor). Mikey ends the story by apologizing to the crew and moving the production to another location. Raphael doesn’t buy the tall tale.
Donatello asks Leo to share, but Raphael interrupts with his own colorful story about his cross country adventures (which involve punching out people at various landmarks across the United States (we have to assume those people had it coming, Raph is rough around the edges but not randomly violent).
Finally, Leo reluctantly opens up about a dangerous mission to rescue a kidnapped mutant named Travis from the clutches of an anti-mutant hate group. Travis’ three human brothers were murdered when he was taken, so Leo believed that it was up him to help Travis, because no one else would be looking for him.
After sneaking aboard the group’s commandeered aircraft carrier, Leo tracks Travis below deck, but encounters some resistance on the way. After dispatching the guards, Leo finds Travis (a human/Lynx hybrid) and attempts to free him, only to discover that not only were Travis and the anti-mutant group working together, Travis also killed his own brothers because they didn’t share his vision of arming mutants.
After a few minutes of Travis’ self-serving monologue about power, strength and legacy, Leo’s had enough and clocks him. Leo tangles with the remaining guards as he heads above deck, but Travis targets him with a high-tech rocket launcher. In the midst of the carnage, Leo makes one last attempt to reach Travis’ humanity only to realize that none remains. Leo jumps overboard as an explosion rips through the ship.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2025 ends with a distraught Leo expressing his over the parallels between himself and Travis, and that he wasn’t able to help his own brothers during their own troubles during past year. The brothers talk him down and hug it out.
Analysis
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2025 is somewhat of a palate cleanser between Jason Aaron’s year-long epic and the next story arc by writer Gene Yuen Lang. Writer Kenny Porter (Superboy) does a decent job adding his own spin to recent story canon. While the themes Porter addresses resonate (especially for Leonardo), his writing doesn’t quite hit the high bar set by Jason Aaron, but it’s still a good story.
Michelangelo’s tale mixing mythology and environmental protection hits home, (especially now), and by pitting a reverence for nature against the costly impact of capitalism (and show business), the existential crisis is well-framed. Mikey’s growing fame had led to hubris during his time away, so this story is an inflection point for him, and the Tengu’s challenge obviously still echoes in his head.
Raphael’s own short but sweet slide show montage of cross country fight scenes truly suits a character who chooses actions over words, while still rising to Leo’s defense when he senses his brother’s reluctance. Leonardo’s story is the longest of the three and the most devastating as the team leader is forced to face betrayal from someone he tried to help while also considering Travis a warped reflection of himself.
Artist Michael Shelfer does a remarkable job adapting Porter’s script with an energetic style that captures the countless fight scenes, the growing dramatic tension (and shadows), while he is also able to portray Travis’ seeming vulnerability in the flashback scenes, as well as the sense of menace emanating from him during his encounter with Leonardo.
Final Thoughts
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2025 is a solid compilation of short and (somewhat) tragic tales of the TMNT, with at least one ending that hits like a roundhouse kick. There is still plenty of action, humor and camaraderie for new and longtime fans. The art is great too.
