Two of the more iconic worlds that exist in the IDW Publishing world are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Godzilla. Now, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla veteran comic writer Tim Seeley and acclaimed artist Fero Pe merge these two legendary universes into one of the most historic crossovers in comic book history. It’s the King of the Monsters and the Heroes in a Half Shell, reptile against reptile, in a battle for the ages!

Long before the organization was corrupted by Shredder, the Foot Clan’s original purpose was to save Japan from kaiju! Now, in the present day, Godzilla and its fellow monsters have reappeared. Not only is the Foot not prepared to stop them… it would seem Shredder himself is behind the attacks! The villainous ninja is attempting to use the kaiju to create a new mutagen — one that would give his henchman a massive upgrade.

In the world comics, crossovers are nothing new. Some are so odd that it’s hard to see them grace the same page, while others leave us wondering how they haven’t happened sooner. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla falls into the latter category of events. Considering how long each franchise have existed, and the iconic status each has earned over the years, it was kind of a surprise to see that they haven’t met until now.

Heading into this premiere issue, I expected the Turtles and Godzilla to jump straight into the action. Instead, Seeley crafts something much deeper, a story with real substance and buildup. The first issue is filled with many more familiar faces from the TMNT universe than I anticipated, which was a very welcome surprise. Additionally, we get multiple Kaiju appearances, and this is just the beginning.

Seeley builds an outstanding story arc that includes a history of the inclusion of Godzilla in the TMNT lore and vice versa, blending their worlds in a way that feels natural and purposeful. Rather than taking the easy way out of launching straight into battle and featuring just a ton of massive battles, he builds a deeper story that adds weight to the size of the crossover. This thoughtful approach makes the story far more engaging and gives me even more reason to stick around into future issues.

While the first issue doesn’t feature the big, bad, Kaiju battle we are looking forward too, Seeley lays an excellent foundation as well as gives us a few new elements to both universes.

Pe’s artwork is a great blend of what we have come to expect from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the visuals you’d expect in a Godzilla story. Fero’s ability to capture massive, kaiju-scale action as well as down to the smaller details such as street level action shows the impressive range as an artist. This partnership of Seeley and Pe made for a great premiere issue and the series. Not to mention the fantastic colors by TMNT: The Last Ronin colorist Luis Antonio Delgado and lettering from Brian Kolek.

At first glance, Tim Seeley and Fero Pe’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla was, damn this is going to fun, and it absolutely is, but the first issue reveals there is much more beneath the surface. The story offers depth, some surprises, a clear sense of purpose, as well as lays a fantastic foundation for what is the comic book crossover of the year.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla #1 hits local comic shops on November 12, 2025 from IDW Publishing.