IDW Publishing has been releasing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics for more than a decade now, and writer Tom Waltz has been along for the radical ride since the very beginning. With the big event Armageddon Game approaching in the ongoing series, a lighthearted limited series inspired by the '87 cartoon on the way, and a prequel to hit The Last Ronin limited series announced, the publisher continues to prove the Ninja Turtles are in good hands.

Working with Kevin Eastman, Ben Bishop, and SL Gallant, Waltz will further explore the "Roninverse" in the upcoming series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years. CBR recently spoke with him about what inspired this tale, what's on the horizon for the Ninja Turtles, the secret to the ongoing title's lasting success, and why fans should be excited about the upcoming series.

Related: TMNT: Kevin Eastman Explores the Franchise's Radical Legacy and Future

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CBR: Now that The Last Ronin is out in the world, how does it feel to see all of the praise from fans and critics?

Tom Waltz: I'd be lying if I said it's not a great feeling to be on the receiving end of so much praise from both fans and critics. But, really, just knowing the hard work we put into making the book, combined with the amazing patience those same fans and critics gave us while it took a wee bit longer to finish than we'd initially expected, culminated in such an overwhelmingly positive experience for all involved -- creators and readers alike -- is the most satisfying aspect of this experience for me by far. Corny as I know this may sound, I truly feel blessed and humbled to be just a part of the bigger picture.

What's the origin story behind The Lost Years and the Roninverse?

Early on, when we first thought The Last Ronin would be clearly set in the original Mirage TMNT canon, Kevin Eastman and I saw definite potential for more content for the story we were telling. But as time passed, and as we began to realize that The Last Ronin was going to be set in its own multi-versal timeline (which we now lovingly call the Roninverse), ideas for prequels (including a new origin story) began to pop in our heads. Our first priority, however, was to get The Last Ronin done the way we wanted it to be done. That first story had to be right before we moved on to other tales in this new TMNT reality. When it was done, and the critical reception and sales were as fantastic as they ended up being, Kevin and I turned our sights to what we wanted to do next.

There were stories we knew deserved more legroom, and we turned to the Last Ronin's memories in the story we'd already told, and the journey that took him from Asia to America was the one that jumped out at us. A kind of Star Wars Rogue One tale, but immensely important to this new canon that we created.

Related: REVIEW: IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game—Opening Moves #2

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Charles Beacham recently became the Ninja Turtles editor. Can you offer some insight into him joining the team and how planning for the future is going?

Charles has been a godsend for me in so many ways, professionally and personally. Both Kevin and I worked alongside über-editor Bobby Curnow from 2010 through 2022, and it was always a remarkable collaborative process amongst the three of us. When Bobby moved on from IDW in early 2022, I temporarily found myself both writing TMNT and editing it as well. I'm not gonna lie, I was getting a bit overwhelmed. The IDW TMNT editor has a lot on their plate, and I was starting to worry that many of the things I'd committed to on the writing side -- Ronin, The Armageddon Game, and some other TMNT stuff yet to be announced -- might have to take a backseat to keep the overall TMNT publishing ball rolling. Enter Charles Beacham!

We finally started looking at a true editorial replacement for Bobby in Spring 2022, and Charles was one of the candidates. He and I hit it off from the get-go. We have so much in common when it comes to what we want to see in a comic book story… Not only the story being told, but how it looks, how it reads, cover designs -- you name it! I find him to be such a positive light daily, firing me up when I need it, sharing his awesome creative notes when the story needs it, and not [being] afraid to scold me when I need that, too [laughs]. Charles has come in and really hit the ground running, working his tush off to get the TMNT train running smoothly again, both the existing titles he inherited as well as the very cool projects we've got in the works for the future on multiple TMNT fronts. He's building a strong TMNT team -- and publishing plan -- across the board at IDW, without a doubt.

The Last Ronin proudly wore its inspiration on its sleeve. The big brawl concludes in a mudhole! Are you, Kevin, and the rest of the team pulling any inspiration from other classic comic book tales for The Lost Years?

We're infinitely inspired by the many comic book giants on whose shoulders we stand. Specifically, Kevin and I make no qualms about how much Frank Miller's work means to both of us, so his influence will always be part of what we do with our Last Ronin stories. But for Lost Years, readers should also look for a huge martial arts TV and movie influence on the story being told -- most notably the classic Kung Fu TV series. Readers will also see Akira Kurosawa's storytelling stylings mixed with George Miller's cinematic visions and Bruce Lee-inspired philosophies.

In the press release announcement, you said this is the "first expansion" of the Ronin-verse. Can you tease Last Ronin fans on why they should be excited about the future?

Well, Lost Years is a kind of ancillary story to help fill in some of the Ronin's history that was hinted at in the first volume while simultaneously pushing the present story forward in a certain direction. That's the stuff I can talk about, which is pretty exciting in and of itself. As for the stuff I can't talk about yet, well… There's your tease, sports fans. [laughs]

Related: REPORT: A New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Game Is in the Works

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Armageddon Game. Saturday Morning Adventures. More of The Last Ronin. It's great to see IDW embracing all the potential that this franchise has to offer, but in your opinion, why should fans feel excited and inspired to pre-order all of these comics?

The easy answer would be to say, "Because they're all great, and TMNT fans are gonna love them!" But what our many loyal IDW TMNT fans already know is that we always strive to create the best stories possible, whether it be in the long-running ongoing, Last Ronin, or everything in between. There's not one person on the IDW TMNT team behind the scenes that doesn't love this property and these characters. We consistently pour that love and affection into each and every word balloon and panel. I've always felt that our TMNT work -- particularly in our main ongoing series -- is on par with anything the Big Two puts out, and I'm hoping that The Last Ronin's success will push more curious readers in the direction of our many TMNT offerings, so they can learn just how good the IDW TMNT comics are for themselves.

The TMNT ongoing series has been going strong for a decade now. That's a feat that not many titles can accomplish nowadays. What do you believe is responsible for this book's ongoing success and longevity?

I believe we (Bobby, Kevin, and I) had a pretty solid vision from the very beginning for what we wanted the ongoing series to be. Entertaining serialized drama -- not too decompressed, not too compressed -- featuring universally beloved characters having adventures in exciting yet relatable plots, letting the characters be the centerpiece to the action rather than the other way around, and never losing sight of the core aspect of any and all successful TMNT stories, which is family. That was our vision, we stuck to it month after month, issue after issue, and here we are, more than a decade later, still going strong. Some names and faces have changed on the team, but our vision and our storytelling philosophy have not.

Related: EXCLUSIVE: TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures Writer Reimagines the Classic Cartoon

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In five words or less, tell fans why they should be excited about The Lost Years.

More Ronin and four new turtles! Okay, that's technically six words… what can I say, I'm a wordy guy. [laughs]

Thanks, Tom! Is there anything else you'd like to say to all of the TMNT fans out there?

Hey, TMNT fans! We love you guys and couldn't be more thankful for your constant support and encouragement over the years. It means the world to us! We know how lucky we are to do what we do, and we never want to let you down. We've got so many cool things coming, and [we] can't wait to share it all with you. [I] hope, if you are as excited by it as we are, that you continue to share it with your friends and families, and even strangers! All are welcome aboard the IDW TMNT train, we always say. The more, the merrier!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years goes on sale this November.