TMNT Officially Revives Master Splinter After 6 Years

Warning! Huge spoilers for TMNT #12 ahead!

The latest era of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise just kicked it up a notch, ending its first year on a gamechanging note: the resurrection of Master Splinter. The Turtles’ mentor and father-figure has been dead for years in the franchise’s comic book lore; now he’s back, but what does that mean for the Heroes in a Half Shell?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12 is the final issue from writer Jason Aaron and artist Juan Ferreyra. A new creative team takes over the book with its next issue, and while the series wrapped up some big threads to end its first year, it also served up a massive cliffhanger.

Now, Splinter’s return serves as a massive new hook for TMNT #13 and beyond.

Splinter Is Back From The Dead In Ninja Turtles Canon, In A Consequential Move For The Franchise’s New Era

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12, Written By Jason Aaron; Art By Juan Ferreyra; Available Now From IDW Publishing

In retrospect, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been building toward Master Splinter’s resurrection throughout the course Aaron and Ferreyra’s run. The clues have been subtle, but they’ve been there. The beginning of TMNT #12 telegraphs that it is imminent, but the story that follows is immersive enough that by the end, it still feels like a big surprise.

Splinter is brought back by Karai, the daughter of Shredder. This implies that it is part of a plot against the Turtles; in his own narration moments after being revived, Splinter notes that he “fear[s] serenity is not in [the Turtles] future.” Splinter also notes that, being dead, he had “forgotten how much it hurts to be alive.”

It is a powerful end note for writer Jason Aaron to hit, and the visual execution by Juan Ferreyra is pitch perfect. In particular, there is a look of existential horror on Splinter’s inhuman face that will stick with readers. Now, the question is what Aaron and Ferreyra’s successors will do to follow up on this shocking turn of events.

Splinter’s Return Is Exciting For Fans, But It Might Be Bad News For The Ninja Turtles

Splinter Is Back After Six Years Out Of Action

With TMNT #13, writer Gene Leun Yang and artist Freddie E. Williams II are taking over the series. Whether the next issue will immediately address Splinter’s resurrection remains TBD, but it is clear that the character will have a pivotal role to play in the next stage of Turtles franchise canon.

Splinter was killed off in the main TMNT comic line in 2019. The brothers have been through a lot in the time since; the last twelve issues alone have put them through the ringer. Splinter’s return is a complicating factor, one that could turn tragic if his comeback is used against the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by their enemies.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12 is available now from IDW Publishing.