Posted in: Comics, IDW | Tagged: idw, kevin eastman, Last Ronin, peter laird, tmnt

TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Sell For $50 After IDW Short 130,000 Orders

Published Mon, 19 Oct 2020 10:30:06 -0500

Last week, IDW told folk that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin #1 comic book, written by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and scheduled for publication on the 28th of October, had received 130,000 pre-orders from comic book retailers, but that they were going to a second printing already, and that they were providing retailers with a special one-per-store Thank You variant cover.

To thank comic shops for their support, IDW has immediately commissioned a TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 "Thank You" Variant Edition to be provided to all retailers who placed orders for the First Printing via Diamond Comic Distributors. This rare black-and-white cover edition will feature a foil logo cover enhancement sure to make it a hot collectible. Full details on the "Thank You" edition will be provided to retailers through distributor communications.

IDW has also committed to a TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Second Printing featuring a re-colored variant of the artwork by Kevin Eastman, Esau Escorza, and Isaac Escorza. Slated for release on December 2nd, the Second Printing is now listed via Diamond for retailer pre-order.

But at Bleeding Cool revealed, there may be fewer than 130,000 copies available. Which throws the previous announcements into a different light. Diamond told retailers;

Regarding TMNT: The Last Ronin #1, IDW unfortunately set print quantities in advance of FOC due to considerations stemming from trim size and paper availability. It wasn't an ideal situation, but IDW set an aggressive print run, believing the total would meet the final quantity needed. However, retailer FOC orders far surpassed what was anticipated, regretfully resulting in an allocation of the First Printing, reflected in the 10/19 invoicing statement.

The only solution available is to immediately solicit a Second Printing with a newly colored cover (item code SEP208135). This code is currently live via Diamond for orders, and the FOC date for the Second Printing is October 26th. IDW will be setting the print run the day after FOC to ensure all retailer orders are met. The on-sale date for the Second Printing will be December 2nd.

So there should be plenty of copies around. Just fewer than initially planned for. If you want a copy, you might want to take steps to ensure it. And one store, A And Z Comics, has already sold twenty copies of the standard cover on eBay for $49.99 each. Which, yes, is insane, but there you go. What is more insane is that there are rarer covers selling for less, such as this 450-copy limited exclusive Gargoyle variant cover selling for $30, and nine copies still available.

"The foundation and evolution of the story that would become The Last Ronin took 30 years to naturally and organically arrive at the proper place to be told. That time is now," says Eastman. "Buckle up, TMNT fans — it's going to be one hell of a ride."

"As much as The Last Ronin is a love letter to past TMNT iterations — from Mirage to IDW, and everything in between — it's also a love letter to the millions of folks who continue to cherish this ageless property in all its diverse forms and renditions," says Tom Waltz, who partnered with Eastman on the story and script. "At its core, TMNT is always about family first… both in the fictional stories being told and the real-life engagement between the creators and the amazing fans who support them. The Last Ronin is no exception."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin takes place in a future New York City far different from the one we know today, where a lone surviving Turtle goes on a seemingly hopeless mission to obtain justice for his fallen family and friends. An epic five-part miniseries, The Last Ronin is based on an unpublished 1987 story concept by Eastman and Laird, with script by Waltz, layouts by Eastman, pencils and inks by Esau and Isaac Escorza, colors by Luis Antonio Delgado, letters by Shawn Lee, and edits by Bobby Curnow. Each issue is oversized at 7" x 11" and 48 pages in length