This Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 comic review looks at the latest chapter of IDW’s The City That Never Dies storyline from writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Fero Pe. New York’s supernatural crisis reaches a new level as the barrier between the living and the dead begins to collapse and the Turtles are forced to fight on multiple fronts.
This copy features the Cover E Damien Worm IDW Goes Dark Variant, transforming Raphael and the TMNT world into a much darker horror-inspired image.
Comic Book Details
Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Issue: #23
Volume: 1
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: October 14, 2026
Cover Date: October 2026
Written By: Gene Luen Yang
Art: Fero Pe
Colors: Luis Antonio Delgado
Cover Variant: Cover E IDW Goes Dark Variant
Cover Artist: Damien Worm
Cover Price: $4.99
Pages: 32
UPC: 82771403315102351
Storyline: The City That Never Dies, Part Three
Damien Worm’s cover pushes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles directly into horror territory. Raphael charges through a rain-soaked cemetery while distorted figures and ominous architecture surround him.
The dark greens, purples and heavy shadows fit the IDW Goes Dark theme perfectly, giving the familiar TMNT world the atmosphere of a supernatural horror comic rather than a traditional martial-arts adventure.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 Comic Review: Story Analysis
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 continues The City That Never Dies as the supernatural invasion of New York grows increasingly dangerous.
The veil between worlds has collapsed, allowing undead members of the Foot Clan, Purple Dragons and other threats to spill into the city. With the crisis spreading too quickly for the Turtles to handle as a single group, they are forced to divide their efforts.
At the same time, Baxter Stockman forms a dangerous new alliance while Shinigami faces questions about where her loyalty truly lies.
That setup gives writer Gene Luen Yang several conflicts to develop at once. The Turtles are not simply confronting another gang or mutant enemy—the city itself is becoming increasingly hostile as the distinction between the living and the dead begins to disappear. Penguin Random House Comics Retail
The supernatural direction also fits TMNT surprisingly well. The franchise has always mixed martial arts, science fiction, mutants and mysticism, so an undead invasion does not feel out of place.
Art and Visual Design
Fero Pe handles the interior artwork, with Luis Antonio Delgado providing colors. Grand Comics Database
A story involving an undead New York gives the creative team an opportunity to make familiar streets and characters feel less safe than usual.
Rain, darkness, supernatural enemies and the breakdown of normal city life all push the visual tone toward horror while still allowing the Turtles’ action-heavy style to remain at the center of the book.
For this edition, however, Damien Worm’s cover is the immediate attraction.
Worm’s work naturally suits horror imagery, and the IDW Goes Dark theme gives him room to emphasize atmosphere instead of presenting the Turtles in a conventional action pose.
The result looks almost like a horror paperback illustration, with Raphael appearing less like a superhero and more like a lone survivor moving through a nightmare.
Character Development
Splitting the Turtles apart creates opportunities to emphasize their individual personalities instead of relying entirely on the group dynamic.
The larger supernatural conflict also tests characters outside the four brothers.
Shinigami’s loyalty becomes increasingly important as alliances shift, while Baxter Stockman’s new partnership threatens to make an already chaotic situation worse.
That gives the issue multiple personal conflicts beneath the larger undead invasion.
The Turtles have survived countless threats together, but a crisis that forces them to operate separately changes the equation. Each brother has to deal with danger without immediately relying on the rest of the family.
Collectibility and Market Significance
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 has several things that make this particular edition appealing to collectors.
The issue is part of The City That Never Dies storyline, released during IDW’s October horror promotion, and features one of the company’s IDW Goes Dark variant covers.
The Damien Worm Cover E is an open-order variant rather than a ratio incentive, so it should not automatically be treated as scarce. IDW also released other covers for the issue, including variants by Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop, Marcelo Ventura, J. Gonzo and incentive editions. Penguin Random House Comics Retail
Its appeal comes primarily from the artwork and the IDW Goes Dark theme.
For collectors who like darker TMNT imagery, horror comics or Damien Worm’s work, this version has a distinct visual identity that separates it from the regular covers.
Final Verdict
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 pushes The City That Never Dies deeper into supernatural horror while keeping the core TMNT combination of action, family and strange New York threats intact.
Gene Luen Yang’s storyline expands the conflict by forcing the Turtles to split up while Baxter Stockman and Shinigami add additional complications.
For collectors, the Damien Worm IDW Goes Dark Variant is especially well matched to the story. Its cemetery setting, rain-soaked atmosphere and horror styling make it one of the more distinctive covers for the issue.
Recommended for TMNT readers, Damien Worm collectors, horror-comic fans and anyone following The City That Never Dies storyline.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 Damien Worm IDW Goes Dark Variant is available from Razmataz Comics & Hobbies at razmatazcomics.com while supplies last.
