This Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 comic review looks at the latest chapter of IDW’s ongoing TMNT series from writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Fero Pe.
New York is being overwhelmed by the undead.
The barrier between worlds is collapsing, and the Turtles must divide their efforts if they hope to stop the city from falling.
This copy features the Cover B Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop Variant. The artwork brings Michelangelo and Shredder together in a gritty composition that immediately recalls the rougher visual style associated with the early days of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Comic Book Details
- Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Issue: #23
- Volume: 6
- Publisher: IDW Publishing
- Release Date: October 14, 2026
- Cover Date: October 2026
- Written By: Gene Luen Yang
- Art: Fero Pe
- Cover Variant: Cover B Kevin Eastman & Ben Bishop Variant
- Cover Artists: Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Pages: 32
- Rating: T
- UPC: 82771403315102321
IDW officially credits Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop for this exact Cover B. Penguin Random House Comics Retail
Michelangelo dominates the foreground while Shredder watches from above. The rough lines, heavy shadows, brick buildings, and orange-red sky give the image an old-school independent-comic feel.
The cover looks modern without losing the raw visual energy that helped define Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the first place.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 Comic Review: Story Analysis
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 throws New York into supernatural chaos.
The barrier between worlds has broken down.
Undead members of the Foot Clan, Purple Dragons, and other threats begin flooding the city.
The Turtles cannot stay together and fight one battle at a time.
They have to split up.
That immediately raises the danger.
The brothers are usually strongest when they work as a unit. Separating them forces each Turtle to handle part of the crisis without relying on the entire family.
Writer Gene Luen Yang also keeps several other conflicts moving.
Baxter Stockman forms a dangerous new alliance.
Shinigami must decide where her loyalty truly belongs.
Those problems make the undead invasion more than a simple monster attack. Penguin Random House Comics Retail
The city faces threats from several directions at once.
That gives issue #23 a strong sense of momentum.
Art and Visual Design
Fero Pe handles the interior artwork.
An undead invasion gives the issue plenty of opportunities for visual chaos.
The familiar streets of New York become battlefields.
Foot Clan members and Purple Dragons already belong in the TMNT world. Turning those enemies into supernatural threats pushes the series further into horror without abandoning its action roots.
Fero Pe also has to make the divided storylines easy to follow.
The Turtles are not all fighting side by side.
Each part of the city needs its own sense of danger while still feeling connected to the larger crisis.
For this edition, however, the immediate attraction is Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop’s Cover B.
The cover does not look overly polished.
That is one of its strengths.
The rougher approach gives Michelangelo a sense of movement and danger that fits the story.
Michelangelo and Shredder
Michelangelo is often the most lighthearted member of the team.
This cover does not present him that way.
He looks alert, battered, and ready to fight.
His nunchaku are already moving.
Shredder stands above him like a threat that never completely disappears.
That contrast works well.
Michelangelo brings energy to the lower half of the composition.
Shredder brings tension to the upper half.
Even without reading the issue, the image tells the reader that the situation has become serious.
An Old-School TMNT Feel
Kevin Eastman’s involvement gives the cover an immediate connection to the roots of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Eastman helped create the franchise.
His name still carries special weight with TMNT collectors.
Ben Bishop complements that connection instead of trying to make the image look completely different.
The result feels like a modern interpretation of classic TMNT artwork.
Heavy lines and rough textures replace the cleaner finish seen on many current superhero covers.
The city feels dirty.
The characters look like they belong there.
That makes this version especially appealing to readers who prefer the visual personality of older TMNT comics.
Collectibility and Market Significance
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 was released with several covers.
Fero Pe created Cover A. Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop created Cover B. Marcelo Ventura, J. Gonzo, and Damien Worm also contributed variants. IDW released additional ratio incentive editions as well. Penguin Random House Comics Retail
The regular Eastman and Bishop Cover B is an open-order variant.
It is not the 1:10 black-and-white full-art incentive version.
That means collectors should not assume this edition is scarce.
Its appeal comes from the artists.
Kevin Eastman remains one of the most important names associated with TMNT.
Ben Bishop has also built a strong connection with modern Turtles artwork.
For longtime collectors, that combination gives Cover B more meaning than a random alternate image.
Final Verdict
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 pushes New York deeper into supernatural chaos.
Gene Luen Yang gives the Turtles a threat large enough to force them apart. Fero Pe handles a city filled with undead enemies and multiple battles.
The issue also keeps Baxter Stockman and Shinigami involved in the larger conflict.
For collectors, the Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop Cover B is the major attraction of this edition.
The rough artwork, Michelangelo-and-Shredder composition, and connection to TMNT history make it stand apart from the cleaner modern variants.
Recommended for TMNT readers, Michelangelo fans, Shredder collectors, Kevin Eastman collectors, Ben Bishop collectors, and readers following the current undead storyline.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 Kevin Eastman & Ben Bishop Cover B is available from Razmataz Comics & Hobbies at razmatazcomics.com while supplies last.