Back in 2020, the original creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, returned to their creations with a unique take on one of their boys. In The Last Ronin, they explored a future where Michelangelo is the last surviving Turtle. He goes on a violent mission to avenge his fallen brothers. That series became a fan favorite, and now one fan has turned it into an animated project. YouTube channel Speedokaggen has created its own CGI adaptation of The Last Ronin. And you can watch it right here:
Fans who only know the Turtles from the old animated series and movies, or even their most recent ones, might be shocked by The Last Ronin. But the original black and white comics from Eastman and Laird were pretty gritty and violent. Certainly more than anything most kids who first came in contact with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles via cartoons and action figures could have guessed. So this was less of a “grim n’ gritty reboot,” as it was a return to form.
The story for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin sat on the shelf for several decades. This despite the fact that it was conceived years ago. It finally saw the light of day with the guidance of original creators Eastman and Laird. They teamed with writer Tom Waltz and artists Esau and Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, Ronda Pattison, and Samuel Plata. The basic story structure came from Eastman’s original outlines.
From the looks of things, the Speedokaggen short fan film is pretty faithful to the tone of the original comic. Even if it’s told in a mere five minutes. It’s unlikely that any new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adaptation on the big or small screens will go as dark as Ronin did. So this film is likely the only chance to see this story brought to life. At the very least, it’ll tide Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans over until their new movie releases sometime in 2023.
