It's no secret that Frank Miller's work inspired Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird to create the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the early 1980s, with his Daredevil run a key source of inspiration for the duo.
Look closely enough, and you'll see the similarities: both received their powers from a radioactive accident, they each had a tough-as-nails sensei, and fight groups of ninjas (the Man Without Fear battles the Hand, while the Heroes in A Half Shell square off with the Foot).
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the legendary The Dark Knight Returns artist is finally going to reveal his take on the iconic foursome with a special cover for IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #300.
"It was fun to jump into the playground with the Ninjas for this cover and reminisce that they were born by Peter and Kevin as homage to my Daredevil run," Miller said. "This one is for the fans."
IDW's director of sales, Ryan Balkam, added, "As a lifelong Ninja Turtles fan, it’s awesome to be able to celebrate the landmark 300th issue of TMNT, and we’re going all-out to celebrate. From a blind bag with an amazing artist lineup to Frank Miller’s first-ever TMNT drawing and a never-before-seen piece by Kevin and Peter, TMNT No. 300 will be the ultimate reading and collecting experience for TMNT fans this year."
The comic goes on sale on July 22, and will also feature a never-before-seen cover by Eastman and Laird. J. Scott Campbell and Juan Ferreyra are also contributing one of several planned variants, while there will also be a blind bag release that should massively drive up sales.
Balkam continued, "In addition to the jaw-dropping covers, the special landmark comic will be a key issue for the future of IDW's TMNT Universe. The epic storyline 'The City That Never Dies' kicks off in TMNT #300 with Eisner Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang and blockbuster artist Freddie E. Williams II."
"Splinter and Tang Shen, the mother of the Turtles, have magically come back to life... but they aren't the only ones who returned from the land of the dead! Plus: fans will be treated to a can't-miss back-up story from co-creator Eastman, fan-favourite writer Tom Waltz and a roster of classic TMNT artists that celebrates the many eras of the Heroes in a Half-Shell as the time-traveller Renet explores timelines full of familiar faces."
Beyond his work on the Man Without Fear, Miller is also known for creating Elektra and landmark comics such as Batman: Year One, Sin City, Ronin, and 300.
Check out Miller's cover for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #300 below, and stay tuned for more on the landmark comic as we have it.