It’s been over 20 years since The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers graced TV screens across the country. With the audience all grown up, is there still a place for five costumed teenagers with attitude? Find out in the Major Spoilers review of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0!
MIGHTY MORPHIN’ POWER RANGERS #0
Writers: Kyle Higgins, Steve Orlando, Mairghread Scott
Artists: Hendry Prasetya, Corin Howell, Daniel Bayliss
Colorists: Matt Herms, Jeremy Lawson
Editor: Dafna Pleban
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita Repulsa created her ultimate weapon, he own Power Ranger, and unleashed it on Zordon’s Rangers. Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, brings the Power Rangers to their knees, but they manage to turn the tables and bring him down. Instead of defeating him, they offer him a place in their ranks, and he joins their mission against his former mistress.
IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME
Finding himself free of the space witch Rita Repulsa’s control, Tommy Oliver has a lot to adjust to. Not only is he struggling to fit in to an already tightknit team of Power Rangers, he is also dealing with the voice of Rita in his head, gnawing away at his self-confidence. Conflicts arise between Tommy and Jason, keeping the team distracted while Rita sets in to motion a whole new evil plan.
Let’s face it, The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a little goofy. Fun, but goofy. Kyle Higgins has the task of taking those Rangers and bringing them to a modern audience with the hope of broadening their appeal without alienating the existing fans. What Higgins manages to accomplish is a contemporary take on the heroes that feels like a natural evolution and not a gritty reboot. The stakes feel real, the city is clearly in danger, but there isn’t an unnecessary level of escalation. Given the fact that cell phones exist means that this doesn’t fall chronologically within the original show, but the spirit remains. Character relationships are only loosely established, but what is shown gives fertile ground for further exploration in future issues. If this is the sort of storytelling we can expect from this series moving forward, then the property is in the right hands.
Aiding Kyle Higgins’ writing is Hendry Prasetya’s art. It is clean and dynamic, the costumes and monsters and giant robots looking like they belong in this world they’ve crafted and not like stunt people awkwardly moving around in suits. Just as Higgins made the strong choice to make the setting, Prasetya has made our heroes resemble their 90s counterparts in passing. This helps keep us from scrutinizing their appearances and instead we feel immersed in the story of their lives and the world all around them. Their new designs feel like they would easily fit in to a high school today. Matt Herms’ colors are on point, helping all of the elements that are ripped straight from the show feel familiar. I do hope that we get to see more of the action in the future and that the art in those sequences is given more room on the pages.
MORE STORIES TO TELL
At the end of this issue are two short back up stories, the first of which is about the comedic relief duo Bulk and Skull by Steve Orlando and Corin Howell. It wouldn’t be a Power Rangers story without Bulk and Skull running around, causing trouble. After messing with the principal, the spurned affections of Kim and Trini have the two setting off on a mission to become bigger heroes than the Rangers themselves. The art in this section is a bit cartoony, but it fits with the wacky nature of their hijinks. The bit of humor here was nice, but it fell a little flat. Still, it’s nice to have the two included and a backup story may be the perfect place for them.
The second backup, entitled What Time is It?! by Mairghread Scott and Daniel Bayliss, is from the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive comic. It chronicles a typical confrontation between the Power Rangers and Rita’s lackeys. While the main story is exploring the more serious side of the Rangers, these few pages felt exactly like the show or some of the old licensed comics. There are bad puns and cheesy catchphrases and incompetent bad guys, all wrapped up in some very interesting page layouts and good-looking art. When Higgins and Prasetya are off the main story, I wouldn’t mind seeing more from these two take on the team.
BOTTOM LINE: MARCH CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH
There’s two months between issues #0 and #1, and that’s the worst part of this whole book. This story is made for the audience of the show, who has grown up at this point, but also provides excitement for newcomers. While it’s not a perfect package, there is a lot of room for growth, and I hope we get deeper characterization and richer relationships than we ever got before. They aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but they are keeping it rolling with competence.
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