Rita and The Shredder have been defeated. But what terrible threat will unite the greatest color-coded super-face-kicking teams once more? Your Major Spoilers review of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1 from BOOM! Studios awaits!

MIGHTY MORPHIN’ POWER RANGERS/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II #1

Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Raul Angulo
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Editor: Dafna Pleban
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December j28, 2022

Previously in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: It’s been six months since the Teenagers With Attitude and the Heroes In A Half Shell teamed up to defeat the unholy alliance of Rita Repulsa and Shredder, but a new threat will force them to reunite! Between an invasion from beyond, old enemies teaming up with unlikely accomplices, and a threat to the Rangers’ powers themselves. Will the two teams survive the onslaught, or will they need help from the most unexpected ally imaginable?

SIX MONTHS LATER

Having routed the schemes of Rita Repulsa and Oroku Saki, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers have maintained contact, working together to prepare for whatever comes next. While Green Ranger Tommy and Raphael prowl the streets of New York City, most of the other team members have been enjoying their downtime. Billy and Donatello have been upgrading the Rangers’ tech and Megazords, Zack and Michelangelo have invented new pizza combinations, and April O’Neil? She’s worried about why things are so quiet. When Casey Jones goes missing, it’s clear that something is afoot, but then Shredder’s lieutenant, Karai, disappears. Then evil mutants Leatherhead and Slash. Then, the reports come in of who was seen taking them.

And that person is a Power Ranger!

A LOVELY PROLOGUE ISSUE

Most crossovers of this type involve some sort of MacGuffin to explain the crossing narrative streams, but MMPR/TMNT just gave us a world where Angel Grove and New York both have their own hero teams. As such, we pick up six months later with the Rangers and the Turtles coexisting as friends. It’s really lovely to see actual consequences in a story of this type, and the character interactions make the story for me. Of special note is the conversation between Red Ranger Jason and Turtle honcho Leonardo about how frustrating it can be to be in charge of defiant questioners like Raphael and Tommy, lamenting that they can’t even admit that they were wrong. Tommy and Raph, for their part, have a much less complicated but equally well-rendered relationship as they investigate the missing heroes and villains. The art is equally well-done, and the appearance of The Rat King in a double-page spread is breathtaking stuff. The design of the new shock villain’s Ranger costume and gear are really striking as well, and their sudden appearance and attack make for one hell of a cliffhanger ending for this issue.

BOTTOM LINE: A TRUE PART II

The truly refreshing part of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1 is the clever and seemingly effortless way that it picks up and extrapolates from the first miniseries, with attractive art, and a story that features truly surprising moments combining for a well-deserved 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. You won’t need to know the current TMNT or MMPR statuses quo to enjoy the issue, just sit back and enjoy some Turtle/Ranger action!

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