“It’s Morphin’ Time, again”

Ok first off, I don’t know what weird nostalgia storm has come and swept up the interest back in this franchise, but I’m so glad it did. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, brings me back to a much more innocent time in my life, full of good memories and fun. I wasn’t looking for anything ground breaking or epic here, and I darn sure didn’t get it. However, I did get a good time and a fun little read.

Fact, the MMPR (because writing the name out is so much) came onto the scene in the early 1990’s when I was just a pup. I would race home from school to watch the battles with the Rangers against the nefarious monsters of the day and then head out to the backyard and act the scenes out with my friends as our favorite Rangers. (I was always the Red Ranger) Sure the show was goofy and campy as heck, but I didn’t care. In my yet un-cynical child eyes it could do no wrong.

It had a good mix of everything: action, adventure, comedy, superheroes, monsters and robots. How could you go wrong? The costumes for our heroes were cool, and they used ninja skills to fight bad guys while they were in school! (Who didn’t day dream of doing that back in the day?) It was refreshing to be a kid and watch a show about heroes who were only half a decade older than me. It was easy to relate. Plus like most shows for that time period, it had that Smokey the Bear complex where it would teach the audience valuable moral lessons as well.

So when I heard that BOOM! Studios was reviving this comic franchise, I knew I had to revisit the Angel Grove Gang one more time. I had a little trepidation because I knew it could never be as good as I remembered, but it was worth a go.

The moment I gazed at the cover, a lot of my worries were quelled. The cover art is gorgeous. Turns out they did a different cover showcasing each individual Power Ranger, which I think is great. So we are off to a good start.

I cracked open the book and it had that new comic smell. The art though not as dynamic as the cover, it was still energetic enough to have the feel it needed. The colors are vibrant and the art is a mix of cartoon and realistic having a great balance. We start off with a scene that appears to be foreshadowing with Tommy in his alter ego as the Green Ranger, is standing over the rest of his fallen team presumably with himself as the cause of their destruction.

The next scene we see Tommy is actually in the car with the Red Ranger Jason and riding to Angel Grove High as it was apparently a day dream. I think this was a great way to start out the new series. In one single page, the creative team outlined what is sure to be the main source of conflict for early on in the series. We know that Tommy is going to have an internal struggle because he is being pulled by two forces. That short teaser alone is enough to pull the reader in.

Next we journey to the school halls and get reacquainted with the whole gang: Zack. Trini, Billy and Kimberly. It’s a quick reunion as the team notices Tommy acting weird but before any case can be made, the city is attacked from the moon by their arch nemesis Rita Repulsa and her evil forces.

The team jumps into action to deal with the threat and the story moves quickly to give old and new readers a glimpse into what they can expect going forward. We get a cool little battle with the team in their Megazord and in the aftermath we meet a new looming threat. Nothing bold, nothing new, but nothing bad either. Just another day in Angel Grove.

Overall: This moved very quickly but at 14 pages, I wasn’t expecting too much in substance. It’s like the trailer for a big movie. The creative team gives you just enough to want to see more in the future. It worked. It successfully reintroduced these beloved characters to a new generation and kept things familiar enough for long time fans. The art by Hendry Prasetya is very nice and clean and lets the story and action move in an unencumbered fashion. Kyle Higgins does a nice job of drafting a plot that is inviting enough to the reader without having to pull any big guns out right away. I think this will be a long spanning epic, which if done right will be extremely entertaining. They say you can’t go home again, but hey there ain’t nothing wrong with a friendly visit. I enjoyed my peek back into this world and it made me want to dust off my old die cast toy Zords for one more adventure for old times sake. Cooler heads prevailed and I didn’t but the thought was there. As long as they keep up a high energy level and throw some new twists here and there, I’ve got no problem in taking a monthly visit. So kids make sure your homework is done and I will catch you all back here in 30 days. Don’t be late for fifth period! I’m teleporting out for now…

Story: Kyle Higgins, Steve Orlando, Mairghread Scott
Art: Hendry Prasetya, Corin Howell, Daniel Bayliss
Story: 7 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Read

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review