Tag Archives: katia ranalli

Review: Mighty Morphin #1

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Mighty Morphin #1

Growing up, I didn’t watch Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I was just a bit on the outside of its age range and the campy nature of it wasn’t something that really interested me. I’ve seen the enthusiasm for the show and property from numerous friends and have always wondered what the attraction was. At this point, Power Rangers feels almost too overwhelming to dive in to. But, from time to time I’ve checked in on the comics in an attempt to. And, each time I’ve been impressed with what I’ve read. Mighty Morphin #1 kicks off a new era for the series, an era of ultimited power! It also felt like a good opportunity to dive in and see what I’ve been missing.

Writer Ryan Parrott takes us into this new era focused on the mystery of the new Green Ranger. Also swirling is Zordon’s past which looks like it’ll come into play. Without knowing much about recent Power Rangers history the comic just feels like any other Power Rangers story to me. There’s the mystery of a Ranger as the main draw and it’s something that’s familiar to me. It’s one of the few episodes of the original television show I remember. And, in that way, it all feels like I’ve seen it before. But, it’s also done really well.

Parrott gives us more than Power Ranger action, there’s a focus on the team and their every day life. There’s a lot of characters to juggle around but the every day life of each is on display and we get to see them act like teenagers and be out of uniform. There is a lot juggled around at times though and I found myself getting mixed up by a couple of characters who look similar in design.

The art by Marco Renna is solid though. There’s a few issues I have with a couple of characters that look a bit too similar. But, overall the balance between action and the quieter moments is good. Renna is joined by Walter Baiamonte and Katia Ranalli on color and lettering by Ed Dukeshire. The look of the comic works and works well and there’s some really dynamic moments when it comes to the fight scenes. What also stands out is the body and facial language of the characters. You really get a sense of how they feel and their positioning and small details makes the non-action focused scenes jump out and be a bit more than a bunch of talking heads. There’s something dynamic about it.

Mighty Morphin #1 is a good start. It’s a debut that is familiar but still good. Even not being a Power Rangers fan or regular reader or viewer, the story and issue feels like something I’ve seen before. But, it’s still a really solid debut that’s done to a high quality. For new readers, it’s a solid introduction to the Power Rangers. For long-time fans, there’s a lot teased they should be excited for. Overall, it has something for everyone.

Story: Ryan Parrott Art: Marco Renna
Color: Walter Baiamonte, Katia Ranalli Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

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

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics

Review: Seven Secrets #1

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Seven Secrets #1

Seven Secrets #1 is a hell of a debut. The issue is full of action that clearly has a manga influence. It’s also a lot of fun and at the same time drops in tragedy. For centuries, the Order has trusted Holders and Keepers in protecting seven secrets with the power to change the world. Now, a new force has arisen to gain the secrets and has no issues killing whomever is needed to do so.

Writer Tom Taylor nails the first issue. The start is full of action and could easily have entertained with just that. But Taylor delivers more. Instead, he dives into the tragic backstory of the narrator leading to… something. It’s interesting in that what seems like a main character is only briefly seen as a child delivering a viewpoint about the situation and our two initial main characters instead. The issue is truly a set up of what’s to come, the 15 minutes before the credits roll for the film that’s about to be viewed.

Taylor also doesn’t dive too much into what’s at play. We know the secrets are powerful things. But what exactly? That remains unclear and in that way the issue builds mystery along with its world. It throws you into the action teasing what’s to come and never quite showing its hand.

Daniele Di Nicuolo‘s art is top-notch. There’s a manga influence to it in some of the action sequences and character designs. Along with Walter Baiamonte and Katia Ranalli‘s colors and Ed Dukeshire‘s lettering, the visuals pop from the page. The character designs are all interesting with a style that’s reminiscent of the fantasy series Skullkickers. That’s not a bad thing at all as I loved that comic in every way. The art team brings a kinetic visual energy about the comic. You can “hear” the action like a big screen explosion and visualize the over the top moments. It’s a big budget debut in comic form (at least the first 15 minutes of the film).

If you can’t tell, I loved Seven Secrets #1. Taylor and the team knock it out of the park with a story that’s full of action but doesn’t forget the heart. There’s some tragedy there that a parent and a child can relate to, even if just understanding the horror, which makes the comic so much more than cool stunts and cool fights. It’s a series that was already at the top of my list of ones I was excited to read and this start makes it one of my favorite debuts of the year.

Story: Tom Taylor Art: Daniele Di Nicuolo
Color: Walter Baiamonte, Katia Ranalli Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics

Preview: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #49

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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #49

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Daniele di Nicuolo
Colorist: Walter Baiamonte, with Katia Ranalli
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
      Main Cover: Jamal Campbell
     Foil Cover: Goñi Montes
    Incentive Cover: Kris Anka
    Unlocked Retailer Variant: Dan Mora
Price: $3.99

NECESSARY EVIL CONTINUES! The Power Rangers are outnumbered! Even with THE OMEGA RANGERS and the POWER RANGERS reunited again, the Anointed have them surrounded. Will the arrival of an old friend—and an older enemy—turn the tide in this battle?

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #49

Preview: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #44

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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #44

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Daniele di Nicuolo
Colorists: Walter Baiamonte, Katia Ranalli
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:  
Main Cover: Jamal Campbell
    Foil Variant Cover: Goñi Montes
Incentive Cover: Kris Anka
Price: $3.99

NECESSARY EVIL continues as the Omega Rangers return to Earth and meet the Power Rangers for the first time! But if they want to defeat Lord Zedd together, Jason, Trini and Zack will have to keep their identities a secret from their friends! Features the first appearance of the Omega Ranger Zords!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #44

Review: Prison Witch Vol. 1 The Feral

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Prison Witch Vol. 1 The Feral

It’s one of those experiences in our lives when we “meet our tribe.” Many of us who grew up hiding who we were, scared of how we would be perceived if people knew our certain quirks, our deepest desires, and love of everything geek, made many of us ostracized. It’s true that the late great Stan Lee made the world of comic books more accessible but he didn’t quite make it mainstream. It took years after that, with an influx of superhero movies, when it became something more than acceptable. It was the new normal.

I remember the first time I met like-minded people. It was in high school. Me and my friends bonded over our love for Hip Hop. Our conversations would go on for ours pontificating on the importance of rhymes over beats, the complexity of certain emcee’s flows, and the content of certain songs and their deeper meanings. I wondered how it would be for someone to find their tribe but find out that they are more than they ever thought of themselves. In Amy Shand and Pat Shand’s elegantly told Prison Witch, we meet a protagonist whose life changes dramatically in many ways when she goes to prison.

In the comic, we meet Cameron. She’s on day 34 of a 5-year jail sentence. Her acclimation to prison life is less than welcoming. This changes when she meets Tanya, who senses that Cameron is more than another inmate. A scuffle with another inmate unleashes what some believe is a demon but is the powers of a witch and catches the eye of the local troublemaker, Bean. Eventually, we’re introduced to a coven, a group of witches also in jail. They have to subdue their abilities to keep themselves safe and each has their own dark secrets.

Overall, a comic that feels like if Orange Is The New Black met Charmed. That combines and becomes something even more beautiful and twisted. The story by the Shands is heartfelt, intellectual, and beautiful.  The art by D’Urso, Campbell, and Lee is breathtaking and striking. Altogether, a story that thrives beyond genres and gives the reader a great story.

Story: Amy Shand, Pat Shand Art: Erica D’Urso, Katia Ranalli
Cover: Jenn St-Onge Letters: Jim Campbell Edited: Shannon Lee
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

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