Category Power Rangers

An MMPR/TMNT II #3 Micro-Review – Dan Mora’s Main Event

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

MMPR TMNT II, cover, February 2023, Dan MoraTITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #3
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Dan Mora, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer)

RELEASED: February 22, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Dan Mora really gets a work-out in on this one. He draws the hell out of Shredder, gives Krang a bitchin’ new robot suit, and then debuts the “Mighty Mutant Power Rangers.” Somebody give that man a cookie. He earned it.

In truth, Mora’s art is really the big draw for me on this book. As good a writer as Ryan Parrott is, especially when it comes to the Power Rangers, the plot here feels a little too convoluted for my taste. Too many characters, too much to keep in play, etc.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #105 Micro-Review – A Friggin’ Van!

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 105, cover, February 2023, Taurin ClarkeTITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #105
AUTHOR: Melissa Flores
ARTISTS: Simona Di Gianfelice, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Taurin Clarke.
RELEASED: February 15, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Late in the issue, we see the Rangers stash Lord Zedd an his minions in a friggin’ van! A van! I’ve complained about the bizarre use of vans on the show, but I didn’t think we’d see them here in the comics!

On a similarly bizarre note, there’s a panel in here where Adam kicks a robot between the legs. Uh…what effect did he think that was going to have?

We’ve got another great cover from Taurin Clarke. There’s also a page in here where the Rangers summon their zords that Di Gianfelice and Angulo knock out of the park.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

AN MMPR/TMNT II #2 Micro-Review – The Witch in Leather

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

MMPR:TMNT II 2, cover, January 2023, Dan MoraTITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Dan Mora, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer)
RELEASED: January 25, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

“Ranger X” is the name of Rita Repulsa’s new brainwashed Power Ranger. That’s a cool name for a Ranger…

Between this book and the storyline in the MMPR ongoing right now, there seems to be an impetus to put Rita in tight leather outfits. What’s the deal with that?

The TMNT and MMPR worlds seem much more integrated in this book. For instance, there’s talk of there being Rangers in Dimension X’s past. The two teams even shout “Power-Bunga!” together. Not sure how I feel about that last one.

Either way, Mora and Angulo make it all look epic.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #104 Micro-Review – Rita Repulsa’s Tight Pants

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 104, cover, January 2023, Taurin ClarkeTITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #104
AUTHOR: Melissa Flores
ARTISTS: Kath Lobo, Simona Di Gianfelice, Fabi Marques (Colorist), Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Taurin Clarke.
RELEASED: January 18, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is a fantastic issue, as we dive into what Rita did in the immediate aftermath of her escape from Zedd’s space dumpster. I won’t spoil how she got out, but it just might be my favorite part of the issue…

The one thing that, oddly enough, irks me about the Mistress Vile costume design is that Rita is wearing tight pants. Notwithstanding her status as an empress of evil, given her outfit choice it seemed like she had a certain…modesty to her? At least as it relates to her figure? I’unno. I’m weird.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – “Once and Always” Trailer and Images Released

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Pardon me while I scream like a little girl…

The trailer was accompanied by the following images. (Credit to Entertainment Weekly, obviously.)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

EW also reports that Barbara Goodson (the voice of Rita Repulsa) and Richard Horvitz ( the voice of Alpha 5) are on board for the special!

Do I seem excited? Because I’m pretty damn excited.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always drops on Netflix April 19.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Beast Morphers, “Fossil Frenzy” Review

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***As big a Power Rangers fan as I am, I must admit: I’m a little behind on modern PR. Here’s where I attempt to fix that, as I check out episodes of Power Rangers Beast Morphers!***

SERIES: Power Rangers Beast Morphers
EPISODE: S27:E19 – “Fossil Frenzy”
STARRING: Rorrie D. Travis, Jazz Baduwalia, Jacqueline Scislowski, Abraham Rodriguez, Liana Ramirez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Oliver Driver
PREMIERE DATE: June 24, 2020 (UK), November 21, 2020 (US)
SYNOPSIS: Zoey takes a big risk to make up for a big mistake.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Jacqueline Scislowski is one of the better actors on Beast Morphers, particularly when it comes to playing vulnerable or distressed. This episode highlights that, as Zoey accidentally destroys a priceless fossil belonging to her brother.

The fossil is burned up with “metachloric acid.” I’m fairly certain that’s not a real thing. There’s a meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, but not metachloric acid.

I’m surmising by its use in this episode that metachloric acid is used to move a plot along without burning up any set pieces in the process.

Without the fossil, Zoey’s brother is worried about not having anything to bring to his scholarship meeting. But moments later, Robo-Roxy produces a newspaper that has this new dinosaur species’ discovery as front page news. Couldn’t he have pointed to that, said he was on that expedition, and gotten someone to vouch for him? Seems pretty simple.

Considering Zoey’s brother allegedly discovered a new species of dinosaur with that fossil, she’s able to access the rest of the fossilized remains fairly easily. They basically just put up some flags and string. They didn’t even put a tarp over it. Some scientists…

Seeing Robo-Blaze and Devon get an extended fight sequence was cool. They’ve slowly but surely built up a nice little rivalry over the course of the series.

And so, Robo-Roxy goes down in flames once and for all courtesy of the Beast-X King Ultrazord. Big hat-tip to Liana Ramirez, as she played that evil character perfection. Avatar/Robo-Roxy loved being bad, and it showed.

They went back to the whole “Devon freezes up around dogs because of his cheetah DNA” thing for a gag at the end of the episode. They’ve used that maybe twice in the entire series. Which is for the best. Because, y’know, it’s dumb. Not quite as dumb as a dog putting ketchup on a hot dog. But still dumb.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Beast Morphers, “The Silva Switch” Review (Musical Number!)

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***As big a Power Rangers fan as I am, I must admit: I’m a little behind on modern PR. Here’s where I attempt to fix that, as I check out episodes of Power Rangers Beast Morphers!***

Musical group shot, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, The Silva SwitchSERIES: Power Rangers Beast Morphers
EPISODE: S27:E18 – “The Silva Switch”
STARRING: Rorrie D. Travis, Jazz Baduwalia, Jacqueline Scislowski, Abraham Rodriguez, Jamie Linehan (Voice)
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Oliver Driver
PREMIERE DATE: June 23, 2020 (UK), November 14, 2020 (US)
SYNOPSIS: A lab accident switches Nate and Steel’s bodies.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Within the first few minutes, I was fairly certain I was going to be disappointed in this episode. Not because it’s a body-switch episode, but because they swapped Nate and Steel’s voices as well as their bodies. In other words, Abraham Rodriguez (Nate) has his voice dubbed over by Jamie Linehan (Steel), while Rodriguez’s voice is coming out of Steel’s body. I was looking forward to seeing how Rodriguez would inhabit that Steel character, both physically and vocally. So to not get the whole package in that respect was a let-down.

However…

At about the 7:30 mark, from out of absolutely nowhere, the show dives into its first ever Broadway-style musical number, complete with singing and choreographed dancing. I had no idea it was coming and was absolutely blown away. It’s not brief, either. It goes on for almost two minutes on the dot.

Nate, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, The Silva Switch

I have a new respect for Abraham Rodriguez after seeing this sequence, as he had to be the centerpiece to the whole thing. It’s obviously not him singing. But he pulls off all the physicality and the dancing seamlessly. I can’t find anything that indicates he’s been in musicals before. But the dude was such a natural that you’ve got to believe he at least did it in school at some point.

I’m wondering, however, if he’s not a singer. That might explain why they had Jamie Linehan dub over his dialogue in the episode. That way Linehan, who’s obviously a voice actor, could carry the vocal portion and allow Rodriguez to focus on the other elements of the performance.

Is the whole thing pretty hokey? Absolutely. Did it win an Emmy, or even a Kid’s Choice Award? Nope. But when you can break new ground on a show that’s been around for 25-plus years it’s usually a good thing. No one was expecting, or for that matter calling for, a musical scene in Power Rangers. But this team took the concept, ran with it, and made it into one of the highlights of the entire series. Bravo.

They actually did make me feel sad for Steel when it was time for he and Nate to switch their bodies back. Dude loved being human enough to break out into friggin’ song. We should all love something that much.

Email Rob at PrimaryIgnition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Beast Morphers, “Goin’ Ape” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***As big a Power Rangers fan as I am, I must admit: I’m a little behind on modern PR. Here’s where I attempt to fix that, as I check out episodes of Power Rangers Beast Morphers!***

SERIES: Power Rangers Beast Morphers
EPISODE: S27:E17 – “Goin’ Ape”
STARRING: Rorrie D. Travis, Jazz Baduwalia, Jacqueline Scislowski, Abraham Rodriguez, Liana Ramirez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Johnny Hartmann
DIRECTOR: Oliver Driver
PREMIERE DATE: June 22, 2020 (UK), November 7, 2020 (US)
SYNOPSIS: Robo-Roxy sets out to destroy Ravi once and for all.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The episode starts off with Ravi and an old lady on a park bench, and the old lady just helps herself to Ravi’s sketchbook. Yes, they had to establish what Ravi had gotten Roxy for their anniversary. But still…rude much?

We also later find out the woman’s name is Stacy. I must admit, I’ve never heard of an old woman character named Stacy. On a kids show like this, you’d think she’d have been named Ethel or Hazel, or something a little more stereotypically mature-sounding.

Indeed, for the first time in many episodes, we see the genuine Roxy as opposed to the robotic version that serves Evox. Roxy was a little too hung up on what she was getting for her anniversary. Apparently in the Power Rangers universe, the thought doesn’t count…

As we’ve seen before with this Ravi/Roxy romance, they lay on the stereotypical lovey dovey imagery. Cast in point, the candles and the rose petals on the date. Even the beach setting when Ravi goes to be alone after the fight. Granted, they subsequent Sentai footage was at a beach, so it was called for. But still…

I noticed during this episode that Roxy’s robot form has the word “escape” printed on her forehead. Turns out Escape is the name of her Sentai counterpart. Conversely, Robo-Blaze’s counterpart is named Enter.

The second fight between Ravi and Robo-Roxy takes place at “Hartmann Nature Park.” Perhaps not coincidentally, Johnny Hartmann does the teleplay for this episode.

Are gorillas notoriously bad-tempered? Part of the premise of this episode is that Ravi, whose DNA has been infused with that of a gorilla, gets so hot-tempered that he turns on his teammates during battle. That’s supposed to be a side effect of the gorilla stuff, right? But is that a thing that gorillas do? Probably not…

Then again, the cheetah DNA-infused Devon freezes up when he sees a dog. Or even just a picture of a dog. Realism isn’t this show’s strong suit.

Ravi goes nuts with anger at the end of the episode, and Roxy is ultimately the one to cool him down. Yet again, a wasted opportunity for a kiss on this show. Just sayin’.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

An MMPR/TMNT II #1 Micro-Review – A Little Training

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

MMPR:TMNT II 1, variant cover, December 2022, Bon BernardoTITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Dan Mora, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Variant cover by Bon Bernardo. 
RELEASED: December 28, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is a beautifully drawn issue. Both in terms of the variant cover (which is a tremendous tribute to the original TMNT #1) by Bon Bernardo, and the interiors by Dan Mora and Raul Angulo.

It’s quite evident that Ryan Parrott has these characters down pat. Case in point: My favorite part of the issue is a quite little training scene with Jason and Leo.

We also see Don and Mike in “human” form. In a cool nice little twist, they’re both black. I don’t know that that’s something the majority of fans would call.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Beast Morphers, “Golden Opportunity” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***As big a Power Rangers fan as I am, I must admit: I’m a little behind on modern PR. Here’s where I attempt to fix that, as I check out episodes of Power Rangers Beast Morphers!***

SERIES: Power Rangers Beast Morphers
EPISODE: S27:E16 – “Golden Opportunity”
STARRING: Rorrie D. Travis, Jazz Baduwalia, Jacqueline Scislowski, Abraham Rodriguez, Liana Ramirez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Chip Lynn
DIRECTOR: Oliver Driver
PREMIERE DATE: June 19, 2020 (UK), October 31, 2020 (US)
SYNOPSIS: Nate must choose between being with his parents and being a Power Ranger.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This episode gives us something I’ve been hoping to get from Beast Morphers: Some time with Nate’s parents. Devon, Ravi, and Zoey all have a parent that we know. It’s only natural that we meet at least one of Nate’s.

Incidentally, the Nate character has grown on me. I thought he was a little bit of a twerp when the series started. But time has softened my stance on him. Maybe it’s just a matter of spending a little time with someone…

This episode is pretty ambiguous about what Nate’s parents actually do overseas. Perhaps that’s on purpose. All the episode really tells us they move around, make things better, and then move on. Sounds like it might be a Peace Corps or American Red Cross type thing.

The little moments between Nate and Zoey in this episode are nice. Abraham Rodriguez and Jacqueline Scislowski don’t have a lot to work with in terms of giving their romance actual substance. But their performances are believable nevertheless. You can say what you want about the acting on Power Rangers, but those two are good.

If these were the Mighty Morphin days, I’d have actually been concerned Nate was being written off the show. This is one of those “move away” stories they always used to use to write characters out. Jason, Zack, and Trini went to Switzerland. Kimberly went to Florida. Now we’ve got an episode about Nate potentially moving to Costa Rica with his parents.

After Devon, Nate, and Steel destroy the Gigadrone with their zords, they rush back to rendezvous with the others as they fight against Robo-Roxy. As usual, they arrive via car. But I mean…couldn’t they have just gotten there in the zords? Why did they need to drive themselves there? And it again raises the question of why they can’t be teleported.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.