Tag Goni Montes Power Rangers

Astonishing Art: Power Rangers by Carlos Zarur Jr.

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Goni Montes’ “helmet” covers for the various issues of BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers comics (most notably issue #0 back in 2016) are pretty darn iconic. So it’s no surprise that they’d inspire other artists to take a foray into the PR universe.

Carlos Zarur Jr. is one such artist, whose work is modeled after the Montes covers. I’ve pulled a few of my favorites from his portfolio. Including one of the Pink Operation Overdrive Ranger, which is the piece that originally drew me to him. That season doesn’t get a lot of love. So it’s nice to see Zarur Jr. give it some attention.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: MMPR/TMNT, Over the Ropes, Batman

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***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Nothing too in-depth here. Just straight, concise, and to the point.***

***Author’s Note: If I display a variant cover, it’s because I purchased the issue in question with that cover.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
AUTHOR:Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Simone di Meo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Igor Monti (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Variant cover by Goni Montes.
RELEASED: December 4, 2019

Surprisingly, they don’t go the trans-dimensional portal route with this one. This book seemingly has the Rangers and the Turtles living in the same universe. So…does that mean these are the Next Mutation Turtles that go on to meet the Space Rangers? *gulp*

This looks like it’s going to be a pretty standard first-time team-up story. The two teams start out against one another, then work together to face the enemy. But our heroes are in good hands with Ryan Parrott and Simone di Meo.

God damn, those Goni Montes covers are instantly iconic…

TITLE: Over the Ropes #1
AUTHOR: Jay Sandlin, Francesco Segala (Colorist), Justin Birch (Letterer).
ARTISTS: Antonello Cosentino
RELEASED: December 5, 2019

“Wrestling is like religion. You get it or you don’t.”

That’s amazing. Both as an opening line, and a simple philosophy regarding pro wrestling.

Wrestling comics have never really done it for me. Which makes no sense, of course. They’re my two big interests, yet I don’t like them together. But Over the Ropes held my interest, at least. They start off seemingly going with a standard “underdog’s quest for the title” story, but then we get a twist that shakes everything up.

I’ve got a good feeling about this one. I’ll be back for issue #2.

TITLE: Batman #84
AUTHOR: Tom King
ARTISTS: Jorge Fornes, Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.
RELEASED: December 4, 2019

We should have gotten this content several months ago. It wouldn’t have saved “City of Bane,” but it would have added some valuable depth to Thomas Wayne.

This book consists mostly of flashbacks, but done in reverse order. We start with the Flashpoint Batman’s recent actions in Gotham City, and go all the way back to before young Bruce Wayne was murdered. (See Flashpoint.)

The reverse order thing is cute in theory, but I found it tough to follow. It didn’t always jog the memories it was supposed to. You might be better off reading this issue back to front.

TITLE: Young Justice #11
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer)
RELEASED: December 4, 2019

A decent issue. But it left me with some questions…

So let’s say I get transported elsewhere in the multiverse. Then somebody goes back in time and causes a dramatic temporal shift, altering the course of the world, and my life with it. If I’m elsewhere in the multiverse when that happens, am I somehow unaffected? Wouldn’t my memories change? And if/when I come back to my now altered world, does my mere presence restore their memories of me from the prior timeline? Do the ripples caused by a said shift not reach across the multiverse?

Asking for a friend.

TITLE: Collapser #6
AUTHORS: Mikey Way, Shaun Simon
ARTISTS: Ilias Kyriazis, Cris Peter (Colorist), Simon Bowland (Letterer)
RELEASED: December 4, 2019

You know what sucks? When you really get into a new series, and then remember it’s not a series. It’s a six-issue mini. Rrrrgh.

Either way, Collapser wound up being pretty damn good. This is a book you can hold up as an example of what the Young Animal imprint is capable of, and how it’s different. In terms of both writing and art.

Here’s what I will say: This issue felt a little rushed. I’m inclined to think that means they had a bit more story they could have told. If that’s the case, it’s a cryin’ shame.

TITLE: Lois Lane #6
AUTHOR: Greg Rucka
ARTISTS: Mike Perkins, Gabe Eltaeb (Colorist), Simon Bowland (Letterer)
RELEASED: December 4, 2019

This issue is all about the death of General Sam Lane, Lois’ father, in Event Leviathan. Perhaps fittingly, the pre-New 52 Sam Lane was killed off in an event comic as well. The poor guy is just snake bit…

It’s frustrating that we’ve brought the story to a full stop just so we could lament the death of Sam Lane. But with the exception of an awkwardly drawn facial expression Lois has while accepting an American flag at the funeral, the issue is at least done well. It also sticks its landing with a genuinely touching final page.

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A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 4 Review – When Zordon Steals the Show

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 4
AUTHORS: Kyle Higgins, Ryan Ferrier
PENCILLERS: Hendry Prasetya, Bachan, Daniel Bayliss. Cover by Goni Montes.
COLLECTS: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #13-16
FORMAT: Softcover
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $16.99
RELEASED: October 25, 2017

***WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead.***

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

The first act in the larger story of Lord Drakkon comes to an end in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 4. Tommy’s evil doppleganger looks great here, and we also get an awesome character spotlight. Overall, this MMPR series still has a big up side. But once we get into issue #16, particularly the last few pages, things start to get rocky.

When we open the book, Tommy and Billy are still trapped in an alternate universe where the Green Ranger remained with Rita Repulsa after the events of “Green With Evil.” This turn of events led to the destruction of the Power Rangers, and Tommy’s rise as the evil Lord Drakkon. Now the Tommy and Billy that we know must join up with a resistance force (led  by familiar faces) to bring Drakkon down. Meanwhile, Jason and the others face Rita and her minions with reduced powers, and without Zordon. And where is Zordon anyway?

We get the answer to that last question in issue #15, and it’s the creative highlight of the book. Zordon has been absent for several issues at this point, so it’s obviously good to check in with him. But this issue goes above and beyond, following him into a rift between the dimensions. We see him meet his counterpart from Drakkon’s world, and how Zordon has continued to play a role in the conflict despite current predicament. More importantly, after witnessing how events have unfolded in this alternate reality, we see him speak from a place of uncertainty. We aren’t always shown that perspective from a wise old sage character like this. It’s an intriguing change up, which in the end cuts to the very heart of who Zordon is.

Daniel Bayliss hits a home run with the pencils, inks, and colors. His renderings of a full-bodied Zordon interacting with the time warp around him, and later his other self, are compelling, gorgeous, and hit the mark emotionally. He also gets to play around with some of the the war sequences we’ve seen in previous issues. We get some familiar images of Rita’s forces in Washington, Drakkon holding the Red Ranger helmet, and a few glorious shots of the Thunderzords. Bayliss can’t come back to the Rangers soon enough.

We closed the previous volume with the reveal of Trini, Bulk, and Aisha (who we know as the future Yellow Ranger) as members of the resistance. Having Aisha show up is a nice bit of fan service. But that’s all it amounts to. I won’t complain about that, considering how much griping I’ve already done about Tommy and Billy seeing things from their future.

For whatever reason, this series is bound and determined to cast the fun-loving Zack as a brooder. We get more of that here. But it’s an alternate version of Zack, who has lost nearly everything and become the leader of the resistance. Given how dark the world around him has grown, I’m alright with this version of Zack being more dour. It even makes for a cool little moment with the canonical Zack toward the end.

This volume also sees Finster create Goldar clones of all builds and sizes to fight against the Rangers. I love this idea. It makes sense. Goldar has failed Rita time and again, so she has Finster “improve” on him. This might have worked as an idea for the show, time and costumes permitting. We even get to see Goldar without his armor on the very first page. I didn’t even know he could take the armor off.

Kyle Higgins deserves a lot of the credit for the more sinister Finster we’ve gotten from the BOOM! books. The crowning example is what we got from Trey Moore and Frazer Irving in the 2017 annual. But the Finster we get in this book has a nice underlying creepiness to him. By comparison, the Finster we got on the show was almost a kind old man at times.

One of the subplots we get in this book involves the Trini of Drakkon’s world coming to grips with seeing Billy, as the Billy of her world died saving her life. If Higgins and Hendry Prasetya are playing at an eventual Billy/Trini romance, they’re doing it in a very subtle manner. The potential romance between Billy and Trini thing is something some of us have been talking about since we were kids. They almost have to address it at some point. Even if it’s just an issue about how they don’t have those kind of feelings for each other. Matters aren’t helped when you consider Prasetya’s strengths are the super-powered action scenes, and not the quiet interpersonal stuff. So one can argue that material isn’t fully maximized.

On the flip side, Prasetya’s fight sequences with a morphed Lord Drakkon are epic in the inevitable good Tommy vs. evil Tommy fight. This is obviously the first time we’ve gotten to see that costume in action. It’s very evocative of classic Power Rangers. The costume is obviously visually similar to the White Ranger suit. Darken is even holding Saba for much of the battle. You can easily hear Jason David Frank’s cheesy “evil” voice when reading some of Drakkon’s dialogue. (“Hello again, Tommy.”)  There’s also a teamwork theme in effect here, which is something that’s remained present for the entire series.

The Yellow Ranger also gets a Battlizer of sorts in issue #16. It comes out of nowhere, but looks cool enough. I also appreciate that it’s Trini who gets it. She was always the most underdeveloped character on the show, and remains that way in the comics. So this is a cool moment for her.

At this point we’ve built this Lord Drakkon story up for four books. Everything has built to this confrontation between the two Tommys, and the Power Rangers finally striking back against Rita’s forces. The ending makes sense. But when I read issue #16 during it’s initial release, I was disappointed. We’d built to those big showdowns for so long, only for them to pass fairly quickly. This felt like it should have been a big, epic finale. The Megazord makes a big comeback against the Goldar clones, and Tommy and Drakkon make some kind of startling discovery about each other that leads into the next phase of the story. Instead the resolution, particularly the bit with the teens back at school, feels very rushed and slapped together. All the right ingredients are there. But we aren’t given enough time with them.

However, I will say that what happens to Drakkon at the very end has the potential to be very interesting…

Our Bulk and Skull back-up stories are no more, now replaced by “The Ongoing Misadventures of Squatt & Baboo.” Like their predecessors, these stories were fairly benign additions to each single issue that are now collected long form. Ryan Ferrier and Bachan set a similar goofy tone. But while the Bulk and Skull stories got old after just a few issues, I somehow find Squatt and Baboo’s adventures a little more palatable. Perhaps it’s because they got a fraction of the screen time Bulk and Skull did, so there’s a refreshing quality to them getting the spotlight here. The collective story is about them visiting an alternate dimension and running into Goldar. It’s mildly amusing, and Bachan has a cool take on our “heroes.”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 4 has a few more problems than the previous volumes do. But all the elements that make the series great are still there. Namely, Higgins’ willingness to write an objectively silly concept in a more serious and dramatic voice, Hendry Prasetya’s awesome work on the words and costumes, and the added depth injected into the characters. For Power Rangers fans young and old, this series remains a must-read.

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A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2017 Annual Review – Growing Up

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2017 Annual
AUTHOR: Kyle Higgins, Tom Taylor, Jamal Campbell, Trey Moore, Caitlin Kittredge
PENCILLERS: Goni Montes, Dan Mora, Campbell, Frazer Irving, Da Jung Lee. Cover by Montes.
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $7.99
RELEASED: May 31, 2017

***WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead.***

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I read a review not long ago, entitled: “You can’t force the things you loved as a kid to grow up with you.” It was in reference to the new Power Rangers movie. But the same idea can obviously apply to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series from BOOM! Studios.

But perhaps certain things grow up better than others.

Last its predecessor last year, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2017 Annual contains several short stories. What stuck with me after I closed this issue was how relatively mature it felt. Certainly by Power Rangers standards. Mind you, as a ’90s kid I’m inevitably biased here. I make no bones about that. But I think what this annual highlights more than anything is that MMPR can indeed work when played straight as a teenage superhero book. And it can work in a number of ways. You can go the moody teen angst route. You can approach it like a young adult novel. You can even go flat out dark. There’s something to be said for looking at these characters and this world through different lenses. Especially when you’re trying to play to readers that grew up with the show. The BOOM! that way before. This story also makes Rita look delightfully cunning, manipulative, and that much more wicked. I didn’t recognize Goni Montes’ work at first. I’d never seen him work in this style before. Those amazing helmet variant covers for MMPR #1 are still plastered into my brain. I have yet to get tired of his work on this book.

The next story, focused on the Yellow Ranger’s day off being interrupted by Goldar, is a preview of sorts for a second monthly MMPR title called Go Go Power Rangers. Series artist Dan Mora has a manga-influenced, animated style that should be a lot of fun. Author Tom Taylor (Injustice, All-New Wolverine) isn’t on Go Go Power Rangers, but he’s perfectly serviceable here. Much better than his work on Justice League/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, that’s for sure.

The clumsily titled “Forever Mighty Morpin Black” is next, written and illustrated by MMPR‘s regular cover artist Jamal Campbell. As both a continuity buff and a Power Rangers geek, this was a real treat. In the distant future, Adam Park, who succeeded Zack as the Black Ranger, returns to the ruins of the Command Center. He calls for help across time and space from other incarnations of the Black Ranger. What follows is a feast for the eyes, as variations of Zack and Adam arrive to fight off a monster. It’s essentially an Easter egg hunt for PR fans, as you spot all the little details and nods Campbell has sprinkled in.

But having heaped all this praise upon this issue,  it’s Trey Moore (Rachel Rising) and Frazer Irving that really steal the show. Seeing Irving doing PR is surreal to begin with. But in this context, it works. In last year’s annual, Moore gave us Goldar’s origin story. This year we get Finster’s. Moore and Irving give us what is essentially the first Power Rangers horror story. We see that at his core he’s an artist longing for inspiration, but he finds it and justifies it in the worst way imaginable. When he later is recruited by Rita to make monsters using a mystical, life-granting clay, he searches for vindication by attempting to resurrect someone he lost to his own selfishness.

There’s a haunting quality to this story that’s brilliant. I’m hesitant to say much more, for fear of taunting the big pay-off. But these eight-pages are among the creative highlights of BOOM’s run with the PR license. It’s that good. If you’re an older fan, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

My one nitpick with it? Finster’s line (shown above): “I’m not a bad person!” That struck me as awkward. It feels like it should have been “I’m not evil” or something.

The issue ends with a more cartoony tale about Goldar and Scorpina getting a day off. It’s more akin to a Bulk and Skull story. Goldar is able to disguise himself with human clothes and a baseball cap. It’s a hard swerve to go from the Finster story to this one. But it’s fine. This kind of stuff obviously has it’s place. Heck, this material is arguably more faithful to the tone of the television show.

A year later, I still have really fond memories of last year’s MMPR Annual. I don’t doubt that a year from now, I’ll still have fond memories of this one. It’s no accident that we’ve gotten things like a spin-off miniseries, and a second series in Go Go Power Rangers. BOOM! is producing quality. Not just quality nostalgia, either. Pure and simple quality.

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A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual #1 Review – One Generation’s Garbage…

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

Mighty Mophin Power Rangers #1 2016TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual #1
AUTHORS: Kyle Higgins, Ross Thibodeaux, Marguerite Bennett, Trey Moore, James Kochalka, Jorge Corona
PENCILLERS: Rod Reis, Rob Guillory, Moore, Kochalka, Corona. Cover by Goni Montes.
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $7.99
RELEASED: August 24, 2016

***Click here for our review of the most recent issue of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.***

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

It’s funny what time reveals. Yesterday, August 28, marked the 23rd anniversary of the premiere of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I remember being a kid in the early ‘90s and watching an episode of 20/20. They happened to be covering the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers phenomenon. The only con crete detail I recall about the report is that the news personality referred to it as “garbage.”

And yet, we’re still talking about it all these years later. One generation’s garbage is another’s inspiration, as illustrated by the collection of writers and artists brought together for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual #1. This issue gives us six short stories featuring the characters that first graced the small screen more than 20 years ago.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual #1, 2016, Goni Montes coverFirst up is series writer Kyle Higgins and artist Rod Reis with “A Week in the Life of…” spotlighting Jason, the Red Ranger. Per the title, we get some snapshots of Jason’s day-to-day life over the course of a week. The balance between the life of a teenager and the life of a hero is what I often find most interesting about these kinds of books. Higgins and Reis put Jason over like a million bucks, showing us just how dedicated he is. Reis nails it from the very first page (shown right) with a shot of the Red Ranger slicing through putties amidst a storm of some kind. Interspersed are inset panels of him at home, at school, and teaching karate class. The next few pages follow suit, and we end on a nice profile shot of Jason. The colors pop, each setting feels distinct, and Reis even gets Austin St. John’s likeness down pretty well. The issue almost peaks early with this one.

Riss Thibodeaux and Rob Guillory then give us a cartoony tale about Bulk & Skull becoming Rangers. In reading the Bulk & Skull portions of this series, I’ve found myself slightly annoyed wishing we could get back to the Rangers. Fittingly enough, that’s how I felt watching the show as a child. In a way that’s a great compliment to what Higgins and the creative team have done with this book. Still, no harm done here. It’s well done for what it is.

DC Bombshells scribe Margeurite Bennett tags in for a story about Trini facing a monster that tries to defend animals from humans. I was consistently impressed by how well some of these writers knew and respected the characters from this low budget kids show. A perfectly in-character Trini makes peace with the monster, convincing it they’re on the same side. Huang Danlan brings a nice Asian influence to things, and colors the story with mostly gentle yellows, pinks, greens, and blues.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual #1, 2016, its putty timeTrey Moore of Rachel Rising fame just barely wins the issue, pulling double duty for a take on Goldar’s origin story. His dialogue leaves something to be desired, and he gives Goldar’s brother the rather bland name of Silverback (though in all fairness, the show might have given him a similar name). But the ambition of Moore’s story is so great it almost doesn’t matter, even tying in story elements and characters from Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers in Space. We can’t deny Moore knows his Power Rangers.

Conceptually, this origin makes perfect sense for Goldar. We learn he comes from a pack of creatures that value power and strength above all, and he idolizes his older brother Silverback. In the end, Lord Zedd tests his loyalty by pitting his power and strength upbringing against his love for his brother. The end result is what you might expect, and it answers some questions as to how Goldar became so loyal to Zedd, but ended up in Rita’s service. It’s not perfect, but it’s a story to remember.

Next, we go to James Kochalka pulling double duty on a story about a putty patroller  falling in love with Kimberly (first page shown above). Again, not really the type of thing I look for in my superhero books. But there’s something to be said for diversity in a collection like this. It’s utterly skippable compared to its peers. But sure, why not?

Finally, Jorge Corona gives us a story about what the six heroes under the helmets have in common. The story has a nice heart, and Corona gives us some nice art here. At some points, however, his Rangers come out a bit…squiggly. Particularly in a group shot just after the halfway point. On the plus side, he draws a great Megaword.

Rob Guillory, MMPR Annual #1, Bulk & SkullOn cover duty is Goni Montes, whose work on MMPR has been positively iconic. This issue is no different. As far as I’m concerned, the more we see of him, the better.

At $7.99, this issue is a little steep from a price standpoint. But if you’re a Power Rangers geek, it’s worth it. Rarely have the Rangers been treated with such respect and admiration. By no means is it flawless. But its pros far outweigh its cons.

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A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1 Review – Changing the Dynamic

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1, 2016TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1
AUTHORS: Kyle Higgins, Steve Orlando.
PENCILLERS: Hendry Prasetya, Corin Howell. Cover by Jamal Campbell.
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: March 2, 2016

***Miss issue #0? Morph into action!***

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is more than just a nostalgia trip, folks. Kyle Higgins, Hendry Prasetya, and the team are showing us things we could never have seen on the show. For this reason among others, I’ve got high hopes that this series will compliment Power Rangers in the same way IDW’s Ghostbusters compliments that franchise. They’re entirely different books. But like Ghostbusters, MMPR benefits greatly from the lack of television limitations.

Tommy, the Green Ranger, is getting used to life as a Power Ranger. But the Rangers are getting used to life with Tommy as well. This new teammate changes their dynamic, leaving at least one Ranger wondering if the addition of Tommy is a good thing. Meanwhile, as if Rita Repulsa continuing to plot against the Green Ranger wasn’t enough, Tommy continues to see visions of her in his head.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1, 2016, Hendry PrasetyaHiggins and Prasetya have a pretty straight take on the Power Rangers universe, which is a surprise considering how goofy the show could be. MMPR was a strange beast. It could be very dramatic in certain episodes, but focus more on comedy in others. Higgins’ dramatic scripts, ripe with teen angst, are refreshing. To my knowledge, we’ve never seen PR comics done this way. As someone who grew up with the show, it’s nice to see a universe I love so much treated with this kind of respect.

In this issue we see the Power Rangers have an equivalent to the X-Men’s Danger Room. The “pocket dimension” allows Zordon and Alpha 5 to manipulate and create artificial crises for the Rangers to practice responding to. In this case, Tommy and Kimberly are responding to a monster attack, and the Green Ranger practices guiding civilians to safety. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect an inter-dimensional wizard like Zordon to have, and it’s an interesting tool for plot and character development.

On the subject of technology, it still irks me that Higgins moved MMPR into 2016. I talked about this last time, but it bears repeating. The opening sequence in the issue sees Bulk & Skull working on a Power Rangers-themed video for what I assume is a YouTube channel. I say that because Bulk uses the word podcast in the dialogue. Smartphones can also be seen. This decision still makes me scratch my head. Thankfully, it doesn’t put a damper on the proceedings. Maybe it’s just something I need to get used to…

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1, interiorOne thing that does put a damper on things is what appears to be a continuity glitch between the show and the comic book. There’s a scene where Jason and Zack are in detention. Zack mentions “problems at home,” which is curious. But when they start talking about Tommy, Zack asks: “…it doesn’t bother you that Zordon never actually asked anyone how they felt about him coming on board?”

Zack seems to be implying that it was Zordon’s decision to put Tommy on the team. Ultimately, I suppose it was. But in Green With Evil, Part 5, it’s Jason who extends his hand and asks Tommy to join them. None of the others seems to object to it. Granted, I’m reading heavily into something that probably wasn’t thought out so extensively. But it is the source material. On the other hand, Zack might be wondering about Zordon simply having a talk with the five Rangers about their new teammate. Either way, it’s confusing.

This is what happens when you adapt something as beloved as Power Rangers. Geeks who grew up on it (i.e. me) start to nitpick at little things.

Hendry Prasetya is stronger at action than he is at the scenes with the teenagers. This issue is heavier on the latter, so I wouldn’t say he’s in his best element here. But I buy his renderings of the characters from the show, so I can’t bring myself to sling much mud at them. On the subject of art, looking at the variant covers for this issue, you see names like Dustin Nguyen, Philip Tan, and Paul Pope. Again, as a life-long Power Rangers fan, it’s really cool to see big name like that associated with this book. Also among the variants is piece by Goni Montes, who as far as I’m concerned can keep drawing Power Rangers stuff as long as he wants. It’s tough to get tired of looking at his work.

Higgins, Prayseta, and everybody on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have kept some tremendous momentum going from last issue. As a ’90s kid, that’s really exciting. Just as the TV show has a special place in our hearts, I imagine in time this series will too.

Images from comicbookresources.com.

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A Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0 Review – Kid Tested, Adult Approved

Rob Siebert 3 Comments

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0, Red Ranger coverTITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0
AUTHORS: Kyle Higgins, Steve Orlando, Mairghread Scott.
PENCILLERS: Hendry Prasetya, Corin Howell, Daniel Bayliss. Cover by Goni Montes.
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: January 13, 2016

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Getting attention with nostalgia is easy. Keeping that attention is hard. This certainly isn’t the first Power Rangers comic book to get my attention. The folks over at Papercutz got it, and did a decent job with the license. But in terms of keeping that attention, this BOOM! Studios series has more potential than any comic book take on Power Rangers ever has. That’s how interesting the main story in this issue is.

Will it have that effect on everyone? No. But as a life long Power Rangers geek (Power Geek?), they’ve got me lassoed pretty hard. The formula? Keep the stories kid-friendly, but tell stories that also appeal to grown-up fans with money in their pockets. On paper, that’s not easy. But Higgins and Prasetya pull it off here.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0, openingThe issue doesn’t give us anything in the way of backstory. So you’re expected to know who’s who, and what’s happened previously. One might consider that a flaw, but it doesn’t effect this book’s core audience. The story centers around Tommy, the Green Ranger. While the spell that made him do Rita Repulsa’s bidding has been broken, Tommy is still feeling residual effects. He’s having disturbing visions of Rita speaking to him in his daily life. Naturally, this effects his duties as a Power Ranger, and may even cause a rift between he and his new teammates. Meanwhile Rita, as always, is up to something…

The opening (shown left) is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in Power Rangers, and it’s an incredibly smart scene to begin with. All of our heroes are down (Dead?), and we see what I assume are the remains of the Command Center in the background. For a variety of reasons, this is something we never could have seen on the old show. But the one that comes to mind immediately is that it’s too dark for a kids show. But not for a comic book like this. With only one page, Higgins, Prasetya, and the creative team have immediately sold the adult fans on what this book can offer.

Kyle Higgins is about 30, which means he was likely a Power Rangers fan growing up, and it shows. The Rangers all feel like the characters we remember from the show, even down to their dialogue quirks. Jason, for instance, ends three of his lines in this book with the word “man.” Case in point: “You okay, man?” “You didn’t listen, man.” This seems trivial.  But it’s how he talked on the show, and it goes a long way toward making this book feel like a return to the old show.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0, morph sceneA show like Power Rangers lends itself to the comic book medium in a lot of ways. It’s a low-budget action adventure series about superheroes who use giant robots to fight aliens. The scope is almost unlimited. You can do so much on the page that they couldn’t do on the screen, especially when you consider this show was made in the early ’90s. For instance, there’s a moment where the Pink Ranger detaches her Pterodactyl Dinozord from the Megazord, and uses it to catch some cars falling from a nearby bridge. That kind of thing was really rare in the show, and again, it serves as a selling point for this series.

Hendry Prasetya delivers big time on the artwork, giving us the kind of dynamic action we’re used to from these characters and this world. It’s almost like watching a new episode of the show, but from a different angle than we’re used to seeing things. The teenagers don’t necessarily look like the actors did, outside of superficial qualities. But that’s forgivable, as it’s more important that Prasetya captures the vibe and spirit of the show.

But as good as Prasetya is in this environment, it’s cover artist Goni Montes that Power Rangers fans are truly in debt to. Rarely, if ever, have the Rangers had the sense of grandeur they have on his variant covers. The one shown above is simply the one I got at my local shop. If you’re a Power Geek, you owe it to yourself to check them all out.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0, teensThe biggest complaint I can lob at this issue is something rather subjective. Higgins brings Mighty Morphin Power Rangers into 2016 by giving the teens cell phones, and some talk about how Billy “posted review notes to the server and sent a push notification.” That’s basically extremely vague social media language. It’s not an unforgivable sin, but these are the only moments that take you out of the issue. It’s a new element to this world, which was created in the ’90s, that we have to adjust to. And it’s a curious one. This stuff doesn’t add anything significant, good or bad, to the story. So why have it? A similar thing was done in Ghostbusters: Legion, then Venkman and the guys had cell phones. You don’t need them. So why have them?

We have two back-up stories in this issue. The first stars our old friends Bulk & Skull. It’s fittingly cartoony, and sees them torturing their school principal. It ends with them setting a goal, fittingly involving the Power Rangers. We then get another follow up, where the Rangers duke it out with Goldar in what unfortunately comes off as a pretty generic fight sequence. There’s nothing wrong with the writing or the art in the second back up. But given the depth of what Higgins and Prasetya had already given us, it pales in comparison.  I almost wish they’d just given us a few more pages of Bulk & Skull.

This issue is a prelude to a story being billed as “The Untold Epic of the Green Ranger.” Considering the quality of this issue, I’m already sold on it. Considering what we got with this issue, we may be in store for the best MMPR comics we’ve ever seen. That’s a bold prediction, but it’s merited. This issue is morphenomenal!

Images courtesy of craveonline.com.

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