(Disclaimer: May Contain Spoilers, Pictures are low quality on purpose! Please buy the comic!)
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Hello Ranger Fans
Hello everybody and welcome to this article! I’m the newest member of this awesome website where I’ll be taking over reviewing the BOOM Comics Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series. I’ll do my best to make detailed reviews, and, as always, will gleefully take your criticisms into consideration. I welcome them! I’ve done a review of #0 already and will link it below so you can read that as well. Just know that some of the things I’ve written there may also be posted here. It’s not plagiarism when you’re ripping off yourself. 😀
Preface
It looks like everyone and their mother have at least bought the technical first issue of this series, #0. The highest sales figure I’ve found out this time has been over 47,000 copies have been bought and is likely to have gone up from even that. I can attest from personal experience that my sizeable hobby shop had ran out of issues on day one when I went after school to pick one up. If you add into the equation all of the variant covers coming out of our ears and the major press they’ve been pulling, we can most likely rule #0 as a rounding success.
With that said, your opening figures aren’t necessarily what tells you if you’ve captured your audience yet, or if it will do well in the future. For that, you need to keep up the momentum with the same quality or better for you next issue. This may be a bit weird for this series. Does this issue do that? Well let’s look together and find out.
The Story
Much like the last issue, in terms of plotting, we don’t get that much. Which is okay as the comic makes it clear it is building up to something that will be greater than the sum of its parts. When we cut over to Rita we see she is making plans with a crystal in the mix, and if she can cause so much terror with a candle, we should be afraid. Like last time what makes this comic an enjoyable read is character interaction and moments. Which we get from not only the rangers, but also Bulk and Skull with their usual antics, as well as the people of Angel Grove in a humanizing way.
If we didn’t know we were in 2015-6 last issue, we sure do now. It does cause a bit of cognitive dissonance to these characters we’re so used to being in the 90’s environment to use up-to-date smart technology and such, but damn if Higgins doesn’t try his best to make it seem seem-less. You just know that if you were to move up the birth dates of Bulk and Skull, they would totally be the ones trying to make viral content on YouTube. And that’s where we open up first, with their new show, “Ranger Station”. Damn, that’s a good trademark. The purpose is to be the one stop place for all ranger news and they’re doing a piece on the new green ranger.
While also doubling as a means to immerse us in the new culture of today, like I previously mentioned, I do like this as it is also a way to similarly immerse us in this “real world” undertone the series is going for. It would be more than understandable for the public at large to be divide over the green ranger. The last they saw of him before his turn was a brawl match between megazords, after the former’s zord wrecked the place.
I also enjoy seeing Bulk and Skull once more in their season one personas. Back then, even though they could be funny, they were antagonistic towards the rangers, hadn’t grown up yet, and could be dicks. Though they seem to have some sort of back bone seeing as how Tommy scared them crap-less last time they saw him, and yet they’re back to pester him about the green ranger. Irony, ftw!
Kim saves Tommy, shews out the clowns, and has some really cute moments with Tommy. I think another reason I’m going to like this series is to get to see these two fall in love all over again. There will be some stumbling blocks as we’ll see soon, but I think it will work out. I’ll admit it proudly, I loved their playful flirting. Speaking of cast interaction our pre-requisite café dialogue scene comes at the expense of a sleepy Zack. Trini and Billy decide to run some specs on the Dragonzord after its slight malfunction and Jason and Zack have detention, poor boys. This does come with a down note as the stars don’t align for them all to hang out with Tommy.
Speaking of potential Emo Jones, he’s tuned to the Rita channel all day, every day, who’s really cranking up her troll level, clutch status. I’m sorry for that. 🙁 The story is also setting up some things to happen with Zack, as we find out he has some problem going on at home he’s reluctant to share. This could be interesting as on the show, the usual Zack storyline was him trying to wow Angela. Having something focusing on him alone does have prospects.
Now onto the most interesting part of the comic, the battle simulation. With the limitation of a budget gone, Higgins can incorporate classic sci-fi staples within the world, and here we have what’s basically a holo-deck, if I’m to be certain, one for battle training. It is an addition that seems obvious and ingenious at the same time. We’ve seen various Power Ranger teams handle their training in their own ways. Some seasons like Jungle Fury more so, while teams like Dino Thunder less so. However, this makes itself unique by having the point be disaster scenario rather than regular combat.
It’s a grim prospect but one that has to be thought of and prepared for, and it really makes the team shine like heroes. They know they aren’t infallible and this could be a possibility they could face. This does, however, leaves me with my one real complain with the issue, and that’s Tommy’s reaction. The test, as Zordon said, was basically a Kobayashi Maru, a total failure. I know Rita is pushing his insecurities and he feels he has to be better, but your best won’t make the simulation correct itself. Not unless you pulled a Captain Kirk on it before hand. And I’m also a bit sore he cancelled his coffee date with Kim, the work-a-holic.
Overall, this was a very good issue to continue on. The one problem is that despite it being labelled an issue one, it feels more like an issue two. I would highly advise anyone seeking to pick this one up to also choose its predecessor, as without it, you may be feeling a bit lost, though the gist may remain. As such, judging it as a true second issue, it helps the reader get acclimated to the status quo and leave them wanting more with that cliffhanger.
The Technical Aspects
The cover, while not being anything particularly striking, is pleasing to my eye. Massive group shots are the standard for team books as well as having them in battle. What I think I like most about it is that the physiques of each ranger are no longer the body builder types we had in those 90’s era comics. They look like how they would in the series; young, fit martial artists with realistic body proportions. Kudos to having the picture be framed in sunset, yet none of the rangers colors stand out any less and are vibrant. As well as the putties being easily distinguished from the gray mountain background.
As I stated, in the #0 review (hello shameless plug), I love the designs of the rangers in this book. They look like the actors of the series, updated or not. For their new looks, I believe I like Billy’s the best. Total bias here as I too rocked the business casual look in my high school years. Hendry Prasetya is doing a great job and I hope he keeps it up. I must also give my utter praise to the colorist, Matt Herms. Too many times when it comes to a modernization look given to older properties, there is the tendency to wash out all color in favor of a dark and dreary pallet. Here with the rangers everything is so colorful, bright, and hopeful. Exactly how Power Rangers should be. The exception to this is Rita’s palace, taking a cue from Lord Zedd’s in design, which is a pretty sick move!
Dear Zordon in the Great Beyond
Where’s Alpha? Did you have him pick up a PS4 and that’s how you guys got the idea for a battle simulation? I bet he’s addicted to playing Fallout 4 right now. I sure know I was.
Did you think Kim was a juice girl?
I know it’s something they have to prepare for, but don’t blame Tommy too much. I hate escort missions too.
Some security for the ranger’s home would be nice, hopefully
Liked the review? Have helpful criticism? Comment below and let me know.
You can find me on twitter @darkrealityprod and on YouTube @ The Geeks Are On Fire, where I post things I edit and host a fledgling podcast. Enjoy.
