(BOOM! Comics) Go Go Power Rangers Series Review

Preface

Go Go Power Rangers.

32 issues and 2 specials and we are now done. From its announcement in April 2017 to its first issue released on July 26^th of that year to now, nearly three years later. A lot has happened since then, not just for the franchise, but everyone who has kept up with this series, myself included.

When this series was announced, it was met with a resounding shrug because people didn’t know what to really expect from it. The main MMPR series was doing some big things and gaining readers’ attention. This didn’t seem necessary. Now? It’s not only one of the best comic series for Power Rangers, but for all modern-day superhero comics. As such, it feels necessary to look back on what made this series as great as it did and why this series, in my opinion, is better than the main MMPR series.

The Story

The main MMPR series follows the typical structure of modern-day superhero comics, where there are arcs of over ten issues long combining into one large storyline that deals with the biggest threat our heroes will face. It’s a method to keep you interested in the comics by having you follow along and wait for the big payoff in the end. However, the risk with this method is that if the arc itself is not compelling enough *cough* “Beyond the Grid” *cough* or you’re a new reader in the middle of the storyline, you’re not going to be invested in waiting for that payoff.

With Go Go Power Rangers, arcs are typically three to four issues long and aren’t fully dependent on each other to understand the story. I love this approach because shorter story arcs allow the writer to not be as restricted to one central storyline and to be as creative as they can with the larger amount of stories they can provide.

Generally, this makes it feel more like an actual episodic series of Power Rangers with more “filler” plot points and moments with monsters of the week rather than variations of evil Rangers. But, here’s the thing about me personally. I love filler. I keep reading about people wanting tightly story-driven series from Power Rangers and while I’ll be interested if one ever pops up, I don’t mind filler. “Filler” for any series, as long as it’s entertaining, is enough to keep me invested in watching more. People forget some of the most iconic episodes of Power Rangers are filler. (Or I’m wrong and the episodes with Pudgy Pig, Pumpkin Rapper, and the Turbo Rangers being baked into a giant pizza were essential.)

These types of stories, that show their teenage lives outside of being heroes, give us more insight into these characters and creates a more emotional connection to them.

The Characters

Speaking of characters…

With series with a large cast like this, character focus is usually on either a couple of people for either a single issue or storyline and then basically a minor focus until later down the road. It’s very easy for a character to get less screen time and to get forgotten about because there are so many characters to take account for.

This isn’t the case for Go Go Power Rangers. Whether it’s a funny piece of dialogue or an emotional scene, in practically every issue, all of our Rangers got a moment to shine. And not just them, but our entire cast. Our villains, Alpha and Zordon, Bulk and Skull, even Ernie. It improved on the show’s structure so much, showing and building these characters lives’ outside of their typical roles.

Jason, Billy, and Kim are the Rangers with the best storylines, Jason and Kim dealing with their family issues and how they should be helping others and Billy struggling with his full potential as a Power Ranger. Besides the brief relationship with Jason, Trini’s character growth was focused on speaking out her own ideas and thoughts and wanting to contribute to the team. Zack didn’t have an actual arc, portrayed as someone who’s generally laid back and steps in when the moment calls for him. Tommy didn’t have as much screen time as the other Rangers, but he got his moment when he claimed the White Light.

Zordon and Alpha’s scenes were personally my favorite because they’re usually heartfelt and sincere. You could practically feel the wisdom coming from Zordon’s words. Bulk and Skull’s scenes I appreciate immensely for showing them as the good-natured people they are, not as the bullies everyone’s been accustomed to. Scenes with Rita’s original team are amazing in how she wants to rule the world and at the same time, wants people around her that she can trust. Seeing Rita struggle with her past and treating her villain companions as her family in a way is so endearing that when Zedd comes along, we understand how much the balance has changed now.

And then, there’s Matt. The original character from the start of the series that because of his status, we couldn’t predict what would happen to him. His relationship with Kim and his discovery of the Rangers’ identities showed the impact of how the Rangers’ secret lives on their loved ones. In the end, although he couldn’t have stayed due to Tommy’s inevitable arrival, his friendship with Kim is a positive step for her, teaching her that not every relationship has to end in tragedy and despair.

The Lore

I felt like this deserved its own category because it’s one big thing that separates this series from the main MMPR series.

And, no. I’m not talking about the variant covers. Although, that is a thing I appreciated from this series. Rather than just being generic art pieces, they do tap into people’s nostalgia and create a more emotional connection with a reader through humor. (Even though I felt super odd not knowing where all of those references come from.)

For a majority of its run, the MMPR series was trying to make the series its own thing separate from the TV show. This is evident with the introduction of Lord Drakkon and his alternate universe and all of the timey-wimey mumbo jumbo that followed. While it did respect the overall continuity of the first season, it never really touched on anything from the show. With Go Go Power Rangers bridging the gaps of the MMPR comic, it has a lot of opportunities to dive into the lore of the Power Rangers.

This series embraces the nature of the show and has tons of references to some of its iconic moments like Radbug and Pudgy Pig and recreates scenes from its memorable arcs like “Green No More”, “White Light” and “The Power Transfer”. As a fan of Power Rangers, noticing all these little details and references brings a smile to my face. The level of detail shows that this series was made by people who have seen the TV show and are fans of it like we are.

Not just that, but with the use of flashbacks, the series manages to build and expand the lore of our characters and this universe and answers questions about the TV show we’ve had for years. Where did Rita get the Dragon Power Coin? What does it feel like to morph? Why does Zedd create monsters the way he does? Whatever happened to those two astronauts? Having these questions answered, in a way, makes this series feel like an actual extension of the TV show.

The Art

We’ve had plenty of artists work on this series over its 32 issue length: (Dan Mora, Eleonora Carlini, Francesco Mortarino, Daniel Bayliss). Each brings their own art style to the table, but they are fairly consistent with each other, being well detailed and having that cartoonish feel to their colorful designs. Just let the art speak for itself!

One thing I’ve always appreciated about this series is how it takes every opportunity to show off the parts that happen for every fight step-by-step: morphing, summoning the weapons, forming Megazord combinations. It’s the same action every time, but the comic always makes each one feel cinematic.

Ending Thoughts

Go Go Power Rangers has run its course and writers Ryan Parrott and Sina Grace did a morphinonmenal job with it.

The same energy from this series is being put into the main MMPR series, but it’s not the same. It’s still good, but I’ll miss this series. Regardless, in the end, Go Go Power Rangers was fun. Plain and simple. It had great character backstory, fantastic artwork, and a lot of heart in between. It was a series that even before picking up the next issue, that I would have fun reading it. That’s a rare thing for me to experience and I’ll miss it deeply. I have a feeling it’ll be a while until I see something like this again.

But, until then. Say it one more time. Go Go Power Rangers!