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Preface
After talking about it for so long, we’re finally here! Power Rangers #1: Probably the closest we’re ever going to get to a non-MMPR series!
What will be interesting to see about this series is mainly how different this is compared to the main Mighty Morphin’ series. When the first Mighty Morphin Power Ranger series and the Go Go Power Rangers series were happening at the same time, there was a question of what one provided over another. Both series used the same basic premise, the same environment, and the same cast of characters. This approach was used for the Go Go Power Rangers series to connect and fill in story gaps that the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series advanced past.
What differentiated the two series ultimately was in how the writing approached both premises. The main Mighty Morphin’ series dealt more with the Ranger conflicts, having the Rangers deal with big “end of the world” type threats. The Go Go Power Rangers series focused more on the Rangers’ personal lives and how they interacted with each other without their helmets on. With the current two series, both of them are being written by the same writer, Ryan Parrott, so what’s going to separate them is the plain fact that they have two separate premises.
Judging from the Mighty Morphin’ #1 issue, that series will focus on just the simple premise of teenagers who fight evil with all of the characters and stories we’ve built up from the previous two series. While, based on the build-up for it, the Power Rangers series seems to be focusing on the bigger, scarier and more powerful threat that’s going across the universe. Not to mention that out of the two series, the Power Rangers series will have the shorter cast of characters it can devote time to. Jason, Zack, Trini, Xi, possibly Drakkon, maybe a new furry friend here…
The Cover
Taken straight from the Mighty Morphin #1 review:
“This single image is actually composed of two comic covers: Mighty Morphin #1 and Power Rangers #1.
Now, of course, this is a method to get people to buy both series at once. So that people will buy both covers to create a complete image. If you’re someone who just wants the single image for a cover, especially if it bothers how you display your comic collection, you can buy it on a separate variant cover that’s more expensive.
You wanna know why this is a thing? BECAUSE SALES.
There are also Legacy variant covers for both this series and Power Rangers that continue the numbering and style for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Again, this is also another sales strategy, to keep long-term fans of the comic happy while being a way to pump out essentially two issues of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in one month. (Although, at this point in time, we don’t know how connected both series will be with each other.)
So, anyway, about the cover itself. When it’s displayed like this, the layout of it is fine. Mighty Morphin’ team on the left, the Omega team on the right, and Drakkon right in the center of it all inside a PR thunderbolt. But, having these images side-by-side you can have a clear preference for one over the other. And, in this case, the Power Rangers cover looks so much better than the Mighty Morphin’ cover. The Power Rangers cover has a good art style, is comprised of interesting elements in the background like Xi, and has the Rangers doing some cool action poses with their weapons. The Mighty Morphin’ cover looks dull with all of the Rangers just standing in a rock quarry. It’s not helped by the art style either, giving some weird proportions on some of the helmets and Rangers.”
If they’re going to keep combining these two covers together, I’m basically just going to keep score of which cover I think wins over the other. For this month:
Mighty Morphin – 0
Power Rangers – 1
The Story
On their ship, the Omega Rangers are fighting in their zero-gravity training simulator. Zack says he’s uncomfortable with Yale (the giant alien tiger from Go Go Power Rangers #31) roaming their ship freely, but Trini tells him the situation is temporary until they can take him back to his planet.
Soon, the Omega Ranger team lands on Earth and interrupts the Mighty Morphin’ team’s day at the beach. At the Command Center, Jason informs Zordon of their situation, of the being known as Empyreal going around and destroying planets. Zordon doesn’t have any knowledge of the Empyreal but suspects that it must be why Drakkon was so afraid when he landed on Earth. Learning that they have Drakkon prisoner, the Omegas interrogate him and learn that there are multiple Empyreals and they have the power to end everything.
Soon, the Omegas ask Zordon to take him back to their ship so they can use his knowledge on the Empyreals to stop them, but Zordon refuses. Zordon tells them that Drakkon was the closest being to destroy the entire universe and there’s absolutely no way he’s going anywhere.
Later, all 9 teens head to the Juice Bar to relax, where Ernie is welcoming all of them with open arms. Zack and Adam hang out with Ernie and talk about Zack’s time at the “Peace Conference”, Trini gets into an argument with Tommy about the whole Drakkon situation, and Jason and Rocky have a training session and a heart-to-heart about it being okay that Rocky isn’t the leader of the team.
The Mighty Morphin’ teens head home for the day and the Omegas secretly decide to break Drakkon out. They sneak into the Command Center and free Drakkon from his cell, but Alpha-5 spots them. Alpha-5 attempts to have drones attack Drakkon, but Drakkon blasts him with lightning, knocking him out. Zack and Trini teleport Drakkon back to their ship with Jason staying behind for a second to tell Zordon they’ll return Drakkon once this is all done and they are sorry. Zordon says that this is a complete betrayal of his trust and that he’ll use all of his resources to stop Jason as Jason teleports back to the ship. The spaceship soon blasts off away from Earth to parts unknown with potentially the worst passenger you can have aboard…
Ending Thoughts
After reading both debut issues from both PR series, it’s clear what each series brings to the table and how they are so different from each other.
Think about it. Mighty Morphin #1 had its ending sequence be a 7-man battle against a panda monster. Power Rangers #1’s ending sequence was a stealthy approach to taking a prisoner with them and the Rangers not wanting violence. Mighty Morphin #1 said hello to all of the characters the previous comic series have built up. Power Rangers #1 said goodbye to them all. And yet, both of them work perfectly, taking the time for character development and keeping us all invested in the ride ahead. For Power Rangers in particular, I’m interested to see what worlds we go to next, what shenanigans Drakkon will bring to the table, and how much Zordon’s anger here will carry into the Mighty Morphin’ series.
The artwork for this series is from the same illustrator from the last few issues of Go Go Power Rangers, Francesco Mortarino. And, I’m glad that he’s back. We actually never got to see much of the Omega Rangers in this art style so it’s cool that it’s continuing here, acting as a spiritual successor to Go Go Power Rangers. The Omega Rangers here look crisp and shiny, standing out from each other even with the similar designs. The backgrounds here have a lot of detail to them. For example, compare Drakkon’s cell from MMPR #51 to now. It has so much more personality here, leaning more into the science fiction elements of the Command Center.
Power Rangers #1 offers a new formula from the classic Power Rangers one, having our own heroes say goodbye to the world they know and fighting from a different angle as they head off into the universe the PR franchise has established.
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- I didn’t even mention the Zero-G training session, but that was a great sequence looking at a fight from a different angle. And yes, it perfectly encapsulates the meaning of this first issue.
- Who do I think stole Kim’s sunblock? Billy. Why? He’s been lying about the Green Ranger this whole time. Lying is only one step away from thievery.
- Zordon: “Now you are no longer Power Rangers…” Ok, wait what? I double-backed at that.
- Ernie’s reaction to seeing Jason, Zack, and Trini again is pure gold.
- Now that I know who Candice is, I’m just judging what every part of her reactions are. Why did she react the way she did?
- To be honest, even though I do think we will see “more” from the PR universe, I’m honestly not expecting much other than namedrops. From Trini’s statement about how not every planet has Rangers on it, I would love the Omega Rangers had something to do with teams forming, but I don’t think so. The most we’ll get is probably a team-up with an established alien Ranger team like from Aquitar.
- The conversation with Rocky and Jason about the Red Ranger being the leader is the best moment so far with Rocky and it’s been long overdue. We already had Zack and Adam interact and Trini and Aisha interact back during Necessary Evil. Rocky was the only one who never got that moment before.
- Also, the question of whether Rocky is a better fighter than Jason? I once made PR videos for individual characters/actors of their unmorphed fights. And, after watching both of them, I believe that they’re both good fighters, but it just depends on the situation. Jason is the stronger one and has held his own against stronger opponents unmorphed. Rocky, on the other hand, floats like a red dragon, stings like a t-rex. Basically, he’s more agile and uses more of the environment during fights.
- Though, I will say, Rocky wouldn’t be able to handle the power of hip hop kido.
- I probably should’ve commented more on the stealth sequence, but it’s silent for a reason. Let the art speak for itself.
- Which comic had the stronger debut? Mighty Morphin #1 or Power Rangers #1? In my opinion, Mighty Morphin #1. That introduced a lot more elements for Zordon and his backstory and had a surprise at the end no one saw coming. Power Rangers #1, while good, felt like a standard debut plot for a series.