(Disclaimer: Please buy the comic before reading this review available at your local comic shop!)
They can also be found by visiting findacomicshop.com or comicshoplocator.com
Preface
Oh yeah, the Turtles are having a movie coming out soon. Plus, the original Power Rangers have their own special in about a month.
Man, this feels like the 90s now…
TO THE EXTREME!
The Cover
It’s a good shot of all of the Mutant Rangers together, showing them all off in epic poses. Even though a part of me wants to point out that it’s not accurate to the story because the Turtles don’t transform into their MMPR counterparts, it’s still a good image to have. True, the plain black background makes it feel unfinished, but it still makes the colors of the Rangers pop as a result.
The Story
In Dimension X, the Turtles and Shredder sneak into Krang’s fortress. Since they have the time to talk, Shredder reveals the real reasons for why he is evil and wants to take over the world. He really just wants a statue. Completely understandable.
Back in Angel Grove, Splinter instructs the Mighty Morphin’ Mutant Rangers on how to use their new powers and bodies. To put it simply, cut loose and cowabunga.
At the Command Center, since Bebop and Rocksteady failed at their jobs last issue, they present to Rita something else instead: Bulk and Skull. Rita doesn’t give two craps about them and just tells them to interrogate the two teenagers on everything they know. Bulk and Skull manage to save their hides by convincing the two criminals that they should be the ones to take over the world with the teenagers acting as their camera crew showing it off to the whole world. Meanwhile, with Rita, she reveals to Casey that she knew he was faking the whole time. After revealing that she set up a trap for the Turtles in Dimension X, Rita plans on using Ranger X for something more devious.
Back in Dimension X, Mikey finds the broken Dimension X Morphers and promptly loots them. Searching for the Power Node, Shredder finds an imprisoned Karai, who said she was offered to become a Ranger too, but refused it out of royalty to Shredder. Donatello hesitates to let her out, but Shredder does it anyway, pointing out that they need the allies. Eventually, all the Turtles find the Power Node being guarded by Rita’s gang, including a whole bunch of MMPR monsters. Our heroes cannot teleport out quickly, but luckily, the Morphers Mikey grabbed, start glowing. With the Morphers being so close to the Power Node, it repairs them, allowing all of our Turtles to morph into the Dimension X Rangers.
EXTREME! TO THE EXTREME!
Back in Angel Grove, the Rangers manage to defeat the monsters invading Angel Grove, but, like any Power Rangers story, there is another surprise coming. A much bigger one.
You know, this design is more terrifying when you realize that the Megazord’s chest is sometimes depicted as teeth, meaning that Krang is operating inside of something’s mouth right now.
Ending Thoughts
This is the penultimate issue for the series and admittedly, it doesn’t feel like it.
Of course, developments do happen in this issue. The Megazord showing up at the end is a big sign of the fight escalating. Not to mention, the Turtles receiving their own Ranger designs outside of the MMPR ones is a creative excuse to show them holding their own without the Rangers’ direct help. However, it feels like there’s a lot left to address: what Rita’s plan is for Ranger X, when’s Zordon coming back, and how our heroes deal with the Krangzord. (Yeah, that’s what I’m calling it.) I know that these can all be handled well in the finale. I’m just a little worried is all.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about some of this issue’s highlights.
The Mutant Rangers get the hang of their new powers. That serves as a great moment for Splinter to be the mentor for them, to actually teach them how to fight. I made the joke earlier about how Splinter essentially teaches the Rangers how to go with the flow, but it is true. In a way, it shows off the teachings of his style and how it rubbed off on how the Turtles operate. It’s interesting to see because Zordon is their mentor, but he doesn’t actually teach them how to fight. Zordon advises them on what to do and provides lore and backstory, but they are the ones that ultimately teach and train themselves on how to fight. Seeing the contrast to that is fascinating.
And, the X Rangers show off their new designs (even though I’ve seen them for months because somebody decided to have so many variant covers for this series!) Compared to Casey’s design, they still have the overall aesthetic of EXTREEMEMEEE! This fits well with the 90s era and how that had an impact on the Turtles. However, they do feel like a little bit of a downgrade from the Ranger X design. Casey has the spiky shoulder pad while the Turtles have spiky kneepads instead. Casey has the hockey mask pattern on his helmet while the Turtles’ have a uniform design on their helmets. The overall suit and weapons of the Turtles are okay, but compared to their MMPR designs, where each helmet was unique and showed off their bestial side with their bulky frames, these Dimension X Rangers aren’t that thrilling to me.
MMPR / TMNT II #4 doesn’t feel like a penultimate issue, but it still delivers some exciting and thrilling moments TO THE EXTREEMMMEEEE!
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- Mikey: “Is there a different dimension for every letter in the alphabet?” Have you heard about Dimension W? I’ve heard good things about it.
- Looked it up. The Turtles never ran into a skunk or an anteater in their adventures, so I don’t know how they know what their waste smells like.
- Shredder: “Love may win you friends, but fear… that gets you a statue.” So, what you’re saying is that you theoretically would be one of the good guys if I just commissioned someone from Etsy?
- Ok, Leatherhead, maybe I can understand wanting Louisiana, but why would you want Florida, man? I’ve heard nothing but weird things happening over there.
- I just realized some of the Putties have guns… That’s a weird thing to think about.
- I want to talk more about Bulk and Skull’s involvement in the finale, but how they’re paired up with Bebop and Rocksteady is super fun.
- Pumpkin Rapper was here. But didn’t rap. 0/10
