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Preface
Countdown control. 4. 3. 2. 1…
*sighs*
Ah, VR Troopers. I can’t believe you’re back…
For those of you who don’t know, when MMPR was airing back in the 90s, Saban ended up spawning a lot of other shows in the same vein of Tokusatsu-like television. Those spin-offs ranged from decent like Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad to painfully forgettable like Teenage Tattooed Alien Fighters. VR Troopers, in my opinion, was somewhat in the middle of that spectrum. It was probably the most like MMPR in terms of tone and storytelling. There were a few memorable episodes and the cast did great with the material, but everything else about it is not worth revisiting.
So, believe me. Everyone was all surprised when these characters showed up in the same reboot as the Power Rangers when Power Rangers Prime first released.
Even though the decision still feels random even now, I’m not opposed to the concept of giving ‘forgotten’ characters with underutilized potential new material for a new audience. Give them a chance to shine again.
(Of course, it still feels odd from a storytelling/universe perspective. We’re now reading a series about the ‘cops’ essentially detaining the heroes, the Rangers, we’re supposed actually to care about, but I digress.)
Now that we have gotten past that, I’m sure this series can hold up on its own. Right?
The Cover
So, this is the first cover for this series. It’s a standard one. Just the three VR Troopers in their new designs. (Though, they’re also looking down, posed as if they’re better than us, which again, does not help their image.)
Also, don’t know if I ever really commented on the VR Troopers redesigns themselves, but I like them. They still retain the core aesthetics of the original Metal Hero designs, while the few changes that are there do make them feel more slick and futuristic as a result. The biggest change is Ryan’s suit, removing the belt and simplifying the color scheme, which, in my opinion, is an improvement.
The Story
Late at night, our hero, Ryan Steele, can’t sleep. He’s too busy thinking about how his life sucks at the moment. His mom abandoned him when he was a kid. His dad died before high school. And his love life is a whole other story. So, he goes out on a late-night jog to clear his head, finding someone breaking into the Angel Grove Water and Power Plant. He transforms into his Trooper form, wanting to do a little crime fighting, where he finds a hooded figure inside, working on a mysterious device, while there are random people unconscious on the floor. As he calls his teammates, JB and Kaitlin, for backup, the hooded figure spots him, and a fight breaks out.
During the fight, Ryan destroys the strange device, prompting the figure to point his weapon at a few of the unconscious civilians. Giving in to the villain’s demands, Ryan cancels his transformation and hands over his ‘morpher’, his Virtualizer. He thinks it’s no big deal since he’s the only one who can use it, but the villain starts to transform with it. Before it can be completed, however, the other Troopers arrive in time and get Ryan his Virtualizer back. But, the fight ends right after with the figure transporting to safety and leaving the Troopers very confused.
At VR Troopers HQ, JB reports that the civilians at the power plant were all alive with no memories on how they got to the power plant with the only link between them being that they all had on Ziktor brand VR goggles. Zarysh, their Eltarian assistant, reports that the VR goggles are used for sleep aid, so it’s entirely possible that everyone was just abducted in their sleep. As for the device the villain was making, JB reports that the components are all Earth-made, with the intended purpose most likely being a transportation device. Zarysh also identifies the villain as a high-security level threat from another Earth in the multiverse,e and because of his reality jumping nature, he’s the reason why the VR Troopers were made. She also reveals that Ryan’s father, Tyler Steele, was someone who was researching the barriers between realities, getting killed in the process. Most likely, the hooded figure being here is a connection to that.
After Ryan hears that bombshell, he goes to sulk at the temple, I mean, his bedroom, leaving JB and Kaitlin to realize that there’s still a lot more that Zarysh is keeping from them.
If the stranger was able to use Ryan’s Virtualizer, that means that he’s somehow related to Ryan…
Ending Thoughts
I’ll say this much. For the three of us who actually watched VR Troopers, this comic is quite faithful to its source material.
Besides the brief mention of Valentina and the Eltarians’ presence here, it’s not dependent on readers knowing about Power Rangers Prime. Every story element that’s shown here is lifted from the show, only written more as a modern mystery. People who have seen the show before will instantly clock the answers to this, of course, like who this mysterious stranger is and what does the name Ziktor mean, but even so, the issue is doing a good job of building up the suspension on what could happen next.
For an opening issue, we don’t get a ton of focus on all of the VR Troopers, with the story mainly coming from Ryan’s point of view, which completely makes sense. Not just for a storytelling perspective, but for people who have been keeping up with Power Rangers Prime, Ryan is the character we know the most about, so it’ll be easier for us to lean in more into this ‘virtual world’. And, for all intents and purposes, Ryan’s character here is just like the show. Completely broody. But, at least here, we’re able to identify with him a bit more because we’re able to learn about his past, seeing him struggling with being alone and frankly being tired of it.
(He has a dog, though, which I swear to God, better not talk!)
The artist for this series is Sebastián Piriz, who has done a lot of indie work. And, in my opinion, their artstyle isn’t my favorite.
Although the environments are well-detailed, I’m not a fan of how the humans look. The faces feel more rectangular than anything, giving an odd sense when you look at them. Like you’re supposed to be looking a sketch rather than the full drawing. Even so, I actually appreciate how the VR Troopers look. With both the angular designs and the coloring, it adds a retro and futuristic feel to the setting, fitting perfectly with the technological asthetics. Seeing the sharp contrast between Ryan and the power plant as he walks through it absolutely makes him stand out and take control of the scene. Plus, I must praise the use of negative space, the white backgrounds, throughout this whole issue. Not only does it help put the action on the forefront for the reader, but it also does something a bit unexpected. Since one of the main themes for the VR Troopers is the concept of other realities, the negative space actually acts as its own plane of existence, something underlying the real world, with the characters constantly ‘breaking’ out of it. It is especially apparent when we see Ryan or the villain transform, just seeing the visual effects appearing as if they come from this space. It’s quite amazing.
VR Troopers #1 starts off a decent entry into the world of Power Rangers Prime with an intriguing mystery at the forefront and artwork that’s so good it literally breaks through reality.
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- Another reason why the Troopers show is not worth visiting is because its core concept is based on virtual reality… a concept that no one in the 90s knew about. Even if it’s not the same here, I’m very interested to see how this is explored instead.
- The Skurgs, yeah, that’s from the show. I absolutely love how they’re drawn here. I actually like them a lot more than some of the regular PR foot soldiers.
