The youth of the 90s will rejoice this Wednesday, as two of the most beloved franchises meet for the first time in comics history from BOOM! Studios (in partnership with IDW and Nickelodeon) in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1!
Cowabunga, that’s a long title! Since Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 is a mouth full, we’ll shorten it to MMPR/TMNT #1.
A Shelltastic Story
We’ve seen the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers team-up with the Justice League, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team-up with Batman, and the GhostBusters, so the logical next step is the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! It’s crazy, you never truly understand how long of a name both those teams have until you type them out multiple times in the same sentence! Long names aside MMPR/TMNT #1’s premise isn’t overly complicated but works well for getting the two teams to meet up.
Green Power Ranger, Tommy Oliver, joins the Foot Clan for unknown reasons, this brings him face-to-face with the TMNTs. Once Tommy activates his Morpher, the other Rangers can locate their long lost partner and go to investigate. Once there, the inevitable clash of the heroic teams occurs in grand fashion. You know, the usual miscommunication between two hero teams leads to a huge fight that ends when said teams realize if they had asked questions first, they would’ve noticed they were on the same side. The way comic characters usually meet each other.
Writer Ryan Parrott has worked on Power Ranger comics before, and it shows in MMPR/TMNT #1. Parrott portrays the characters perfectly with no personality acting out of place, with this skill carrying over to the Turtles as well. This doesn’t mean readers who’ve never read or watched the shows before won’t enjoy MMPR/TMNT #1. Instead of jumping right into the inevitable meet-up, Parrott spends the beginning pages setting up said meeting, while introducing readers to the teams’ personalities, and world.
Mighty Morphin’ Art
Both the Rangers and Turtles are known for their bombastic fighting, MMPR/TMNT #1 encapsulates this liveliness near perfectly. Due to the energy artist Simone Di Meo brings to the drawing table. Di Meo draws each character with chaotic fluidity that looks near identical to their television counterparts. This rings true during the double-page spread when each team square up and shout their team motto. Di Meo is able to showcase the Rangers and Turtles on this page mid-jump with such ferocity that they nearly jump off the page.
The fluidity isn’t just limited to the action, as during the somber moments Di Meo adds in varying panels that help keep the pace fast and engaging. These moments are aided by the vibrant colors of Walter Baiamonte and Igor Monti. The duo’s colors breath life into the world and characters with energetic, bright colors that mirror the television shows. These lively colors are gorgeous and match the tone of MMPR/TMNT #1; they do become a problem at one point. During a few fights, especially the opening fight, the bright colors are too bright.
During the fight between the Power Rangers and Apocalyptopus, the deadly villain feels a few shades too bright, which ends up becoming a strain on the viewer’s eyes. Proceeding this, each Ranger use their “Power” move which clutters the page with a multitude of colors, that like Apocalyptopus feels like too much at once. Understandably the Power Rangers “Power” move should be bright and flashy, but here it’s just too much going on.
Another aspect in MMPR/TMNT #1 that mirrors their television counterparts is Ed Dukeshire lettering. At times Dukeshire changes the font to a bold colored text, shouting what the characters are saying, much like they would on their shows. This occurs when a team yells their motto or when announcing their attacks. This sort of lettering change makes a huge difference in how each moment is read, making the issue that much more fun.
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Conclusion
MMPR/TMNT #1 is an excellent start to a crossover that surprisingly has never happened in the comic book medium. Newcomers and long-time fans of both franchises will go head over shell for MMPR/TMNT #1.
Memorable Quote: “The green dude, how does he play a flute through a metal faceplate?” – Donatello
I’ve asked myself that many times, Donatello!
Side Note: I love the villain name, Apocalyptopus! I mean, that maybe one of the best names of the year!
Dear Reader in a Half Shelf
If you want to learn more about MMPR/TMNT check out BOOM! Studios press release, or keep tuned in the future months to us for more reviews!
