Eager to maintain a relative peace from Rita Repulsa’s alien hordes and seek a new path to heroism, the Rangers look to Grace’s organization, Promethea, for help.
Writing/Story
At its core, the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series was often formulaic. A monster of the week shows up, causes trouble, the Power Rangers appear, summon a giant robot, and the day is saved. The previous comics series made the mistake of simply presenting this formula in a drawn form without adding anything new. So, when this book decides to replicate the formula, why does it feel fresh and entertaining? Simply, because it hasn’t been played to death.
As the new story arc slowly builds it is apparent writer Kyle Higgins is showcasing how familiar aspects can be shown in a fresh light. The team fights monsters who have the ability to disguise themselves as humans and blend in easily with the rest of society. It is a simple concept but has great delivery. At the same time, there is great human drama as Billy’s mom finds herself unable to feel safe when her son leaves the house and Kimberly deals with her father getting remarried. It’s these simple elements which help to add heart to the story and make you wish the kids could deal with these problems instead of having to go off to fight monsters. This is when you know the writing has reached an impressive level.
Artwork
Hendry Prasetya tackles the pencils and inks for the issue. It features some great monster designs which really look like they could be part of the series. Impressive work to say the least.
The coloring is left between Matt Herms and Joana Lafuente. Herms works to show the daily drama sections of the characters. This softer style helps to make it feel light and let the drama take center stage. Lafuente works with the action scenes. This darker technique allows for the monsters to feel more destructive as they tear up the city. Together the pair seems to deliver an impressive product.
Lettering is handled by Ed Dukeshire. There is noticeable changes throughout the different monsters and how various characters speak. Lots of emphasis is employed on empowering when characters are shouting, trying to sound menacing, and when they are trying to make a point.
Conclusion
It’s always good to go back to what made a series entertaining in the first place. Power Rangers may be formulaic but if handled properly the stories will always be enriching and keep the audience around. Given the final pages of this issue, it already looks like there is a lot of great setup for wonderful things to come in the future.
