Mighty Morphin #1 out this week from Boom! Studios is a fantastic addition to the Power Rangers franchise. The book is brought to life by Ryan Parrott (writer), Marco Renna (line art), Walter Baiamonte (colorwork), Katia Ranalli (coloring assistant), and Ed Dukeshire (lettering).
Summary
A new Mighty Morphin team has assembled to take on the deadliest threats to Earth – but who is the All-New Green Ranger by their side?
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Writing
Ryan Parrott setups a central question to be answered in this new series: Who is using the Green Ranger power? The issue throws out some possibilities of who is using the power of the original Green Ranger but leaves it very open-ended. This plot thread grabs the reader’s attention as the entire Rangers team is off balance because of the mystery.
The issue also takes a lot of time to focus on Zordon. It showcases his time as a ranger on his home planet and seems to hint his past will be prominent in the new storyline. This, along with Baboo and the rest figuring out what to do with an unconscious Lord Zedd, adds to a lot of promise for what is to come with this new series.
Artwork
With Marco Renna on art, the issue offers a lot of hard-hitting action scenes. Characters deliver blows sending their opponents flying across the panel and deliver a visceral feel for the damage being inflicted. There is also a lot of attention being paid to the facial features showing when characters are passionate as they look into the mystery behind the Green Ranger’s identity.
The colorwork by Walter Baiamonte (wth assistance from Katia Ranalli) creates some very eye-catching visuals. Energy blasts feel powerful, character entrances feel dynamic, and the transformation sequence is perfectly captured thanks to the attention to colors. A special call out to the one-page splash pictured above is truly an eye-catching bit of art.
The lettering by Ed Dukeshire offers a great flow to the storytelling. As characters discuss the possibilities of who the Green Ranger could be, the layout of dialogue makes the reader feel like they are part of a strategy meeting. Also, using different colors on lettering and bubbles helps to give a distinct voice to certain characters as they speak.
Conclusion
Mighty Morphin #1 is a perfect jumping-on point for those hoping to get into Power Rangers comics. There are just enough callbacks to the previous series to feel like a continuation, yet not so many the reader feels like they are missing out on something. Anyways looking for a good action comic needs look no further than this issue.
