Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1 by Ryan Parrott, Dan Mora, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire comes off like a victory lap for BOOM! Studios. It is a single issue, offering an engaging story and impressive art, all centered on the storylines and characters shaped by BOOM! Studios. Even if it is a one-shot, the issue finds a way to offer a lot to the audience.
Summary
The Ranger Slayer – AKA Kimberly Hart, the Pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger from the alternate universe once ruled by Lord Dakkon – returns home and nothing is like she expected.
Writing
The Ranger Slayer, Lord Drakkon, and the entire Coinless universe is put on full display in this issue. For those who don’t know, the Coinless Universe was an alternate reality in Power Rangers where Tommy Oliver (now called Lord Drakkon) not only stayed evil but managed to defeat the Power Rangers and conquer Earth for Rita Repulsa. The Ranger Slayer was the original Pink Ranger who had been brainwashed to become Lord Drakkon’s chief assassin. These characters and settings have been some of the biggest and most impactful results of BOOM! Studios having the Power Rangers License. This issue takes the time to spotlight these developments and deliver a story which is perfect, even for those who haven’t taken the time to read the run of both Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and its spin-off Go Go Power Rangers.
The story by Ryan Parrott is simple but allows for a lot of exploration of the Coinless universe. Kimberly, no longer under Drakkon’s control, returns to her universe and must make up for the mistakes while brainwashed and at the same time resolve on an entire new set of problems. One of them just happens to be zombie Power Ranger clones attacking people. It’s an intense ride from the very few pages and it doesn’t stop until the end.
Artwork
The pencils and inks by Dan Mora capitalize on ensuring characters are immediately recognizable even those who haven’t read the previous issues involving the Coinless world. From the very first panels they appear, Kimberly, Zack, and Trini are easily identified so the reader is not left to ask, “Who is this?”. Also, the Zord fights in the issue are so intense it will leave many shocked with what unfolds.
The colorwork by Raul Angulo adds to the world-building of the issue. Taking special care to emphasize how the Coinless world is a post-apocalyptic nightmare, the coloring works to showcase how the environment, equipment, and people are rundown and in desperate need of repair. The spirit horde (the zombie Power Rangers) undead look and eerie presence would only be possible thanks to the exceptional coloring.
Lettering by Ed Dukeshire helps the story to flow thanks to proper placement of speech bubbles. The proper placement allows for the reader’s eye to track from panel to panel, allowing for an optimal experience. Sadly, there are a few times in the issue when the sound effects are a bit too large and distract from the art of the panel but this only happens on a few pages.
Conclusion
Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1 is a fantastic one-shot with an engaging story and art which draws the reader in with each turn of the page. It’s not only entertaining but also serves as a great bookend to the character of the Ranger Slayer. Still, if this creative team were to do more with the characters, there would be no objection from the fanbase.
