Out this week from BOOM! Studios, Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers, finishes up our “White Light” retelling in this exciting issue!
Ryan Parrott and Sina Grace’s twist on the inception of the White Ranger has been a fun ride so far. The story has explored the time period Tommy was powerless with more depth and presents this journey for him becoming a Ranger again. Going further than even that, Parrott and Grace address even minor details that bothered fans years after the two-part episode’s conclusion.
What we get is a proper introduction to the White Ranger, showing us a little of where this power came from and why it exists. Saba is a welcomed return to the cast also since his shocking demise by Lord Drakkon in the alternate timeline.
Also appreciated is Parrott and Grace’s handling of Tommy becoming the new team leader. In the show, it was just mentioned, and Jason’s character was pushed to the side immediately. Here, however, Tommy is hesitant about taking on the role in the comic and feels he’s not ready for it. This is consistent with the sibling comic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. As there Tommy has spoken to the Red Omega Ranger about being the leader of a team, and if he’s really the right one for the job.
With the “White Light” story coming to a close, there are few things left to catch the story up almost entirely with where Mighty Morphin Power Rangers started in the “Necessary Evil” arc. The only things left to cover really are the creation of the Omega Rangers team and the introduction of Rocky, Adam, and Aisha.
With a clear end in sight, unfortunately, it does not seem like Go Go and Might Morphin will be crossing over to the crazy capacity that they did back in the “Shattered Grid” story arc. Still, having each comic present different narratives on the same story is fun to read and worth keeping up with week to week.
The advantages to this style is mostly that the story in the present can maintain its narrative without having to flash back to details from the past. BOOM! Studios’ team has done a phenomenal job overseeing the continuity between the two series is consistent, and it has resulted in some amazing crossover moments for comic history.
Needless to say, the artwork for this series is still nothing short of breathtaking. This issue’s cover by Eleonora Carlini is actually my favorite so far this arc. Aesthetically I usually prefer the style in Go Go Power Rangers as it resembles styles in modern-day cartoons like Voltron: Legendary Defender. Francesco Mortarino has been an outstanding artist in this series.
From character art to Megazord designs, every panel has me swooning over how good it looks. I even look at the Ranger’s casual outfits and think about how well put together they are and fitting for their characters. Of course, the colors by Raúl Angulo only make the pages even more amazing.
Ed Dukeshire really brings out Tommy’s character in his lettering, giving so much emphasis on his karate cries. Phonetically spelling out his famous “SI-AAYAH!” really brings these pages to life.
With the end potentially insight for the “Necessary Evil” arc, there’s a lot to wonder what this means for the story moving forward. This arc has introduced a dramatic change in the cast with the possible departure of some fan favorites from the series as a whole. No one wants to say goodbye to characters they’ve invested into, but at least Jason Zack and Trini seem to be getting a proper send-off this time.
With the progression of the story, this also begs the question of if the series move into additional seasons of the franchise. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is easily the most recognizable of the shows seasons, and as such, it might be a dicey decision to go into Power Rangers Zeo from there.
Time will tell how the series goes from here. Still, we look forward to the future as each issue brings us closer and closer to the answers we’re looking for. Overall, Go Go Power Rangers #27 is an excellent way to bring us into unknown territory and wraps introduces the White Ranger with just as much impact as my childhood remembers.
