Who wouldn’t want to be a Power Ranger? After all, there’s an little bit of a wish fulfillment to the Power Rangers mythos, what with the “teenagers with attitude” element mixed with the “transforming into a superhero” element. Ranger Academy #1 from Maria Ingrande Mora, Jo-Mi Geyong, Fabiana Mascolo, Cardinal Rae, and Ed Dukeshire takes it to another level by introducing the concept of an entire school dedicated to becoming a Power Ranger. Students are able to learn about the history of Power Rangers, and even train to be Rangers themselves.
A young farmer named Sage finds Ranger Academy crashing into her world – literally – when a ship carrying cadets Mathis and Tula lands on the moon she calls home. Sage ends up helping both cadets, though this leads to friction with her father…and a new world of possibilities opening up when she officially joins the Ranger Academy.
If that sounds like a lot, it’s because the first issue is mainly setup. This proves to be a bit of a double edged sword in regards to story. On the one hand, Mora sets up an engaging dynamic between Sage, Mathis and Tula; Sage yearns for adventure much like Luke Skywalker did, Mathis is a bit brash and outgoing, and Tula is more level-headed. But on the other hand, the sheer amount of world-building can be a little overwhelming. I know that most YA stories tend to utilize their worldbuilding as a way to ease the protagonist (and by extension, the audience) into the more fantastic elements of said world, but there were times that I felt like I was reading the setup for a comic rather than an actual comic.
Despite some heavy exposition, Ranger Academy #1 boasts a unique look thanks to Geyong’s art. The entire issue feels very anime-influenced, from the designs of the main trio to the expressions they sport (especially Mathis). But the crown jewel of the book is the Ranger Academy itself. Its design hearkens back to Terra Venture from Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, with the kicker being that each dome in the academy is representative of a certain Ranger’s color. This visual style is not only fitting for the overall vibe of the series, but it also gives Academy a visual identity that makes it unique among the Power Rangers comics.
It wouldn’t be a Power Rangers comic without some vibrant color art, and Mascolo more than excels in that regard. From the very first page, there are bursts of violet color spread throughout a fantasy sequence that plays out in Sage’s head – in contrast, the moon where she calls her home is shrouded in darker, more mundane colors including hues of green and black. Compare that to Ranger Academy, whose halls and students are decked out in pristine white.
Ranger Academy #1 shows off a new side of the Power Rangers universe, setting the stage for what could be BOOM! Studios’ biggest swing with the franchise yet. The artwork and characters make up for a plot-heavy first issue, and hopefully future issues will continue to build on the foundation being laid here.
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