Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Return is nearing its end, and its penultimate issue delivers revelations fast and furious as the clock ticks toward an inevitable confrontation. Even though Kimberly Hart thought she and the rest of the Power Rangers had finally defeated Rita Repulsa, the past comes back to haunt them in the form of her and Lord Zedd’s daughter Selena. Selena has been systematically stalking the original Power Rangers in order to exact terrible vengeance upon them, but little did she know that she’d have to contend with a new foe: Kimberly’s daughter, Olivia.
I say that because Olivia’s existence, and her taking up her father Tommy’s mantle of the Green Ranger, was revealed prior to The Return‘s debut in comic shops. While this doesn’t necessarily rob Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Return #3 of any story momentum I do feel Olivia’s existence would have hit harder if it were a surprise. That being said, the sight of her teleporting into the ruins of Rita’s palace, fully morphed, as well as the buildup to that moment.
In fact a great deal of this issue is buildup, thanks to co-writers Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson (and the fact that the OG Rangers are trapped on the moon). But to their credit they keep things engaging, revealing how Selena survived the destruction of the moon and how she took the steps to exact her revenge. There’s also a tragic element as once again, Tommy’s death is revisited.
Nico Leon also continues to make this a gorgeous looking comic. The opening pages showcase the wreckage of Rita’s palace, as well as the moon; chunks of rock floating around in space lend to the post apocalyptic flair. As for Selena herself, she literally looks like a younger version of Rita, albeit with a more armored costume in liue of a witch’s robe. Leon’s attention to detail is commendable; the scar running across Jason’s eye is a testament to his travels as the Red Ranger while one of Rita’s surviving minions has literally rebuilt himself out of her old monsters in order to survive. All of it is washed in a cold blue glow by Dono Sanchez-Almara, making the other colors pop.
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Return #3 is mostly setting up for the final showdown, but it’s some mighty good looking table setting. When all is said and done, this is going to be one of the better Power Rangers comics BOOM! Studios has put on the stands.
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