Even if the recent run of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comics is at an end, BOOM! Studios isn’t done with Power Rangers stories. Case in point: Power Rangers Infinity #1. This one-shot unites a team of unorthodox Rangers from different points in time and space as a mysterious force begins to wipe out their compatriots. The newly-minted “Power Rangers Infinity” seeks out allies to stop this threat, finding an unlikely one in Power Rangers superfan Lola Navarro.
Reading through Power Rangers: Infinity #1 results in in a surprisingly touching, and surprisingly clever, story. A large part of that is thanks to writer Sam Humphries, who uses Lola’s fandom as a springboard for the main plot. Lola represents every fan who’s either dreamed about being a Power Ranger or adding their own stories to the tapestry of Ranger lore; when we first meet her, she’s trying to pitch her own Ranger comic. But she also struggles with her own fears and self-doubt, and seeing her overcome that (or at the very least, learn to live with it) is what makes this story worth reading. So is the eclectic mix of Rangers that make up the Infinity team.
Those Rangers are Kumo, a Red Ranger who’s also a polar bear; Magnus Storm, the Black Ranger who serves as captain of a Power Rangers pirate squad; Lady Penelope Prescott, the self-proclaimed “Pride and Prejudice” Pink Ranger; Braylee Blackthorn, a Yellow Ranger who’s also a cheerleader; and Peggy, a Blue Ranger who happens to be a grandma. The art team of Brandt&Stern gives them all a unique visual flair, from Magnus’ long black coat to Braylee’s bright yellow pom-poms. Even Lola has a cool design, as her Ranger uniform is a major shoutout to Sailor Moon. Other Ranger teams, including a group of knights and a bunch of bodybuilders, are spotlighted — and all of it is wrapped in the bright colors of Triona Farrell.
Power Rangers Infinity: #1 also deserves major credit for adding to the Rangers mythos, especially the concept of “power cycles.” For years I wondered, “why is it that the Rangers’ Megazords are mostly made up of dinosaurs, cars, or mythical animals?” Turns out that it’s part of the cosmic rhythm, which is both the kind of answer I’d expect from a Power Rangers comic and the approach that’s made the comics one of the best things that ever happened to this franchise. I’ll repeat that I’m not sure where the franchise is going, but whatever direction it takes we need more comics like Power Rangers: Infinity #1.
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