Power Rangers Prime has done a brilliant job of upending the Power Rangers mythos, but the biggest thing that caught my eye is that this team of Rangers is far less close-knit than other incarnations. Power Rangers Prime #7 continues to explore this, as the team is split on how to deal with Mark; while Jun and Valentina have to navigate an Eltarian event (keeping their Ranger identities under wraps), Lauren and Orion come face to face with more of the people affected by Eltar’s reign of Earth.
Power Rangers Prime #7 brings Michael Yg back to the series’ art team, and he brings a new element to the table: mutants! Yes, mutants live underneath Angel Grove, and Yg, alongside Fabi Marques, gives them enough variety to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – one’s a giant rhino (not the rhino you’re probably thinking of) and another is a big purple dinosaur with custom brass knuckles. It’s fun to watch Orion struggle to fight them off, but things take a turn during the Mark and Val scene; a punch isn’t thrown when they talk to their parents, but you can feel the tension simmering underneath.
The best part of the issue features Teezee, the miniature version of the Red Ranger’s Tyrannosaurus Zordon that first appeared in the Power Rangers/VR Troopers special that was released this Free Comic Book Day. I’m not gonna mince words: Teezee is pretty cute. He’s essentially a living Funko Pop, but with the firepower of a Noisy Cricket. I definitely feel like he’s going to become the breakout character of the book, depending on whether or not we get other mini Zords.
BOOM!
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how great Melissa Flores’ writing is. Throughout Power Rangers Prime #7, she presents the Rangers with some major dilemmas. Lauren, upon finding the mutants’ home, learns that there’s a connection to her family. Val reconnects with Ryan, and thinks she can talk to him – despite Jun correctly pointing out that he and the other VR Troopers attacked them and their fellow Rangers. Flores is great at layering these different conflicts, adding more dimension to the Rangers and the world they inhabit.
The final pages hint at yet another Rangers/Troopers conflict (Which should be fun, given the VR Troopers miniseries in the works), but we also get a hint that a major figure from the Power Rangers mythos is set to make an entrance. If it happens, I can’t wait to see what Flores and Yg bring to the table when it comes to this character. It will hopefully bring more context into what happened to Rita Repulsa, and why the Power Rangers are Public Enemy #1.
Power Rangers Prime #7 balances conflicts both physical and emotional, while further fleshing out its world. It feels like Flores and Yg are only getting started with this story, and I need more of it. Specifically, I need to see more of Teezee.
Power Rangers Prime #7 is available wherever comics are sold.
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