“Well, that’s just Prime!”
It may seem weird to start this review with a quote from Beast Wars as there hasn’t been a crossover with the Transformers and Power Rangers franchises… at least not yet. The word “prime” means of first importance, as well as the best possible quality. From the initial volume of Power Rangers Prime, which covers the first four issues, it may seem early to say that it is the best possible quality, but this is the start of something really exciting.
For almost a full decade, BOOM! Studios has been working wonders with their Power Ranger comics, at close to 200 issues published. Beginning last year, Power Rangers Prime presents a rebooted continuity, serving as an entry point for new readers, whilst not negating the well-established fan base of the previous comics and the franchise in general.
In this new timeline, Earth was invaded by the Beast Brigade, which defeated the Power Rangers until the Eltarian Army came. As the Eltarians colonizes Earth, sharing its technology with humans, they view all Rangers as a threat, causing Lauren Shiba to run from the law, despite her family being imprisoned. As Lauren finds herself in the company of four young adults, some of which refugees from other planets, they all face a conflict with an authoritarian empire, alien monsters, and the glorious return of Rita Repulsa.
While we get some established elements from the Power Rangers lore, it’s the new elements that really stand out. The story may still be set in the fictional city of Angel Grove where there is a university for young heroes to do a lot of physical education, but it is so steeped in science-fiction with multiple alien races interacting that it initially catches you off-guard.
Having previously written Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Recharged, Melissa Flores isn’t interested in playing the greatest hits, instead opting to establish this alternate timeline where there is clearly a lot to more to unfold than what these four issues present. While the pacing is slow in places, the five leads who will become the Rangers have compelling dynamics with each other, most notably Markon Zhao the half-Aquitian refugee and Jun, an Earth-born Eltarian who trained under the guidance of his mother and instructor, Admiral Janessa.
Power Rangers has always been about good vs. evil, and one of the main themes that Flores is exploring is the sometimes-blurry line between right and wrong. As Rita Repulsa makes her grand entrance, it would be easy to paint her as the main antagonist, and whilst you can see Flores having loads of fun writing her with such pleasant nastiness, especially in her banter with reluctant henchman Bulk (where’s Skull?), she ends up being an unlikely ally. Whatever conflicts that the five heroes may have, internally or with each other, their decision to become Power Rangers is their way of retaliating against the system.
Despite the title, there isn’t a great deal of Ranger action, which may frustrate some. However, the world that artist Michael YG and colorist Fabi Marques visualize is a vibrant one with Angel Grove being this mixture of an American city with alien architecture. There are shades of a dystopia, but it never loses the colorful vibrancy and Tokusatsu-inspired action that you want from Power Rangers. While there are awesome redesigns of Rita Repulsa and Bulk, the VR Troopers – another Saban franchise – are a visual highlight.
Remixing the old and new, the initial volume of Power Rangers Prime is a successful reboot that will be exciting to see how it unfolds as an ongoing series.
