For over 30 years, the Power Rangers franchise has been built on a tried-and-true formula: a group of teenagers or young adults is chosen to take on the mantle of the Power Rangers and fight evil by transforming into brightly colored uniforms and/or summoning giant robots. Considering this formula led to one of the most successful pop culture franchises of the 1990s, it’s no surprise that it continues to be used to this day. However, Marguerite Bennett and Andrew Lee Griffith take things further with their relaunch of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which asks: “What happens when the Power Rangers grow up?”
Ten years after Jason Lee Scott, Billy Cranston, Trini Kwan, Zack Taylor, and Kimberly Hart became the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, they’ve gathered together again as Billy has detected a menacing new threat in the form of Rita Rabiosa. Things have changed: Jason has become a teacher, Kimberly an Olympic-level gymnast, Trini a crusading diplomat, and Zack a public defender. On top of that, Rabiosa turns out to be far more menacing than any force the Rangers originally faced.
Bennett does a wonderful job of exploring how things have changed for the Rangers now that they’re adults. Fighting the forces of evil and balancing high school was one thing, but balancing careers is another. Zack is pulled right out of the middle of a case, and Trini winds up having her own set of responsibilities that might hamper her return to Rangerhood. On top of that, ten years have caused the Rangers to be a little rusty, especially when it comes to summoning their Zords. Considering that Bennett was the mastermind behind the underrated “Beyond The Grid” storyline of BOOM!’s first Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, which put the spotlight on a collection of underutilized Rangers, it’s no surprise that she has a great handle on the original team.
BOOM!
Griffith also steps up to the plate, especially when it comes to drawing the Rangers as adults. While they’ve grown a little older, the Rangers are still recognizable in both the clothes they’re sporting, which still feature their signature colors, and their facial features. I also have to talk about the update that Griffith’s given the Rangers’ suits. There’s a new diamond design for the chest emblems, and both the boots and gloves feel more streamlined. These Ranger suits feel truly superheroic, and thanks to Joshua Jensen’s vibrant color art, they immediately catch the eye. If that doesn’t feel Ranger-y enough for you, longtime letter smith Ed Dukeshire manages to work the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme in a way that feels right for the story and hits just the right nostalgia buttons in the process.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1 also sets up a mystery in its final pages: what happened to Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger? While Tommy’s set to highlight his own series in the upcoming Power Rangers: Green, it’s enough to keep you hooked. So is a sequence where the Rangers grapple with their own fears, hinting that one of them has their own personal reasons for coming back. This mix of mystery, adult issues, and tokusatsu action makes for a Power Rangers book unlike any other.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1 features a truly fresh take on the classic concept, but doesn’t lose sight of what makes the Power Rangers so iconic. Whether you love the original show, read the original MMPR run, or are a newcomer to the Rangers’ world, this is the comic for you.
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