2024’s solidified a major trend in comics: the reinvention. Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe asks, “what happens when Marvel’s heroes live in a world ruled by supervillains?” DC’s Absolute line has reimagined Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman as underdogs instead of icons. Now Power Rangers Prime #1 gets in on the trend, with its first page asking, “If evil can be redefined as order…progress…then what signifies good? In what kind of world would a hero be created?”
The answer, as it turns out, is seemingly a utopia. In this new world, the Eltarians – the same race that the Power Rangers’ mentor Zordon belongs to – came to Earth decades ago to stop an alien invasion. They also decided to stay and colonize Earth, bringing it technological advancement. The Power Rangers are seemingly a myth…but it turns out that myth might have a foothold in legend, as one Ranger’s on the run.
Power Rangers Prime #1 is unlike any Power Rangers comic that BOOM! Studios has put out…but that’s why it works. A criticism that Power Rangers fans have had is that the franchise tends to lean on the “glory days” of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but apart from the Eltarians – and another character who receives a massive overhaul in Prime‘s closing pages – there’s very little MMPR elements here.
Instead, the creative team of Melissa Flores and Michael Yg introduce a few other Rangers from other seasons. Prime‘s main Ranger is Lauren Shiba from Power Rangers Samurai, while characters from Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue and Power Rangers Megaforce make guest appearances. But the bulk of the issue is centered on the interactions between Mark, a half-human boy who shelters a wounded Lauren, and Jun, an Eltarian who’s the son of one of Eltar’s most decorated warriors.
BOOM!
Through Mark and Jun, Flores explores the ups and downs of Eltar’s influence on Earth; though the world might seem like a glittering paradise, armored soldiers travel the streets and the Power Rangers are enemy #1. Even if I was hoping for more Ranger action, I do appreciate how Flores has laid out this new vision of the Power Rangers. Although she’s becoming well known for reinventing ’90s-era properties with her previous Mighty Morphin Power Rangers run and Biker Mice from Mars, Power Rangers Prime #1 hews closer to her writing on The Dead Lucky. A heroine fighting against an oppressive force? Said heroine as the last of a fighting force? The parallels are there.
It doesn’t hurt that Flores is joined by Yg, whose hyperkinetic, anime-influenced artwork is the perfect fit for a Power Rangers comic. Yg opens the issue with a massive fight between Lauren and Eltarian troops; It’s not just the action that Yg draws well; flashbacks manage to incorporate Eltarians and Power Rangers into history in a surprising way. Fabi Marques also deserves all the flowers for a bright, vibrant color palette that feels right at home in the world of Power Rangers.
Power Rangers Prime #1 delivers a truly unique take on the Power Rangers Universe in the vein of Ultimate Spider-Man and Absolute Superman. Whether you’re a lifelong Power Rangers fan or a newcomer, you should check out this comic – and given a surprise appearance from another group of ’90s characters, Flores and Yg are aiming to push the envelope when it comes to shaking up the Rangers’ world.
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