Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #3 wastes no time throwing us back into the chaos, right where we left off, with Leonardo squaring up against Lord Zedd. The grief from Splinter’s loss still hangs over everything, and neither team has the clarity they desperately need. Meanwhile, Shredder and Lord Zedd glide right into that emotional gap, twisting the knife and twisting the teens. How do you rebound when your enemies weaponize the fallout of your heartbreak? And what reinforcements might crawl, sprint, or morph in from the corners of each franchise’s lore to turn the tide?
The cold open is a clever comedic beat, as two figures step up to show they will go into danger to report what is happening, then only to reveal themselves as Bulk and Skull. It’s a great tension-breaker and a smart framing device; their panicked commentary sets the tone for a losing battle as the Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers struggle against an onslaught of mutants and monsters. From there, the issue jumps between the two teams fighting against evil and a brutal, highlight-worthy duel between Red Ranger Jason and Green Ranger Shredder. Their rivalry feels like the kind of “what if” matchup we all staged with our action figures, only now with sharper stakes. Writer Ryan Parrott crafts a moment where Shredder tempts Jason. Now, what if Jason actually did crack under the pressure and accept Shredder’s pitch? Wild thought!
IDW/BOOM!
Parrott continues to excel at symmetry and escalation, finding the right parallels to honor both teams. The callbacks to previous team-ups land well, and the mix-and-match battles give this crossover a kinetic rhythm. Better yet, Parrott leans into the mashup energy on both sides, heroes and villains, and hints at even bigger combinations coming next. Longtime fans will pick up on the connective tissue.
Vincenzo Federici and Raul Angulo deliver another visual slam dunk. Their art nails the exhaustion, the desperation, and the punch-to-the-gut pacing of a battle slipping out of the heroes’ control. Bulk and Skull’s narration works even better because Federici and Angulo paint such a grim backdrop. The fights only get wilder as the villains seize momentum, and the body language between the fractured teams speaks volumes. Fortunately, a mentor steps in with a much-needed quest, one that challenges the heroes’ hearts as much as their fists.
By the end, our teens are cornered by a new wave of mutated evil… and the creative team primes the pump for one heck of a comeback. If the final pages are any indication, the next issue might serve up another all-time mashup. I’m absolutely ready for it.
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