By Kyle Higgins, Hendry Prasetya, Matt Herms, Ed Dukeshire, Steve Orlando, Corin Howell, Jeremy Lawson, Jim Campbell, Mairghread Scott, Daniel Bayliss
As someone who has watched a ton of Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Kamen Rider, the idea of a comic book focusing on our favorite teenage superheroes continuing their adventures with more modern storytelling was very exciting. Papercutz initially had the publishing rights, releasing two graphic novels. They were certainly decent, but it was missing something. Well, now BOOM! is giving it a shot and they have that something in spades.
That something is definitely the edge that Higgins gives the primary story. It’s not “nineties comics” edgy either. There’s a level of maturity that can only be found in modern comics. Instead of wasting time on an origin story that everyone reading this will already know, Higgins jumps right in. Taking place after the Green Ranger Saga, Tommy is the new member of the team and still learning the ropes. Higgins presents Tommy as a tortured character, as he still hears Rita Repulsa voice inside his head and still remembers the things that he has done. He’s a warrior looking for redemption, which is much deeper than the television series ever got. It’s very well-written and already contains some of the best character work in comics.
The Rangers are beautifully drawn by Hendry Prasetya. It gives the Rangers that modern edge that we previously discussed, but not in any ridiculous way. That edge is subtle and subdued, but it’s still all over the page. Colorist Matt Herms also deserves a lot of credit for making each character pop with their signature colors. The two backup stories are also great. The first is an awesome story featuring the real heroes of the series, Bulk and Skull. The story is told well and Corin Howell’s art makes it feel like one of Archie’s fun new reboots. Bulk and Skull want to be heroes and it will be very interesting to see their adventures continue.
The second backup is exciting and looks wonderful. The art of Daniel Bayliss is detailed and has a much lighter tone, which is funny because this story is the most action-packed. The fighting is slick, with each panel being very easy to comprehend. Action in comics can sometimes get a little clucky and lose its fluidness, but that’s definitely not a problem here. As far as the story goes, this is the weakest one, since it doesn’t add much and can actually clash with the primary tale. It’s still decent in its own right, though.
If you’re wondering if this series is worth your time, the answer is “yes.” Issue Zero offers a little glimpse of things to come and it’s looking like the future is very bright for the Power Rangers. It’s Morphin’ Time, indeed.
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