Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #1

By Ryan Parrott, Dan Mora, and Raul Angulo

The first issue of this brand new Go Go Power Rangers series from BOOM! comes out just as the release of the live-action movie hits Blu-Ray. As a result, it’s fairly accessible to newcomers despite being the second monthly series from the publisher, with Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers serving as a continuation of the characters’ journey. Here, we are quickly introduced to the characters in their early days who we will be spending time with over the course of this series. The Rangers are very much in the mould of their movie counterparts as the book successfully meets the criteria of appealing to both newcomers and regular Power Rangers comic readers alike.

Picking up in the aftermath of the Power Ranger’s first battle, which has had earth-shattering repercussions for the town of Angel Grove, the four teenagers are like Peter Parker after his adventures in Captain America: Civil War; namely struggling to re-adapt to everyday life. It turns out that they are not the only ones, as the scale of the previous battle has kids at school scared by loud noises and other such incidents. They’re wary of something big happening again, and you can’t blame them. But Angel Grove is recovering, for better or worse, and it has the Power Rangers to protect them. One of the main strengths of the film itself was its attention on fleshing out its characters and this is certainly something that Go Go Power Rangers has chosen to stick with, predominantly focusing on the group outside of their costumes. We don’t really see them properly suit up until the end of the issue to deal with a new threat that will test them to the limits.

The decision to explore what happens after the first battle is a unique one and offers a different twist on what we’ve seen before in Power Rangers comics. Most of them have been about getting to that battle, but here’s something that looks at what happens next and it does it in a very solid way indeed. This is helped by just how well writer Ryan Parrott manages to explore the consequences of being Power Rangers that the characters have, with Kimberly and Jason being able to have only minimal social lives. Kimberly herself, for example, is interrupted on the middle of a date with her boyfriend Matthew Cook (a new addition to the Power Rangers universe) to answer the call of the Power Rangers, whilst Billy and Trini face different struggles in over-protective parents. They have to come up with alibis for their super-heroic activities not just because of their parents’ wishes, but also because the army is looking for the Ranger’s identities. There’s going to be that added tension there in the months to come depending on how much Parrott wishes to bring the army into the picture, as they could further add an interesting dynamic to the series.

Dan Mora and Raul Angulo bring some stylish, cool art to the proceedings that’s slick and clear. The tone of the issue adapts nicely depending on the environment; for example, school scenes look straight out of a young adult high school movie with Angulo’s crisp and clear design, whilst the scenes featuring the Power Rangers in battle are darker and have more agency about them. One thing that does set this comic back is that like the movie, most of the Rangers themselves couldn’t quite pass as teenagers apart in how they’re designed, but Parrott’s dialogue makes up for that, as they talk just like teenagers do.

With everything taken into consideration, the Power Rangers themselves look to be in perfect hands. The simple yet effective opening dares to explore consequences from big action set pieces, putting the characters first and foremost in what should be a very interesting read. If you’re a Power Rangers fan, or someone who liked the movie, but has not seen any other related material yet wants to discover more, this is the perfect jumping on point.