Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #2
Boom Studios
Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artist: Henry Prayseta
Colors: Matt Herms
Letterer: Ed Dukshire
As a kid, and someone who was way to obsessed with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, I’ve often pondered how does being a Power Ranger affect the home life of our heroes? And as you may know, a young kid sees someone in high school as an adult, so these questions were easily dismissed and neglected. A thought that when I revisited Power Rangers as an adult, made no sense, I mean where are these kid’s parents? Well it appears as a kid, writer: Kyle Higgins had the same questions. And as a talented writer on the current Boom Studio’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic he is finally giving us more of the Ranger’s home life.
Higgins provides great fan moments, like something as simple as seeing Billy and Trini opening the Dragonzord manual to fix a malfunction. This interaction may come across as bland to the average reader, but to any Power Ranger’s fanatic these are the scenes, and the fan service they have been waiting for. Seeing were the Zords stored and who maintains them are minor but important thoughts any Power Rangers fan has pondered. Beyond some strong fan service this issue really thrives when it get’s into the self-exploration of the Green Ranger’s feelings as an outsider to the team.
Once evil, and still being manipulated by Rita Repulsa, the book reverses the unrealistic actions of the original television series that Tommy would immediately be accepted, and trusted within the team. After all wouldn’t the fellow Rangers doubt his true loyalty even if among themselves? Or more importantly wouldn’t Tommy Oliver question his place in this world? Tackling these in depth questions and character motivations of our childhood heroes, are what makes Might Morphin Power Ranges one of the best books of 2016!
This book through two issues not only has a knack for character development we have never seen among
our core characters, but also for establishment of lesser known villains from the original series. In this issue we see the often under utilized Scorpina front and center as our main antagonist. Scorpina brings a personal threat in this issue, that this property has never been afforded. All of this is aided by the dynamic art of Henry Prayseta, and the vibrant colors of Matt Herms who keep intact the fantastical nature of the original series, while firmly establishing our story in world that feels alive in way Angel Grove never has.
Overall Higgins provides us with answers and actions we never thought possible in this property, which was once easily dismissed as a children’s series. New Readers and fans of the original series will leave this book realizing that 2016 is the year of the Power Rangers in comics, the way 1993 was for television.