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01-05-2024, 07:50 PM | #1 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Hey there! Welcome to a new project that I decided to start!
The Power Rangers franchise is in a really weird spot right now, what with all the rumors and production hang-ups getting thrown around. Alot of things like the toyline getting put on hiatus, to talk of the upcoming adult-oriented Netflix show possibly being the new mainline canon, with Cosmic Fury serving as the finale to what fans have followed up to now. And seeing as how there's nothing new for one of my favorite franchises in sight, atleast in terms of TV, that got me thinking, you know what is still going? The comics done by BOOM! Studios. Not just their own original stuff either, but also various tie-ins, Kickstarter Campaigns, and more. So I figured, hey, why not take a look back at the comics as a whole and examine why exactly they work as well as they do, and perhaps even discuss various aspects they have and how they relate not just to their source material, but also how well they hold up when put under their own lens, separated from the nostalgia that naturally comes from a property like this. I'll be updating these reviews once a week, with one volume read per review. And on average that's about four issues per post. There will be a few exceptions of course(especially when it comes to direct tie-in comics and one-offs), but for the most part, I think that means this project will last up until close to the end of the year, if not the entirety of it. But hey, It's simple for me to do and I feel like it'll be alot of fun, so I'm happy to do it. I plan to use the following reading order, so if you wanna follow along, this is the general road map you'll wanna go by. Again, there'll be exceptions, but we'll tackle those when we get there. With that out of the way, let's start this off with...
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01-05-2024, 07:50 PM | #2 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Go Go Power Rangers Volume 1 Man, I had nearly forgotten all about what a great introductory arc the first four issues of Go Go actually are! There's so much to like here! You're immediately introduced to what every character is about; Their motivations, their personalities, how they get along with everyone in the cast, and the personal struggles that being a superhero puts them all through. All accompanied by wonderful dialogue, fun action scenes, and relatable scenarios. What makes it even better is that none of it explicitly relies on the reader having already been into the property beforehand either. Even is showcased and written in a very clear matter to where even newcomers to the franchise will have an easy time catching up to speed, while the story retains alot of the charm that comes with Power Rangers almost inherently. Or, if you want the short version of this paragraph: It's fun! That's not to say that old school fans are totally left out though. Every issue is sprinkled with small allusion or reference that series vets are sure to pick up on. Like the two astronauts pictured above being the ones who unseal Rita in the very opening of the show. Of which this story answers the question of "What exactly happened to those two anyway?" Or even smaller things like a callback to Rito's' story about the pet dragon Rita wanted in season 3 of MMPR. Stuff like that is integrated naturally and in ways that won't confuse newcomers either. I imagine one of the biggest highlights for both camps though will be seeing glimpses of just how the main group came to be. After all, they're all very diverse socially, so how the heck did they all become friends? Though this does immediately highlight one prevailing element throughout these comics. Ryan Parrott serves as the head writer for many of these comics(Go Go especially), and the man absolutely loves his flashbacks. Sure, it's somewhat necessary here in the early days, but as we continue forward, you'll see that there are a lot of flashbacks. I don't mind them for the most part, but I don't blame the readers who find them to be a bit much. Especially when they establish stuff like how Billy and Skull used to be friends. It builds intrigue! Speaking of the people who help make these comics reality though, I wanna take the time to highlight how awesome Dan Mora's' artwork is here. There will be many artists who work on these books as we continue onward(which will be highlighted in a beautiful way later on), but Dan Mora is the one whose art style I always think of most when I think about how these comics are drawn. This is only bolstered by how he's drawn other stuff like the old box art for the Lightning Collection figures as well as other comic works like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossovers(we'll get to those eventually). In terms of the story in and of itself though, it's all about not just what to expect from these comics going forward, but also, well, people. What brings them together, what things might break them apart, and what drives them to do what they do. And all with very likable, three dimensional characters throughout. Stuff like Kim being caught between a feud her parents are having or the teams doubts over everything that their new lives as superheroes entails wouldn't be any sort of enthralling if their redeeming qualities weren't shown up front. It sounds basic, sure, but I've read stories where such things are forgotten about or otherwise taken for granted. Overall, Volume 1 of GGPR has it all: Action, comedy, drama, character development, you name it. And it's all pulled off in a very fun, very fulfilling way. You'll hear no complaints from me.
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01-13-2024, 11:37 PM | #3 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Go Go Power Rangers Volume 2 I chose this page of Rita at the thumbnail shot of this post to make what I consider a significant highlight when it comes to these comics. Every character, is in character. Does the comic take some different turns from the show? Absolutely. But the essential core characteristics of all the major players in the cast remains strong. And Rita here is no exception. Sure, she's a bit more cold and calculating than in MMPR proper, but what was one of, if not her biggest character trait in the show? She was petty! And that is absolutely showcased in this volume, with her executing one of her generals because he kept interrupting her. Something else that the comics keep true to from the source material is that, while the Rangers are certainly the focal characters, the side characters also have their own little arcs that they're going through. Here, just as Victor Vincent wanted his trophy, Bulk wants to be the first Freshman Homecoming King. And you'd better believe I was rooting for him all the way. But, that's not the main focal point, now is it? The arc of volume 2 as a whole centers around a Rita making a sentient Putty to impersonate Matt, and the drama that unfolds around both it as well the Rangers as they continue to navigate their lives both as individuals and as a group. It makes for rather interesting character drama, as well as giving a good explanation as to why Rita makes sure all of her foot soldiers are mindless drones. It's not all perfect though. I'm personally not a fan of the idea to ship Jason and Trini. Jason already had his arc with him taking the wrong approach to his leadership, and Trini, while she wasn't given anything new this arc, I personally saw nothing wrong with continuing the angle with her family from last volume. Or, heck, why not have her be the one trying to balance everyone out as things continue to get crazy? Could've even had her be the first one to notice something off about "Matt" instead of Zack. Speaking of Zack, that's a little bit of missed opportunity, in that Angela, the girl he was chasing for a part of Mighty Morphin', does not make an appearance nor is even so much is mentioned. With Zack's' date instead being an original character. And his own insecurities, rather than being showcased, are instead simply stated matter-of-factly by Putty Matt. Him and Trini really did the short end of the stick when it came to the character drama of volume 2, but, it's nothing super critical. Both are still enjoyable characters for what they are and what they do. I just wish there was a bit more, is all. And on that note, well, more is certainly to come... But that specific arc will be for another day, as next week we swerve into the comic that actually started off the BOOM Timeline to begin with...
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01-19-2024, 11:05 PM | #4 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Volume 1 (+Issue #0) Despite what the unedited reading order might tell you, this is a weak starting point. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, while not the first comic BOOM! Studios would make for the franchise(that'd be MMPR: Pink), is what would start off what is now a subset of Power Rangers all its own. This one being written by Kyle Higgins and illustrated by Hendry Prasetya, and you can immediately tell the entirely different vibes this comic has from Go Go. The tone? Darker. The art? Grittier. And the overall focus of the book is more centered on plot than characterization. The book was even advertised as "The Untold Epic of the Green Ranger" back when it first started getting published. And in that regard, this also isn't very friendly to newcomers. BOOM's' MMPR is much more written for older fans who grew up with the original 90s TV show and wanted to see some other aspects of it explored and made darker. And that's not inherently a bad thing, mind you, but there's a surprising amount of people who use(d) the comics as a vehicle for getting into the franchise as a whole, and this comic is not the best for that, I feel. This entire entry arc is all about the ins and outs of past wrongs and what's needed in order to achieve redemption. And while that in and of itself, can make for some compelling drama, it only hits as hard as it can if you're already familiar with all the characters involved. Tommy and his origins specifically. Sure, the books tells you the baseline of what you need to know, but that is nowhere near as strong as actually seeing it play out. And while Tommy is most certainly the main character in all of this, that's not to say the other characters are entirely left out. We gets bits and bobs here and there with everyone else, such as Billy's' self-esteem issues(which are kinda weird when you factor in Go Go but whatever), or Kim trying to balance her emotions with cold logic in this whole situation. But again, none of that is really a main focal point. The overall plot, with Rita, her machinations, and how they affect the Rangers as a group specifically, are the primary focal point. As a result of that, I do feel that the overall characterization does suffer some. Where it hits worst in my eyes is Zack, wherein his fun loving and heart warming personality is pretty much entirely absent from this book. Now, that's not to say Zack in MMPR proper never had moments of seriousness, concern, or critical thinking; He was second in command for a reason, afterall. But here, as an introductory piece, you wouldn't even know that his more lighthearted side was even a thing if you hadn't already seen the original show. I really do feel like that's a huge misstep for both character and world building. I'm also really not a fan of how this volume concludes either. The entire thing has been about Tommy coming into his own and learning what exactly he has to contribute to the group while also being shown ways in which he can in turn lean on everyone else. But everything ends with Jason, the only other person in the group other than Kim who had trust in him, doubling back. Which not only spits in the face of the message, but is also really out of character for Jason himself. I get that the comics are a darker take, but so is Go Go, and there atleast, most of the core aspects of the characters were preserved while still introducing new things. Not so much with this book. So, yeah. I don't think the start off to the comic is exactly bad or anything, but it's definitely weak in alot of aspects, and rereading it now, years later, I am firmly reminded as to why every time I was asked where to start by people who wanted to get into them, I told them to start off with Go Go Power Rangers specifically. Things will certainly get better with time, but for me, the first big step that BOOM's' new universe takes is a big of a weak one.
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01-27-2024, 01:19 PM | #5 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Volume 2 Secrets and trust are the center theme of this volume, and in some ways it works, in others not so much. As one might've guessed from my previous post, my main sticking point is Zack. The first chapter of the volume details how originally, Rita did not go after Tommy, but instead tried to tempt Zack into leaving the Rangers behind and becoming the Green Ranger willingly. While the idea in itself isn't bad, the details surrounding make it not so great overall. First off, having Rita attack Italy presents a greatly missed opportunity. Rather than answering the question of "Why does Rita only attack Angel Grove?" (Of which Go Go would go onto do later) instead this book just sidesteps the question entirely by having her attack other places as though it's not unusual. I also didn't like how easily Zack's' jealousy came about ontop of the decision he makes to have his encounter with Rita remain a secret. There's really no solid reason for keeping it a secret from everyone, and the scene where Jason shows his appreciation for Zack's' heroics would've been a perfect time to bring it up. Now, I can hear someone out there saying "Oh, but that would break canon" to which I respond: You know what else breaks canon? There's of course the smart alack response of "This entire comic series!" but no, more specifically, I'm talking about something I neglected to mention in my write-up on Volume 1, which makes the claim that the Green Power Coin isn't connected to the Morphin' Grid. Which anyone who's seen the show knows is a load of bull. Thankfully, this book then re-retcons things into "It's just not connected to the Grid in the same way" which works, I guess. Speaking of things that I've neglected to mention, I keep forgetting to talk about how every comments ends with a more light-hearted sections that focused on the antics of Bulk and Skull. And while they aren't exactly laugh out loud hilarious or anything, they're charming and fun in their own way, and contain alot of interactions and scenarios that I could actually see the Best Duo getting into. Though is does commit the cardinal sin of getting the name of the iconic Bulkwich wrong. Anyway, the majority of the book has to do with the Rangers finding a way to deal with a new threat in the form of the Black Dragon. A mysterious new enemy whose allied himself with Rita, and somehow has the power to cut the Rangers off from the Morphin' Grid, as well as take over their Zords. Tommy is the only one not affected, and the Black Dragon itself seems to have a rather keen interest in him. And while the whole bout against him makes for some solid stuff, the real highlight for me was something that was relegated to only a couple pages out of the entire book. The interaction between Billy and Goldar, both locked inside of the Dark Dimension, might be very simple and straightforward, but it's also some of the strongest characterization that the MMPR comics have seen so far, especially given Billy's' own feelings of inadequacy, which no doubt mirror the feelings Goldar now has after getting locked away by the Empress that he was so devoted to. Now, this depiction of Goldar and Rita does conflict with GGPR's' portrayals of the two characters some, but I'm willing to let it slide, as it unintentionally highlights just how much Rita is not to be trusted, which in turns ties into the overall plot rather well. In the end, it's a better step forward than volume 1, but I still wouldn't say that we've gotten to the "good" part yet.
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02-03-2024, 07:45 PM | #6 |
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Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Volume 3 Well we've reached it. The moment that propelled the Power Rangers comics into stardom and set the fandom on fire. And really, it's easy to see why, as this volume has alot going for it. Yeah, Lord Drakkon and the World of the Coinless make their debut here, and it's everything that every issue so far has been building up to. While the journey wasn't the best, does it all work out in the end? Absolutely, and in more ways than one. As while the volume starts with the major twist of the Black Dragon being a modified Dragonzord from an alternate world, ontop of the eventual reveal of Lord Drakkon himself, the second issue takes a moment to address something that these MMPR comics have been struggling with for a bit: Character development. An entire issue is dedicated to showcasing more of Billy. His fears, his desires, and how he interacts with his teammates. The talk between him and Zack is very heartfelt, and one that I could actually see happening in the show itself for the most part. Granted, said issue also implies this is where Billy first makes the Communicators, which screws with continuity incredibly hard, but whatever. Minor prices to pay for a short story that I rather enjoyed. It's also drawn by Jonathan Lam rather than the usual Hendry Prasetya, which I felt was a good move, as it fit the tone of that specific tale alot better. Prasetya's' style would've just felt out of place. That's not to say Prasetya isn't good at what he does though, as his artwork does a wonderful job at capturing and enhancing the overall tone and atmosphere of this part of the story. From making some darker versions of pre-existing designs come to life, to showing just how miserable the World of the Coinless is, his style is what my brain most closely associates with not just this arc, but also Lord Drakkon himself. I might prefer other artists for the franchise as an overall, but this stuff specifically? Prasetya all the way. And, well, I think that also pretty covers the tale in and of itself, doesn't it? Readers often seem to forget, but these comics were made for older fans specifically, so appealing to that demographic by showcasing just what happens when the boundless joy and optimism of the source material falls just short to the forces of evil, and how badly things could've gone for our heroes overall, ontop of the age old question of "What if Tommy chose to stay with Rita?' ... it's a very appealing and interesting thing to see play out in an official way. And you won't hear any complaints from me.
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02-09-2024, 11:39 AM | #7 |
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Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Justice League/Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Surprise, it's crossover time! This crossover between Justice League and Power Rangers started getting published around this time, so I figured, why not cover it? Written by Tom Taylor and drawn by Stephen Byrne, this book is basically an action movie crossover between DC and Saban's' most iconic characters that I'd absolutely love to see animated one day. And I gotta say, it's just a really fun ride all the way through. Byrne's' art, while not perfect, makes every character feel as though they belong together, and perfectly portrays everything that a given scene/scenario is trying to properly portray. Made even more impressive given he does the coloring too. Meanwhile, Tom Taylor's' writing feels very natural and keeps everyone in character, ontop of having some very fun and engrossing dialogue. He also creates a scenario that makes alot of sense for a crisis crossover; That being a team-up between Zedd and Brainiac, which in themselves are two villains I certainly wouldn't immediately think of just by the title alone. Plus, as a Zack fan, it was really nice to see that Zack was basically the main character of nearly the entire run. Not in the sense that's the super mega hero who solves everyone's' problems -- no, he's got his own arc and drama going on, with him feeling the weight of everything going on; blaming himself due to his error in judgment essentially causing the entire crossover to happen to begin with. Not to mention the recent argument he had with his parents. The crossover isn't just a mere team-up either, with elements of both works intersecting and interacting with eachother. I really dig these suits that the Rangers don temporarily, and I wish we had gotten action figures of them. Just a shame that we never got to see, say, Batman Morph into a Power Ranger or somesuch. But hey, the commentary that the League has on certain aspects of the PR universe is fun, like the bit about the two worlds having different currency towards the end of the story. What was biggest shock to me in the entire thing though was actually the interaction between Alpha 5 and Brainiac. Both sentient machines, both with very different philosophies on life. The writers of the BOOM PR comics must've taken note of it as well, as these aspects of Alpha would later on be imported directly into the BOOM stories(we'll highlight that eventually). It's a very rare and poignant moment coming from a character many wouldn't expect, but it really works in context, and I dug it alot. A shame that Alpha's' lesson doesn't seem to stick with the twelfth-level intelligence though. But uh, something sure does stick with Alpha. And before you ask, no, this crossover never did get a sequel unfortunately. But I really would love to see it return one day with the same creatives behind it.
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02-09-2024, 11:53 AM | #8 |
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Yeah, that is a very good crossover as well as being a very fun read from start to finish and Linkara himself even did a video review of it a couple of years back.
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02-09-2024, 12:24 PM | #9 |
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I re-read this myself lately, due to reading someone’s fanfic that took the basic plot, but swapped the N52 Justice League for the MCU Avengers. It really is a fairly tight story for a crossover between two team heroes. And on a really random note, I read the characters’ voices as a mix of different incarnations for some reason (namely, Batman and Flash from the 2004 cartoon, GL and Superman from the DCAU, Wonder Woman from the Tomorrowverse and Cyborg from the Lego games)
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02-11-2024, 09:02 PM | #10 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,467
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Quote:
I mean, that's a pretty solid cast your head put together! No complaints from me.
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