Jason And Trini Are Strangers In A Strange Land In Go Go Power Rangers #14

Jason and Trini are stranded in a strange planet far away from Earth and to make matters all the more confusing, they’ve switched powers. He’s the Yellow Ranger and she’s the Red Ranger. Admittedly, this looks pretty cool. The rest of the Power Rangers are trying to keep up appearances at home while Zordon and Alpha 5 are looking for their friends. This would be the worst time for a monster attack.

The budding relationship between Jason and Trini has been a joy to watch. Writer Ryan Parrott has packed Go Go Power Rangers with the perfect amount of will-they-won’t-they drama so putting these two characters alone in a fantastical setting is like an emotional powder keg. We should be counting down until they kiss.
To really emphasize just how stranded these two are, they do eventually make contact with the Command Center. It comes through as a choppy message with every other word missing. Letterer Ed Dukeshire breaks this up well so we get just enough of the dialogue while highlighting how far removed the characters are. They’re definitely on their own for a bit.

That personal quality is what has elevated this series from the beginning and we get more of that incredible development in this issue. This comes not only in the interaction between the two stranded Rangers, but with a personal flashback from Jason and a reactionary move from Kimberly. Let’s stay on Jason for a moment.
This issue opens with a scene from six years ago with a dour-looking Jason entering a karate school for the first time. This gives us a great insight into who he was before he became the responsible and disciplined leader of the Power Rangers. He was a kid with a chip on his shoulder. This is such a relatable scene and speaks volumes about the man that Jason has become.

Artist Eleonora Carlini brings the emotion in these opening pages. Jason is like an exposed nerve. He’s angry at the world and it shows. This contrasts well with the karate instructor who can see through this to what’s really bugging the kid. The teacher disarms Jason with his words and tranquil mood. It’s such a calm delivery that serves as a perfect juxtaposition to Jason’s fiery temper.
Where Carlini really lets loose is on the alien world which is filled with all sorts of creatures. There’s a nice variety here and they’re all pretty deadly. This place is part Savage Land part Planet Hulk. There are monsters that are a little like dinosaurs, but not quite. They’re just as scary as anything from Jurassic Park.

These alien creatures come alive with Raul Angulo’s colors. This is every bit the alien setting with the vast palette used. There are blues and oranges that you don’t see in nature on this world. This plays up the foreign aspect of the story, showing just how out of their element Jason and Trini are.
In addition to all of this, we get some ominous sequences with Rita Repulsa. We didn’t get a good understanding of where she came from or the true extent of her power from the original TV show. Go Go Power Rangers has pulled back to show just how far her reach goes and it’s pretty terrifying. She’s working through some steps in her plan to defeat the Power Rangers once and for all and it’s some creepy stuff. She has this diabolical look to her in every panel, like she clearly knows more than everyone else in the room and she knows it.

Go Go Power Rangers has become everything I could ever want from a Power Rangers comic. Since I grew up with the Mighty Morphin series, these characters have a special place in my heart and this series has added new depth and range to them in ways I never would have imagined. This is a solid, character-driven book that’s packed to the brim with action and intrigue. As much as I love the TV show, this stands head and shoulders above it.
Go Go Power Rangers #14 from Boom! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.