Review: New Villains, New Rangers, And New Mysteries Abound In ‘Mighty Morphin’ #1

The era of Unlimited Power begins as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is split in half…at least in titles. Mighty Morphin starts here and Power Rangers starts next. This first chapter of the all new status quo has the Rangers trying to figure out the mystery of the Green Ranger who has suddenly appeared out of nowhere and helped them in battle. Who is behind the mask? Is it Drakkon?

The safe bet is on Drakkon, but since we have yet to see him in the new duds, I’m thinking that’s a red herring. I’m still thinking it’s Matt, Kimberly’s ex-boyfriend who’s been the sixth wheel to the team since Go Go Power Rangers started. We don’t learn anything else in this chapter, but my suspicions are warranted especially since we see him again for the first time in awhile.

Writer Ryan Parrott has shown a talent for picking out pieces of Power Rangers mythos that have not yet been explored and expanded greatly upon them. We’ve seen this time and time again during his run on this franchise and Mighty Morphin #1 is no different. This time, he’s turned his attention to Zordon’s past. Just who was he before he became that big floating head? This issue gives us the beginnings of a mystery and I’m very much intrigued by them. If you’re counting at home, that makes two mysteries.

With such a big cast, not only with the main team, but the supporting characters and villains, it’s impressive that everyone gets some time in the spotlight. There are a bunch of different plot threads at work here and they’re all moving pretty quickly. This is no easy task, yet Parrott handles it incredibly well.

Artist Marco Renna brings some life to these characters that highlights their personalities and insecurities. A great example of this is a round table discussion with the team as they try to figure out the Green Ranger’s identity. They don’t look much like the actors that played them in the TV show and that’s actually preferred, especially as we take new steps into uncharted territory. They do capture the essence of each character.

A favorite in any Power Rangers comic comes in the morphing sequences and Renna turns in a great one here. I love how each artist puts their own spin on it. This time around we get an awesome full page spread showing the Rangers in mid transformation. You see their regular clothes interspersed with their uniforms as energy crackles around them. Letterer Ed Dukeshire makes this page burst with power as each team member shouts out their dinosaur symbol…mascot..? What is that thing called?

While we have a few mysteries brewing, that’s not all that’s going to keep the Rangers busy. Lord Zedd is perhaps more dangerous than ever. There are some interesting Frankenstein-esque sequences on his base on the moon. Colorist Walter Baiamonte, aided by Katia Ranalli paints this like a horror movie with unnatural greens and dark blues. It’s clear Zedd still has some tricks up his sleeve.

A ton of groundwork is laid in Mighty Morphin #1 as we prepare to step into the next era for this franchise. It’s showing no signs of slowing down, keeping the excitement high. It’s amazing what comics like these have been able to do for these characters, fleshing them out in new and interesting ways. The TV show was just the beginning. This is where the real action is.

Mighty Morphin #1 from BOOM! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.