by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
Back in the year 1993, a group of teenagers were given powers by an alien wizard and were tasked to save the world from evil space aliens on a weekly basis. Thirty years later, fans will get to experience another major milestone in the history of the franchise, as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special hits local comic stores on 8/30/23.
Thanks to our friends at Boom! Studios, we had the pleasure of reading this special anthology early, but there is no chance that we would ruin the joyous occasion for you. Our spoiler free review continues ahead.
Official Synopsis:
This anniversary issue is full of Morphinominal content worthy of the 30-year legacy with spotlights on Ernie in Angel Grove, Alpha 5’s struggle to find his true purpose, a mind-bending “What If?” story about Tommy’s powers that introduces an all-new alternate universe, a deeper look into Tommy’s relationship with Kat, and a dive into the Ranger Academy.
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The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special features the writing talents of Melissa Flores (Dead Lucky), Ryan Parrott (Rogue Sun), Mat Groom (Inferno Girl Red), Mairghread Scott (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Maria Ingrande Mora (Fragile Remedy), as well as the original Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson (Titans). These creators are joined by artists Hendry Prasetya, Marco Renna and Daniel Bayliss (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Eleonora Carlini (Go Go Power Rangers), Francesco Mortarino (Power Rangers), and Jo Mi-Gyeong (Ranger Academy), with covers from Dan Mora (Once & Future), Rian Gonzales (Batgirls), Jamal Campbell (Nightwing), Bon Bernardo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Miguel Mercado (Go Go Power Rangers), and Goñi Montes (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).
The creative teams expertly channeled their love & admiration for these characters into their respective stories. Everyone involved in the creation of this book brought their A-Game, and not a single panel was wasted. I truly valued the respect that was shown for our fallen Ranger family, as these stories celebrated both the major and unsung heroes of the franchise. Frankly, I’m surprised that some of these moments hadn’t been explored until now, because they felt so organic to the history and mythology.
The teases for both MMPR: The Return and Ranger Academy were intriguing and well executed. Ranger Academy is positioned to be something wonderful for fans both old and new, and this small story opens up some interesting avenues that they can pursue. Amy Jo’s setup for her series was shocking to say the least, and will surely leave you anxiously awaiting the next chapter. Although we’ve seen a Power Rangers “What If” explored in the opening chapters of the main Boom! Studios MMPR title (see Lord Drakkon and the Coinless Universe), this new take felt equally as unique.
So much incredible talent is showcased in this anthology. The artistic choices and color palettes perfectly compliment each installment, further ensuring that this release will be remembered as a highlight of the milestone anniversary. I don’t know about you, but it was extremely challenging to pick just one cover…so I didn’t. Check out the Cover Gallery and Preview Pages below. #GottaCatchemAll
We might not know what the future holds for the live-action series after Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury, but the future of the Boom! Studios Power Rangers universe shines bright with many more stories to share.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special from Boom! Studios – 5 out of 5 examples of why this franchise has thrived for 30 years.
To our Ranger Nation friends, may the power protect you…always. IT’S MORPHIN TIME!
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The first batch of ComicsOnline Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Interview Series installments are now online!
Join host Matt Sernaker as he reunites with old friends Walter Emanuel Jones (Zack), Catherine Sutherland (Kat), Steve Cardenas (Rocky), David Fielding (Zordon), and Ron Wasserman (Composer) for this unique series of conversations.
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