by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
Power Rangers takes the WHAT IF… approach for a unique exploration of the original team in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return, a special 4-issue series from BOOM! Studios.
What if the original team from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers never disbanded? Not only is this a different take on the Power Rangers story as we know it, but the story is brought to us from the mind of the original Pink Ranger herself – Amy Jo Johnson! The former Power Ranger teamed up with co-writer Matt Hotson (Titans), Artist Nico Leon (Ms. Marvel), Colorist Francesco Segala (All-New Firefly), Colorist Gloria Martinelli (All-New Firefly), and Letterer Ed Dukeshire (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) to form a new creative team with attitude!
SPOILER WARNING for MMPR: The Return #1
After an extremely successful Kickstarter ($594,000 and 5,8000 backers), we have finally reached the launch of the series with the first issue hitting local comic book stores and PDFs hitting inboxes of backers. We got a sneak preview of The Return in BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special (released last August), which indicated that events played out differently in this universe, especially thanks to an ominously placed moon looming in the background behind Kimberly. What happened decades ago that splintered the team? What was so bad they would decide that there would be no more Power Rangers? This issue is just the tip of the iceberg as we start to get a better understanding of this new world…
Several former Power Rangers return to Angel Grove for the christening of the “Trini Kwan Memorial Park and Youth Center”. As Billy and Zack lead a beautiful ceremony, several familiar faces look out from the crowd. One of those faces happens to be Kimberly Hart, now known to the world as Emma Phillips. Although she is there celebrate her missing friend, we are teased about someone who is missing from the festivities…as Tommy apparently died years earlier!? We will have to wait for more on this revelation, but the creative team continues with the story as we learn more about the lives of Billy and Zack. Although they all swore no more Power Rangers, they continued to find creative ways to use their power coins for good. But that’s not all, as they reveal that Jason has continued to save lives as the Red Ranger AND he has been continuously morphed! How has this impacted their former leader and who exactly is hunting him? You’ll have to wait until the next issue for more on that, as well as the shocking reveal on the final page of the story.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return is a great entry point for readers who are interested in exploring the comics from BOOM! Studios. For years, this publisher has provided fans with some truly impressive stories featuring our favorite teenagers with attitude, and this special event series is no exception. There is a lot of world-building that happens in this first issue, but it feels organic and necessary in order to set the stage for what comes next. The artistic choices from Leon, Segala, and Martinelli blended together to paint a vivid picture of this brave new world, expertly complemented by lettering from Dukeshire. All of these elements are further enhanced by pitch-perfect character designs from the one and only Dan Mora (Once & Future). There’s so much to love in the morphinomenal first issue, and I can’t wait to see where this creative team takes us.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1 – 4.5 out of 5 returns to Angel Grove.
But don’t leave just yet, because we have another special treat:
ComicsOnline is pleased to announce that both Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson have joined our Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Exclusive Interview Series!
The dynamic duo spoke with us yesterday for a spoiler-filled discussion of MMPR: The Return and a whole lot more. Check out the individual interviews at the links below:
Power Rangers – Interview with Matt Hotson – 30th Anniversary Exclusive
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