Review: Go Go Power Rangers #16

Story:

This comic series appears to be tied directly to the first Power Rangers show created for American audiences. Which in some ways is too bad because there is a certain framework that the creators have to work within but I will say that they are trying to squeeze as much out of that as possible. In this issue we are seeing a bit of the behind the scenes of how the Green Ranger aka Tommy was going to be created. We open 10.000 years ago with a totally badass looking Rita Repulsa confronting a previous Green Ranger.

Like I said its kinda too bad that things have to tie directly into established cannon because this Rita looks and acts way more intimidating that the present day Rita we are all familiar with. Plus there were previous Green Rangers. Now thats an intriguing idea and yet it seems this Ranger is an agent of Rita’s and is how she originally squired the power coin. I wish more series would do like Marvel books and have a recap paragraph on the opening page. It is a complaint sometimes that comics series are difficult to get in to and I think these recaps are great for getting a new reader up to speed story wise.

The writer has some interesting things going on here that I don’t recall happening in the original series that add to the mythology of the Power Rangers. We get some sort of weird morphing shift that swaps the Ranger’s suits and therefore powers. This adds some interesting moments as some take to their new abilities while others struggle with how their inherited weapons work. We also get to see Rita in a larger context, with alien allies from other worlds and how tenuous such alliances can be as her position is challenged by her former ally. Additionally we are treated to intrigue within Rita’s own ranks back home as it turns out her subordinates were debating on whether or not to stage their own coup before Rita’s revelation that she was aware all along. A loyalty test was in order before she revealed her next grand scheme, to create a new Green Ranger.

The last bit to go over is the human element as we find out that Kimberly went out with Bulk’s best friend Skull. Further the date went well and Skull was a gentleman in Kimberly’s estimation. A further sub plot is explored as it seems that Trini and Jason were telepathically linked in the previous issue. The end result of this is that their might be a chance for some romance down the line.

Art:

The art is pretty good here with a leaning towards a manga style more so than a western approach . There are plenty of speed lines, lithe bodies and cartoon proportions and faces in places. One thing I appreciated was being able to see the Ranger’s eyes through their visors, which allowed me to connect with them and get an emotional read on them. The colors were nice and vibrant and rendered in a clean almost cell shaded manner.

The Cover by Dan Mora however is a bit lacking. While the figures are beautifully drawn the colors are not as bright as those on the inside making the Rangers appear to be a little dull. Add to that the monochromatic background which is a real wast of a potentially quite nice space scene. I understand that you don’t want the background to steal the show from the main characters but it’s just drab and the Billy/Black Ranger fades into it a bit.

Final Thoughts:

While there are other more serious Power Ranger titles out there this one spoke to my nostalgia. It managed to capture the spirit of the show but was still something adult fans could enjoy and best of all, it expanded on the story at play and the over all mythology of Power Rangers. If you liked the old show you will probably enjoy this. 4 out of 5!

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers 16
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Art: Elonora Carlini
Inking Assist: Simona Di Gianfelice
Colors: Raul Angulo