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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Single Issues)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2016 Annual #1
Comics creators come together to celebrate their mutual love of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! From short stories like “The Origin of Goldar” to “What Would Happen If Bulk and Skull Became Rangers?”, this oversized anthology collection features contributions from creators like Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Rob Guillory (Chew), James Kochalka (Monkey vs Robot), and more!
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
46 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 3, 2023
TL;DR: Boom is off to a great start with the Power Ranger franchise, and this collection shows the breadth of stories that they can tell. However, some of the art is shaky, and one of the stories is far more adult than the others, so parents may need to skip one of the stories.
Adaptation is a tricky business, but I think the Boom comics are an interesting study in it. It's a comics adaptation of a long-running children's TV show, but the children's TV show has many, many different incarnations. The earliest boom comics adapted the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers story-line which most of us geriatric millennials will remember karate chopping along with after school in 1992-1995.
Now, interestingly, the boom! comics mainline is really more for the adult original fans of the comics than it is for the children who have come to the series later. (Which is interesting as the show has, at points, reissued the original episodes in hopes of it finding a new audience.)
I am of two minds about that; on one, I think its clever, marketing wise. It allows them to court the nostalgia factor pretty heavily. Creatively, I think it also allows them to do narrative work they never could in the past due to the age restraints. On the other hand though, its just another of many properties that have been originally meant for all ages and become grimier, darker, and steadily more PG-13 and up. It feels like a lot of places are doing this instead of creating new IP, and that's really a bummer. Will I be hearing about Kimberly and Tommy in the nursing home when I'm 90? One wonders.
Anyway, this was a pretty solid collection; the art remains excellent the whole way through and for the most part, the stories are great! While most of these stories are family friendly and would work for both young readers and adults, I really cannot stress how much the Goldar story is not for little kids.
Stories:
A week in the Life (written by Kyle Higgins, illustrated by Rod Beis): 5 stars, all ages but parents may enjoy it more than kids.
Short but sweet, this is a simple story showing how Jason gets through a week of being a Power Ranger, a karate instructor, a student, a son, and a friend. Any adult out there will identify with Jason and the lack of time in the day to do all the things one needs/wants to do. Ultimately ends on a rather poignant note.
Unlockly Heroes (Written by Ross Thibodeaux and illustrated by Rob Guillory): 4 stars, all ages, but kids will probably enjoy this one more.
The artwork for this one is really distinctive and strong, very Nickelodeon pre-Spongebob era. Billy is in a magic show, but Rita Repulsa sends down a monster based on locks to distract him who manages to lock up the rangers so he can't compete.
Bulk and Skull, also practicing for the talent show, wind up being recruited by Zordon to rescue the other power rangers. There's a lot of physical comedy here, with my person favorite scene being the cut-away reactions of everyone to Bulk and Skull's "victory."
Only the Strong (written by Trey Moore and illustrated by Terry Moore): 5 stars, adults and older teens.
This story is jarringly adult compared to others in the collection. The art for this story is very classic-marvel and tbh the least to my taste of this collection, but I feel like the author Trey Moore really got into the weeds of Power Ranger lore here: lots and lots of name checks from stuff further in the series, and I think its always interesting to see a story from the prospective of the bad guys.
Goldar and his brother are invited to see Lord Zedd, their boss. When his brother brings up displeasure at the thought of being sent as essentially Rita's hired goons, Zedd directs Goldar to ...take care of the problem. And he does. This Zedd is absolutely terrifying to children and the themes here are too adult for them although the gore level is relatively low.
This is easily the best story in the annual but it's also easily a recommended skip for anyone under 10.
A spot of Trouble (Written by Marguerite Bennett and Illustrated by Huang Danlan): 4 stars, all ages.
The artwork for this story is gorgeous. It's very inspired by shoujo manga. A fox alien/creature? is sent by Rita Repulsa to get rid of the humans to protect the earth, but finds Kimberly and Trini instead. Kimberly and Trini try to convince the creature to turn to their side. The plot here is pretty simple, but the artwork is fantastic.
Its Putty Time (written and illustrated by James Kochalka): 3 stars, all ages.
The artwork here is very simple and similar to Indie comics, and the story is short and comical. A putty falls in love with Kimberly while the power rangers are fighting putties, and tries to go undercover as a new kid. (Somehow, no one sees through this ruse.) The story is rather short and just silly; it was cute but that was about it.
What Makes a Ranger (written and illustrated by Jorge Corona) 3 stars, all ages.
This one has an art style I don't mesh with too much; super exaggerated but rather too much so IMO. Citizens get displaced/hurt in the Megazord slug-out with a monster of the week, and the power rangers leave their zord after the battle is done and care for the kids. Pretty simple story, and IMO kinda pat ending. It was fine, but just that; solidly fine.
Adaptation is a tricky business, but I think the Boom comics are an interesting study in it. It's a comics adaptation of a long-running children's TV show, but the children's TV show has many, many different incarnations. The earliest boom comics adapted the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers story-line which most of us geriatric millennials will remember karate chopping along with after school in 1992-1995.
Now, interestingly, the boom! comics mainline is really more for the adult original fans of the comics than it is for the children who have come to the series later. (Which is interesting as the show has, at points, reissued the original episodes in hopes of it finding a new audience.)
I am of two minds about that; on one, I think its clever, marketing wise. It allows them to court the nostalgia factor pretty heavily. Creatively, I think it also allows them to do narrative work they never could in the past due to the age restraints. On the other hand though, its just another of many properties that have been originally meant for all ages and become grimier, darker, and steadily more PG-13 and up. It feels like a lot of places are doing this instead of creating new IP, and that's really a bummer. Will I be hearing about Kimberly and Tommy in the nursing home when I'm 90? One wonders.
Anyway, this was a pretty solid collection; the art remains excellent the whole way through and for the most part, the stories are great! While most of these stories are family friendly and would work for both young readers and adults, I really cannot stress how much the Goldar story is not for little kids.
Stories:
A week in the Life (written by Kyle Higgins, illustrated by Rod Beis): 5 stars, all ages but parents may enjoy it more than kids.
Short but sweet, this is a simple story showing how Jason gets through a week of being a Power Ranger, a karate instructor, a student, a son, and a friend. Any adult out there will identify with Jason and the lack of time in the day to do all the things one needs/wants to do. Ultimately ends on a rather poignant note.
Unlockly Heroes (Written by Ross Thibodeaux and illustrated by Rob Guillory): 4 stars, all ages, but kids will probably enjoy this one more.
The artwork for this one is really distinctive and strong, very Nickelodeon pre-Spongebob era. Billy is in a magic show, but Rita Repulsa sends down a monster based on locks to distract him who manages to lock up the rangers so he can't compete.
Bulk and Skull, also practicing for the talent show, wind up being recruited by Zordon to rescue the other power rangers. There's a lot of physical comedy here, with my person favorite scene being the cut-away reactions of everyone to Bulk and Skull's "victory."
Only the Strong (written by Trey Moore and illustrated by Terry Moore): 5 stars, adults and older teens.
This story is jarringly adult compared to others in the collection. The art for this story is very classic-marvel and tbh the least to my taste of this collection, but I feel like the author Trey Moore really got into the weeds of Power Ranger lore here: lots and lots of name checks from stuff further in the series, and I think its always interesting to see a story from the prospective of the bad guys.
Goldar and his brother are invited to see Lord Zedd, their boss. When his brother brings up displeasure at the thought of being sent as essentially Rita's hired goons, Zedd directs Goldar to ...take care of the problem. And he does. This Zedd is absolutely terrifying to children and the themes here are too adult for them although the gore level is relatively low.
This is easily the best story in the annual but it's also easily a recommended skip for anyone under 10.
A spot of Trouble (Written by Marguerite Bennett and Illustrated by Huang Danlan): 4 stars, all ages.
The artwork for this story is gorgeous. It's very inspired by shoujo manga. A fox alien/creature? is sent by Rita Repulsa to get rid of the humans to protect the earth, but finds Kimberly and Trini instead. Kimberly and Trini try to convince the creature to turn to their side. The plot here is pretty simple, but the artwork is fantastic.
Its Putty Time (written and illustrated by James Kochalka): 3 stars, all ages.
The artwork here is very simple and similar to Indie comics, and the story is short and comical. A putty falls in love with Kimberly while the power rangers are fighting putties, and tries to go undercover as a new kid. (Somehow, no one sees through this ruse.) The story is rather short and just silly; it was cute but that was about it.
What Makes a Ranger (written and illustrated by Jorge Corona) 3 stars, all ages.
This one has an art style I don't mesh with too much; super exaggerated but rather too much so IMO. Citizens get displaced/hurt in the Megazord slug-out with a monster of the week, and the power rangers leave their zord after the battle is done and care for the kids. Pretty simple story, and IMO kinda pat ending. It was fine, but just that; solidly fine.
November 13, 2017
I think what I love the most about annuals is that they feature stories from different perspectives that have either already happened in the lore or are the imagination of a person that enjoys the universe.
This isn't any different from your typical annual it features unique and different art styles that focus on different stories from either the power rangers, a putty love story or my favorite from this goldar's backstory. I think this was interesting and a fun ride and maybe it's also because I'm a huge ranger fan but I really enjoyed this as well as the comic series and the spin off (power rangers - pink). Now I will say that although I found the putty story fun I wasn't enamored with it as much as say the goldar backstory, the story of the day in the life of the red ranger or even the story of bulk and skull becoming temporary rangers. I found the art style not my taste nor the story, and although I say all this I still can admit that I enjoyed it enough to continue reading it.
I wish I could say it was perfect but it's not however I can't really give you a solid answer on what it's flaws are that aren't due to personal taste for a fan
This isn't any different from your typical annual it features unique and different art styles that focus on different stories from either the power rangers, a putty love story or my favorite from this goldar's backstory. I think this was interesting and a fun ride and maybe it's also because I'm a huge ranger fan but I really enjoyed this as well as the comic series and the spin off (power rangers - pink). Now I will say that although I found the putty story fun I wasn't enamored with it as much as say the goldar backstory, the story of the day in the life of the red ranger or even the story of bulk and skull becoming temporary rangers. I found the art style not my taste nor the story, and although I say all this I still can admit that I enjoyed it enough to continue reading it.
I wish I could say it was perfect but it's not however I can't really give you a solid answer on what it's flaws are that aren't due to personal taste for a fan
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2017
Short and sweet, this annual is a collection of short stories by a variety of different comic artists and writers. Each of the stories offer something unique for fans to ponder, and it is clear that they have a love for Power Rangers behind what they are doing.
One of my favorite stories from this volume was the one involving Goldar and his brother, Silverback. The author really tried to delve into known Power Rangers lore, with mentions of the Aquitian Rangers, Ninjor, Eltar, and various other easter eggs for fans. It is also a particularly poignant look at Goldar's character and what he is capable of doing. Definitely left me with some stuff to think about.
Another one of the stories I enjoyed was Tommy and Kimberly with the putties. It shows how humorous this series can be, and I'd love to see a web comic done in the same style.
Definitely a must read if you are following the Boom Studios comic series. I look forward to see what else they do in regards to side stories and extra comics like this.
One of my favorite stories from this volume was the one involving Goldar and his brother, Silverback. The author really tried to delve into known Power Rangers lore, with mentions of the Aquitian Rangers, Ninjor, Eltar, and various other easter eggs for fans. It is also a particularly poignant look at Goldar's character and what he is capable of doing. Definitely left me with some stuff to think about.
Another one of the stories I enjoyed was Tommy and Kimberly with the putties. It shows how humorous this series can be, and I'd love to see a web comic done in the same style.
Definitely a must read if you are following the Boom Studios comic series. I look forward to see what else they do in regards to side stories and extra comics like this.
June 13, 2017
It took me a year to get my hands on this, but I finally did! This is a collection of comic stories that all take place in the Power Rangers universe. They range in style from cartoony and comical to realistic and emotional.
My favorite story gives a glimpse into Goldar's backstory and how he came to be a general of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. There's also a beautifully drawn story about Trini and Kimberly hosting a charity tea party before the crowd gets turned into cute and fluffy animals. The most outrageous and fun story though involves Bulk and Skull getting temporary Power Rangers powers.
I am absolutely loving what BOOM! Studios is doing with the Power Rangers comics. I want to see more stories that delve into backstories or breath new life into smaller aspects of the Power Rangers world. I give this annual a 5/5.
My favorite story gives a glimpse into Goldar's backstory and how he came to be a general of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. There's also a beautifully drawn story about Trini and Kimberly hosting a charity tea party before the crowd gets turned into cute and fluffy animals. The most outrageous and fun story though involves Bulk and Skull getting temporary Power Rangers powers.
I am absolutely loving what BOOM! Studios is doing with the Power Rangers comics. I want to see more stories that delve into backstories or breath new life into smaller aspects of the Power Rangers world. I give this annual a 5/5.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews