The Power Rangers go back to school.
Go Go Power Rangers is Boom's second monthly Power Rangers comic. And where Mighty Morphin Power Rangers chronicles the further adventures of the classic team, this series flashes back to their earliest days as costumed heroes. The idea being that we're following younger versions of Jason, Kimberly, Zach, Trini and Billy as they struggle to balance high school with super-heroics and come to terms with their destinies. And if that alone doesn't sound like enough of a selling point, the art might just win you over.
As is the case with pretty much every project he takes on, artist Dan Mora truly is the star of the show here. Mora's art has a very confident, slick quality to it. He knows how to tell a good story without getting tripped up by excessive liens or pointless details. Across the board, his figures are expressive and dynamic, ensuring that there's ample energy on the page regardless if the focus is on epic Ranger vs. Putty battles or simple high school drama. Raul Angulo's colors pair nicely with Mora's line-work, adding a great deal of depth to the page with his use of lighting.
It's also worth pointing out Mora's flair for fashion design in this issue. Billy aside, the main cast don't necessarily look like teenagers any more than the cast of the TV series did. But they at least dress the part, with varied fashion choices that speak to their respective personalities without getting too caught up in the color-coded silliness of the show. I do wish there was a more overt '90s influence to the fashion in this book to better capture that nostalgia factor, but clearly the goal is to craft a book that takes place in the recent past, not 1993.
Story-wise, the series doesn't seem eager to venture too far outside the shadow of its sibling. The tone is pretty similar, albeit colored by slightly lower stakes and a pretty straightforward conflict between the neophyte heroes and Rita Repulsa. It's mainly the high school element that allows this first issue to stand out. Writer Ryan Parrot gives each character a distinct personality, background and set of personal problems. Jason emerges as the early star, as Parrot focuses a lot on his relentless training regimen and underdeveloped social skills. Also intriguing is the addition of a brand new character named Matthew who serves as a love interest to Kimberly. This being a prequel, it's nice to have at least one unpredictable X-factor in the mix.
The Verdict
Does the world truly need two ongoing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comics? Not necessarily, and some readers may find that this prequel doesn't do quite enough to stand apart from its sister series. But regardless, the terrific visuals and high school character drama combine to form an enjoyable teen superhero book.
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