Rangers get robbed.
In any crossover, the most appealing draw usually comes in the form of some sort of union between the two respective properties. The whole point of a team-up is for the various parties to, well, team up, and up until now that element has been more or less absent from Tom Taylor and Stephen Byrne’s story. In the end it’s that reality that makes Justice League/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3 all the more frustrating, its early promise felled by inconsistent plotting.
His meet-cute over and the book’s overarching threat established, Taylor at last turns his script to the Morphin’ menagerie teased by the book’s premise. With the Watchtower’s teleportation system down and a host of space octopods threatening cities across the globe, the Justice League has no choice but to split their ranks with those of the Power Rangers and their fully functioning Zords. It’s a familiar tool but one full of potential, and Taylor does a great job of building that giddy sense of expectation.
That is, until the actual team up gets underway. Rather than focus on the Rangers, or even the previously established members of the Justice League, Taylor instead opts to focus on a who’s who of second tier Leaguers called to join the fray. While said roll call obviously works in establishing the widespread nature of the impending threat, it also stretches an overcrowded cast of characters even thinner. Even worse, for as necessary as the Rangers are here—it’s their Zords that are transporting the various teams from city to city—the Rangers themselves don’t get a single moment to share alongside their new allies. If not for the giant dinosaurs in the background it’d be easy to forget the Rangers are even there, so focused is Taylor on the wider universe. Even his last second twist draws mixed feelings. It’s a well crafted bit of setup that works well within the conflict already established, but the sudden shift also renders the majority of the issue moot. The plotting is there, but with only a limited amount of issues to work with these numerous detours hinder.
And that’s a shame, as this issue is really quite enjoyable on a visual level. Stephen Byrne turns in his best issue to date, his clean design and vibrant colors making for some great eye candy. Where last issue didn’t play particularly well to Byrne’s more simplistic aesthetic, this issue’s large cast and escalating circumstances allows him to go much wider in his character models and locales. Disappointing as some of the pairings are, Byrne’s clever layouts and strong sense of scale at least help to create a sense of engagement beyond the book’s narrative trappings. Superman’s strange five o’clock shadow aside, its Byrne’s art that will keep readers coming back.
Justice League/Power Rangers continues to be a work in progress. For every great moment Tom Taylor dishes out there’s an equally head scratching one right behind, the book’s stop-start nature at seeming odds with its miniseries structure. As of now it’s tough to say just who this book is for. Die-hards will likely come up wanting, and even casual fans may have to readjust their expectations. Good art will only take a book so far, and the book’s next issue will likely decide just how far that might be.
The Verdict
Another issue, another set of unmet expectations for this series. Tom Taylor has done a solid job of building a tale that fits tonally with both properties, but the drawn out plotting and overabundance of DC characters ultimately pushes the Power Rangers out of the picture here. There’s fun to be had—including an abundance of teenagers-on-dinosaurs zingers—but it doesn’t fully translate to a strong installment. Stephen Byrne’s art gives the issue an appealing sheen, but we’re still waiting for that breakout issue that ties it all together.
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