Review: Tensions Rise With More Secrets In ‘Mighty Morphin’ #2

After the shocking events of Power Rangers #1, where the Omega Rangers broke Lord Drakkon out of his cell beneath Zordon’s fortress and went out to space, tensions are high. There are secrets abound and it’s only a matter of time before they all come out. The biggest one of them all is the identity of the new Green Ranger. Meanwhile, Lord Zedd has some new tricks up his sleeve as he dispatches a frightening new Putty on the Rangers.

Writer Ryan Parrott has made the lives of the Rangers out of uniform just as, if not more interesting than their lives as the brightly-colored heroes. It’s fascinating to see how the Omega Rangers’ actions have sent ripples through the team and just how angry Zordon is as a result. There’s an intriguing family dynamic to this too. The Omega Rangers are the older kids that have metaphorically gone off to college while the younger kids are still home with their parents. There’s some rebellion and the ones at home are feeling the effects.

And Zordon is pissed! I’ve never seen that big floating head so angry. This comes as we get a look at his past through some flashbacks that have started each issue of Power Rangers so far. This is something that Parrott did in other comics and it works well to provide a unique perspective on present day events while also fleshing out the backstories of these decades old characters that are completely untouched.

The interactions between the Rangers are fun, peppered with great dialogue. Parrott really gets to the core essence of each of them and brings up some good ideas, especially when it comes to Rocky, Adam, and Aisha, the newcomers to the group. I’m particularly interested in Rocky’s attitude, as he feels like he’s been pushed to the side, even though he holds the mantle of the Red Ranger.

Artist Marco Renna does the impossible in Mighty Morphin #2, by making me care about Skull. The bully is shown heartbroken, worried that his girlfriend is cheating on him. Renna showcases all of that frustration and pain in a series of panels, juxtaposed with Bulk’s fury at someone wronging his best bud.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Power Rangers book without some great action and Renna delivers that in spades as a new terrifying Putty arrives on the scene. Zedd has pulled out all the stops on this one and the Rangers are not prepared for such an onslaught. Colorist Walter Baimonte, aided by Katia Ranalli, contrast the drab grey of the Putty with pulsing neon green veins spread throughout it, giving it a radiating quality that screams “Danger!”

I love how the color palette shifts when the action picks up. The backgrounds are replaced with bright splashes filling the sky with greens, pinks, and blues. It adds a lot to the intensity of the scenes.

Aside from the bombastic action sequences and morphing scenes, one thing I will never get tired of with Power Rangers comics is how they yell in battle. It often happens in the midst of dialogue too. They’ll be chatting or throwing out one-liners and then they let out a “Keee-Yah!” that explodes out. Letterer Ed Dukeshire nails the intensity of these actions perfectly.

While the identity of the new Green Ranger is still a mystery, there’s still more than enough drama and action to keep Mighty Morphin going. It’s interesting to see how closely it links up with its sister series, Power Rangers. If you didn’t read that issue, you might be a little confused as to what happened with Drakkon. In any case, this team has their hands full and that’s when these stories are at their best.

Mighty Morphin #2 from BOOM! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.