Mutant Morphin Mayhem: Reviewing ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II’ #4

Mutant Rangers, Turtle Rangers, and Megazords oh my! Fans of the Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers are eating well. The latest chapter in the second mini-series that sees the two powerhouse franchises coming together, that being Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, is taking some mighty swings with the two properties and hitting all kinds of home runs.

Forgive me it’s baseball season and my reviews are likely being written as I’m sitting down to cheer or mourn (no clue which direction will happen more) whatever happens in the San Francisco Giants season this year meaning baseball terminology is sure to pop up.

In the previous review, I kicked things off by talking about how Ryan Parrott knows these franchises well and taps into the fandom and canon so perfectly. Well, the same is on display here but taken to even further levels as the amount of cohesion between these franchises/worlds is showcased on an even greater level as things move ever closer to Krang and Rita’s planned endgame.

Just like the other issues, this one is jam-packed with so much stuff, some of it that we’ve already seen in previous issues and a bunch of it newly coming into play here. I mean truly it feels like Parrott managed to shove in just about everything to do with each franchise, and then some. Yet, it never breaks the narrative or makes the issue feel bloated. Just a small list of things we get here: young mutants being led by Splinter in how to fight, Rita recognizing Bulk and Skull, Bebop and Rocksteady being easily coerced, Leatherhead, Dimension X and the Technodrome, a whole bevy of classic Power Rangers monsters coming to play, and a freaking Krang Megazord!

If this was the first thing to do with either franchise that was set before me, all knowledge of their pasts erased, one would be hard-pressed to convince me that they haven’t always shared the same universe and space together. That’s how well Parrott makes them mesh.

It all comes together perfectly visually too, thanks to the stunning work that Dan Mora and Raúl Angulo are doing.

It feels almost unnecessary to speak to just how gorgeous the work of Mora is, no matter the book or characters, or world. Always so detailed, deep, smooth, and bursting with emotional and other powerful energies. Mora takes concepts and places we’re either familiar with, or that are new to us, and makes them feel truly real and living. Sure Power Rangers was live-action and some Turtles stuff was but it all just feels even more real with the way that Mora is bringing it to life. All the variety of panel styles and layouts used make it all not only flow well but also make sure that there is plenty of room and also a spotlight is given to the tons of elements that are in play.

Pairing Mora’s work with Angulo’s colors is something that should be done more often, because they are a very solid duo. There is a vibrance to many of the colors that give all the fantastical elements (aliens, mutants, power ranger costumes, etc) that extra pop they need to separate from the more realistic elements. At the same time, it has depth and weight thanks to the more toned-down colors that accompany those brighter ones as well as plenty of darker colors as well.

Another thing I appreciated here was the way that Angulo shifted the colors so well with the lighting aspects. Dimension X is harsher and warmer in tone compared to the cooler more sterile artificial lighting of the Technodrome which is then different from the city at night on fire coloring of Angel Grove. All places feel unique and real to what one would expect them to look like lighting-wise.

Oh, and that final reveal page from them with the Krang Megazord…I want that gorgeous thing on my wall right now. Superb.

Last but certainly far from least is the work that is done by Ed Dukeshire time and time again to hammer home the tone and energy of any issue with the stellar lettering. All of the dialogue and captions pop out and give us a great basis for how to hear a character’s voice as we’re reading through, dropping in all the right bits to emphasize moments while adding clear indicators of tone and volume. Plus all the fun elements like the black bubbles with white font and pink borders of Krang, or all the exclamations that just burst out of their bubbles, and just all the colorful in your face loud SFX that are just delicious.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #4 is now available from BOOM! Studios.