Tugging Those Old Heart Strings — Reviewing ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return’ #3

Decisions that are made by previous generations often have a habit of affecting their children and those who follow them. That whole ‘sins of the father’ style sort of mentality, but not always for bad choices.

As the former Power Rangers are discovering, even their world-saving choices have come back to haunt them. It’s a generational spanning series of revelations in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 from Amy Jo Johnson, Matt Hotson, Nico Leon, Domo Sanchez-Almara, and Ed Dukeshire.

There are so many ways that this 30th Anniversary celebration series could have gone.

Former Ranger actor Johnson and co-writer Hotson very much could have gone a sprawling action-packed direction. It would fit in many ways the mold of the old series, which didn’t have as much time to always do really character or life-focused storylines. Fighting putties and monsters, before finishing it off with the Zords, filled most episode run times.

Yet, much like the other comic books about the franchise, they went in the other direction. Choosing to follow the more sentimental, character-rich, all too relatable route. Characters who gave up so much as youths to save the world, having to deal with aging and the effects of what they had to do so long ago.

We finally get a face to face with Selena Repulsa, the daughter of Rita and Zedd, and the remaining four of the original six Rangers. Numerous flashbacks fill in the gaps of how Selena survived, what happened on that fateful day on the Moon when Tommy died, and what Selena is hoping to retrieve. One of the beautiful things that they chose to do here is the discrepancies in Selena’s monologue stories and the reality.

Clearly Finster gaslit the daughter of his former masters, making sure to really create this hatred within her. When we see what happened and the in-character heroic act that saved her life, it just works. It’s one of a handful of moments that truly showcase the heroics and personalities of the fallen Rangers, and in a way the gone but never forgotten actors who brought them life.

Holy crap that ending! Even though I knew it was coming, still didn’t change how epic the moment truly felt, and the emotions that it really created within me.

Every single bit of this story is just so energetically gorgeous, pulling the audience right down into the thick of things. Leon has such a realistic but fantastical style to his artwork, making sure this world feels tangible but also beyond us in the best ways. A true weight is present on every page, giving the surroundings as much life as the people moving through them.

Iconic is a word that is thrown around easily, but honestly there is an already iconic energy to what we see on the page. I would not say definitive version of the Rangers and their world, because there are numerous great versions, but it’s very high on the list for sure. It’s slick, smooth, just a touch of roughness, and a powerful kinetic energy that crackles.

Sanchez-Almara makes sure that every color choice matches and enhances every feeling the artwork is delivering. Plenty of over-the-top in-your-face vibrant colors which match what the franchise is all about. Mixed amongst them are the heavier shadowy, richer colors that create depth and the foreboding tone necessary. Again, it makes sure that this feels as whimsical as it does realistic.

Stories are told here, and characters have a lot to say to one another. Including a lot of ripe quips, and “take that” type moments. All of that is given life by Dukeshire, who always can find the right levels of energy to place into every single letter and word on the page. Capturing the mood and letting the characters voices really resonate, both those we’ve actually heard before and those who are newer.

Every emotion from the rawest anger to the most tragic sadness are loud and clear, just as they are in the expressions that Leon is delivering. Sound effects are appropriately delivered, matching the energy of any scene. While the various modifiers, from colors to font changes, help bring a visual pop as well as making those tones audible. There is a reason that Dukeshire’s work is on so many of the Ranger books as well as others from BOOM! Studios.

It’s because he’s amazing at what he does, and books are made inherently better having his work there.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #3 is now available from BOOM! Studios.