Ranger Academy #5 is written by Maria Ingrande Mora and published by BOOM! Studios. Illustrations are by Jo Mi-Gyeong, colours by Joana Lafuente and letters by Ed Dukeshire. Main cover art (left) is by Miguel Mercado.
Ranger Academy #5 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Sage finally gets what she wants and successfully morphs, but the results are unexpected, and she harbors a taboo secret from her friends and the rest of the Academy!
Meanwhile, Sage is feeling low with Parent Weekend approaching, and in a sparring session with Tula, makes a shocking confession that Tula never saw coming…
Review
Picking up in the aftermath of last month’s trial, the latest issue of Ranger Academy continues to pick up on Sage’s detachment from her peers. Mora has introduced a surprising element to the story with the segregation and distrust of a Green Ranger. Last month with saw that with the idea of the Green Campus being a disused area of the Academy. Now we’re seeing the emotional fallout from that as Sage struggles to shake off the feeling that she is somehow broken.
The spectre of Sage’s unexpected Morph looms large over this issue. It’s also explored from a few different angles to give it the kind of exposure which really resonates with the audience. As Sage retreats to the caves under the Academy she speaks with Nika, a connect which reaches back to her father’s time as a trainee Ranger. Sage’s strained family relationship seems key to the series overall arc and this issue, in particular, I feel like Mora is teasing us with where it might be headed.
As exciting as it is to wonder what mystery there is as to why Sage and her father were living on a remote planet. Or why she had to run away to go to the Ranger Academy. The book really springs to life when the students are working out their issues or sharing their excitement as becoming part of history. The scenes and the dialogue between the students are superbly written. As with any of the Power Rangers series, the characters have strongly defined and unique voices. But what Mora does incredibly well is introduce conflict between the characters. With Sage’s odd behaviour following the trial, none of the others quite knows how to react and that forces each of them to approach the situation in the only ways they know how.
The segregation that Sage feels is, at least to me, something authentic to the experience of being a teenager. An outsider as much of our own making as it is anyone else’s. Those inherent fears that we’re not going to live up to exaction or fearing our own lack of talent will hold us back. They’re all real feelings anyone reading Ranger Academy will be able to identify with and in my book that’s the perfect way to make this story a success.
It all leads up to a cool conclusion with Sage making a confession to Tula. Tula, a Red Ranger, seems to have been the only one on Sage’s side for much of the issue. But I can’t help but wonder if Mora is about to flip the script, particularly with Mathis so on edge when it comes to helping Sage since their return to the Academy. Mora certainly knows how to construct a satisfying episodic story which delivery a cliffhanger of blockbuster proportions.
Jo Mi-Gyeong’s illustrations and Joana Lafuente’s colours continue to be a huge draw for Ranger Academy. A cool mix of anime-inspired character design and classic Power Rangers scope. As a new series which his still trying to establish itself in the franchise, the consistency and talent in the artwork is exactly what we need.
Verdict
Ranger Academy is really hitting its stride. With its characters introduced and its location explored, there’s so much to enjoy in Maria Ingrande Mora’s spirited storytelling plus Jo Mi-Gyeong and Joana Lafuente’s fun artwork.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
