Ranger Academy #4 is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Maria Ingrande Mora, illustrated by Jo Mi-Gyeong, coloured by Fabiana Mascolo and lettered by Ed Dukeshire.
Issue #4 is available 3rd January 2024 either directly from BOOM! Studios online or from your local comic book store, digital copies will be available to download from the usual content providers.
Synopsis
This is it. The big test. Sage will need to successfully perform her First Morph, but don’t worry–it will only take all of her skills, while surviving on a hostile planet known only as CHROMIA! It will take more than just her skills though, with teamwork being essential to reach the peak and acquire the means of Morphin time.
But when the class bully runs into some trouble on the way, will Sage risk her test results to save him, or leave him behind?
Review
The day is finally here that the student Rangers have been working towards, the first trial to prove they are ready to morph and begin their journey to becoming a Power Ranger. Sage and the others are transported to a hostile planet Chromia with the instructions that they have to reach the temple of the Bandorian Monks before time runs out if they are to prove they are ready to morph, failure to reach that point would mean an academy re do that will set them back a year.
Sage, Lindy and Theo decide to work together and push forward to the goal, going the slower route but less treacherous. Class bully Kartyr decides to take the others on the quicker but also more dangerous route, because as always he knows best.
The trial starts off pretty straight forward and both teams make good progress towards the goal, but as hope begins to build Sage hears a voice in the distance pleading for help Sage can’t ignore this but going to find this voice will put the completion of the trial into jeopardy. Sage convinces the others that going to investigate the voice is the right thing to do. It turns out the voice belongs to Mr Know it All himself Kartyr who has fallen into a hole. The team decide to rescue Kartyr and call out for a medical evac for him but someone needs to wait with him until the ship arrives, doing this would almost definitely mean failing the trial, Sage decides to stay allowing the others to press forward, she is determined to still make the finish in time. That’s the key thing here time is the precious commodity that the student Rangers don’t have, will they have time to finish the trial? Why would Sage want to throw it all away to help the class bully?
This series is definitely beginning to come into it’s own, writer Maria Ingrande Mora has brought a fresh Ranger story that brings a new thought process into this multiverse. It has always been a concept of mine that Rangers were born or chosen but with this story arc we are introduced to the Ranger Academy where Rangers are potentially made. This has been a slow burning series but the series is now most definitely on fire as the different characters begin to flourish and the different twists in the story begin to surface, some characters may not be as they seem.
Jo Mi-Gyeong has kept the similar style of illustration to keep the almost signature look of the series, the almost Asian Manga styling works well injecting an energy into the storyline that really resonates with the reader. I personally enjoyed looking at the book as much as I did reading the story.
Verdict
A well deserved 5⭐ verdict for this story arc as the story begins to flourish and the different twists come to the surface, what was once a straight forward origin style story could well become something completely different.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
