Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II #2 is written by Cullen Bunn and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Baldemar Rivas, colours by Andrew Dalhouse letters by Johanna Nattalie. Main cover art (left) is by Rivas.
Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II #2 is available now, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Godzilla have been caught in a sprawling space-time scheme orchestrated by Rita Repulsa and Astronema! They team up to save alternate versions of the Power Rangers from being targeted by sinister forces. As the Power Rangers and Godzilla transverse realities with the help of a newfound ally, the shape of the foes they face become clear: the Psycho Rangers! But the Psycho Rangers have siphoned powers and abilities from beyond their own world, and if the Rangers and Godzilla can’t stop them, the entire multiverse will suffer the consequences!
Review
Okay Morphin Masters, hold on to your power coins. The Mighty team up between IDW and BOOM! continues today as Cullen Bunn’s super-scaled Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers returns with its second issue. The five-issue series is wasting no time and this month delivers almost wall-to-wall action which is enough to boggle the mind as the legendary monster and his new morphin companions continue their trip across the multiverse.
There’s barely a breath between the end of issue #1 and the beginning of issue #2. Our alternate universe rangers, alongside Tommy’s White Ranger from the previous series are up against Godzilla and several of Rita’s monsters. Waiting on the sidelines is Astronema and her Psycho Rangers, all of whom have had an upgrade since we last saw them. With the Rangers backed in to a corner our Tommy uses the shard of concentrated parallel reality to jump worlds and lands them in a familiar spot for long-time fans of the Godzilla franchise.
There is SO MUCH for readers to keep up with in this issue. Partly down to the short, five-issue run. But also in part because Cullen Bunn is clearly having so much fun keeping all the parts moving that it just adds to the mayhem to keep throwing more on to the page. What’s perhaps most surprising is that this issue doesn’t feel overstuffed. It does feel dizzying, but in the way that a good multiversal story should. Whilst the relentless pace may put some off. It’s a rewarding experience for those willing to succumb to the rollercoaster ride.
Joining our team of heroes this issue is Jet Jaguar. A face many will recognise as a heroic robot who first appeared in Toho’s 1973 film Godzilla vs. Megalon. As Jet’s operator, Goro Ibuki adds some extra tech expertise and give some important exposition to help keep the book on track. Only for a second of course. Then it’s off to yet another Earth and another battle with Rita and her forces of evil. There’s plenty more bonkers moments in issue #2 to keep the reader entertained. Seeing Godzilla boot the Megazord out of the way only to end up wearing the partly transformed Dragon Zord is an image I never thought I would see. Again it really feels like Bunn is just running riot in the best way possible. Throwing in crazy ideas that ordinarily may never have made it in to the book.
The only drawback as we head in to the mid-way point of the series is the lack of an overarching story. Whilst Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II doesn’t need an Earth-shattering story, I’m not sure what its trajectory is other than to show us just how brutal a fight between the Zords and Godzilla can be. There are flashes of it here and there. Rita wanting Tommy’s fragment of multiverse energy for instance. Also the stories of the various different Ranger teams from each Earth. If the series ultimately boils down to a series of fights I won’t be disappointed. But it could be elevated if given a little more purpose.
Artist Baldemar Rivas and colourist Andrew Dalhouse once again knock it out of the park. I can only imagine Rivas reading the script for the first time and thinking “how the hell do I visualise all of this?”. It’s so densely packed. With the Rangers morphed and in their Zords it also means we’re talking giant monsters and tiny cities at every turn. But, of course, every page looks spectacular and lives up to expectation. The aforementioned Godzilla/Dragon Zord team up looks as bonkers as it sounds and the final page teaser for the Psycho Rangers will have fans of both franchises screaming.
Verdict
Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II #2 is a lightning fast trip around the multiverse. Travelling from Earth-to-Earth whilst locked in battle our characters (and their creative team) are really delivering a adrenaline pumping thrill ride.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
