Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Pink Ranger features stories written by Amy Jo Johnson & Matt Hotson plus Brenden Fletcher, Kelly Thompson and Tini Howard. The collection is published by BOOM! Studios. Artwork is by Nico Leon, Daniele Di Nicuolo and Francesco Mortarino. Colours by Joanna Lafuente, Sarah Stern, Francesco Segala annd Domo Sanchez-Almara. Letters are by Ed Dukeshire. Main cover art (left) is by Jenny Frison.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Pink Ranger is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Kimberly Hart’s journey as the original Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger has always stood apart and now, for the first time, two of her most daring solo adventures are brought together in one essential volume!
Collects Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return.
Review
2026 marks a decade since BOOM! Studios began publishing comics from the Power Rangers franchise. In that decade the publisher has broken new ground countless times. Bringing complexity, nuance and depth to a franchise once written off as nothing more than colourful – yet violent – kids TV. This week BOOM! brings together two brilliant limited run series each focussing on the original Pink Ranger, Kimberly Hart.
The collection, releasing this week in soft cover in all book stores, features a cool roster of creators including writer Tini Howard and artist Daniele Di Nicuolo. Then there’s Amy Jo Johnson, the actor who brought Kimberly to life for three seasons on TV and in two Power Rangers movies. Johnson return to the franchise alongside partner Matt Hotson to write the incredible Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return, which forms half of this collection.
First in the collection is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink, a six-part storyline which first debuted in stores in June 2016. The story was conceived by Brenden Fletcher and Kelly Thompson, with Tini Howard righting chapters three through six.
After leaving the life of a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger behind, Kimberly Hart finds herself pulled back into the fray. With her parents missing and their village overrun by monsters, she must reclaim her destiny and discover the power that lies within. She’ll have to call on some old friends if she’s to unravel this mystery and save this once sleepy village.
Fletcher, Thompson and Howard neatly pick up on the thread of Kimberly’s storyline from the end of her tenure on the show. With Kimberly having left the gang to pursue her gymnastic career she was given the opportunity to grow and develop are more than just a superhero. Across the six issues the trio of writers go to great lengths to show that Kimberly is far more than a caricature.
The BOOM!-era of comics has been nothing short of revelatory in its fleshing out of these iconic characters. Pink was the first example of how the series was able to spin characters off into their own stories with sacrificing in quality or scrimping on action. With new powers and a brand new costume, Kimberly faces off against new villains with a brilliant smattering of fan service to show the wider Power Rangers universe reaches far beyond the confines of each season of the show.
As if the six-part storyline wasn’t already exemplary of Kimberly’s adventures in comics. The collection then brings The Return back to print. A series I’ve written about at length already in my reviews but which also capture the conscious of the Power Rangers fan base like no other. Perhaps in part due to its deeply-rooted connection to Johnson. But after reading even just the first issue it’s clear that The Return is the story that Power Rangers fans deserved, had financial issues not forced several key actors to leave the series early on.
In the wake of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers success against the foes came an unthinkable tragedy—one that pushed them all in separate ways. Reunited 22 years later, they discover some shocking news—Jason, the rogue Red Ranger, is missing, nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, the former Pink Ranger is burdened by the aftermath of their final battle with Zedd and Rita, including the effect on Trini’s mysterious niece, Selena. What deeply personal request does Selena hold for her, and what will it take for the remaining Rangers to find Jason?
The Return tastefully traverses real world losses in the cast to tell a story which these characters have always deserved. Johnson treats her fellow cast with respect and reverence, showing similar respect for their fictional counterparts. None had expected such an emotionally impactful and resonant story was waiting to be told in the Power Rangers universe and so it’s wonderful to see BOOM! giving it a chance to find an even bigger audience by including it in this collection.
Darker and edgier than Pink, The Return shows a harder side of the franchise which fans had been clamouring for. The four-part series ends on a cliffhanger which hopefully signals that Johnson and Hotson are working on more story for the future. For now this collection should satiate fans appetite for blockbuster adventures of the Pink Ranger.
Verdict
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Pink Ranger is the definitive collection featuring two of the best stories to come from BOOM!’s decade-long history with the franchise. Bold, defiant and action-packed, this is a collection not to be missed.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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