Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3 is written by Marguerite Bennett and published by BOOM! Studios. Illustration is by Phillip Sevy, colours by Joshua Jensen and letters by Ed Dukeshire. Main cover art (left) is by Balam and Raul Angulo.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3 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 digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Go house-hunting with Trini and Kimberly as they settle into their new lives as grown-up Power Rangers!
Kimberly and Trini find the perfect rental home, and the perfect roommate! Moving in together is like a never-ending slumber party…until it isn’t.
These two best friends are getting on each other’s nerves, but what’s really causing all the domestic strife? It might just be a bigger, more terrifying secret than either of them could have imagined…and it’s going to take Morphin Power to fix it!
Review
The third issue of BOOM! Studios new-and-more-adult Mighty Morphin Power Rangers arrives in comic book stores today. Marguerite Bennett puts the focus on Kimberly and Trini as the two look to settle into life back in Angel Grove, using the week’s monster as a sharp stand-in for the trouble following them into their brand new home.
Bennett’s subtle shift of the traditional Power Rangers formula, taking clear inspiration from shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is working perfectly. We’re just three issues into this new series and already the formula has proven itself. Whilst the villainous Rita Rabiosa remains a mystery to readers, the Rangers awkwardness at coming back together has become a driving force for character development which is proving to be surprisingly gripping. The idea of putting character first has been the backbone of what BOOM! has done with the franchise, returning to it with Bennett at the helm has proven that even after a decade in control, the publisher knows how to tell a Power Rangers story done right.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3 makes the smart choice to begin checking in with characters individually. This month it’s Kimberly with Trini in a support role and the rest of the team making a lesser appearance. It gives Bennett the opportunity to pit Rita Rabiosa against each of the Rangers, manipulating them using their insecurities. More than that it gives the series room to check in and catch us up on where each of the Rangers has gotten to in their lives. For Kimberley, we last saw her leaving the team to take part in the Panglobal games as a gymnast. In the years since it seems that career what short-lived and has left her feeling vulnerable due to a lack of perceived success.
That fear of failure resonates undeniably with the reader. We’ve all been there, or are there right now, whilst reading and that’s the strength of what Power Rangers is able to do. Pairing that with needing to find somewhere to live and you have a recipe for what seems like a kind of buddy comedy everyone will find recognisable. The old comedy trope of moving in your with bestie only to discover their every behaviour annoying. It plays really well on the page and even better when it’s then revealed there’s a monster with a crazy name – Parastructionsite – behind it.
The reveal comes at the right time to inject some Ranger action into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3. Bennett has a keen sense of how much human characterisation can be injected into an issue before the traditional colour-coded action takes over. When it does the pacing really kicks into high gear, mirroring the format of the TV series. It’s cool to see just these two Rangers working together, not something which was ever a priority on TV back in 1993. It’s a great fist in the air victory moment for both the female Rangers, really embracing the empowerment the series affords to its leads.
Phillip Sevy’s artwork gives the book a real 90s throwback feel. It reminded me of classic Power Rangers comics I used to read as a kid and some of the very early Buffy books. There’s a level of detail, particularly in facial expressions which feels like a real callback to the golden age of 90s comic book storytelling, enriched by Joshua Jensen’s colours. Sevy manages the balance between the everyday character moments, putting the focus on the characters, before masterfully pulling back and capturing the sheer scale of the moment as the Pterodactyl and Sabertooth Tiger Zords attack Parastructionsite.
The cliffhanger ending tees up the next Ranger on Rita Rabiosa’s hitlist effortlessly. No doubt there’ll be a different kind of story to explore Billy’s insecurities so the intrigue remains, ensuring I’ll be back next month.
Verdict
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3 is an effective deep-dive into the adult mind of Kimberley. It exemplifies the rich characterisation that Marguerite Bennett is bringing to the book, alongside the high stakes action which artists like this month’s Phillip Sevy tackle with gusto. Though I’d still like more exploration of new villain Rita Rabiosa, there’s no denying the character work is captivating.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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