In the year 2024, the historic Power Rangers franchise has gone relatively quiet. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023, the long-running series concluded (for the time being) with Power Rangers Cosmic Fury. The once financial juggernaut toy line has even stopped production as Hasbro decides what to do with the franchise going forward. The last beacon of light in Power Rangers’ Dark Age is BOOM! Studios, as the comic company continues to churn out quality stories which have helped the spandex-clad heroes reach their storytelling potential. One book burns brightest in the dark and that is Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return.
The series is written by original Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson, which generated a lot of hype and expectation for the book. BOOM! Studios put the series on Kickstarter where it reached its original goal in a rapid 45 minutes. Fans are dying to get their hands on this story as it is not just the return of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but also the return of Johnson. Having left the series behind in 1997, she rarely looked back beyond a very brief cameo in 2017’s Power Rangers reboot film. After all these years, can Amy Jo Johnson lend her talents to Kimberely Hart and become a Power Ranger once more? Well, if issue #1 is anything to go by, then it is safe to say that AJJ still has the goods.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1 is a fantastic introductory issue that sets the stage for the story to unfold while introducing us to familiar faces of days gone by. I was thoroughly impressed by how well Amy Jo and Matt captured the voices of the other rangers. In a story teased to focus on Kimberly, this first issue goes out of its way give each Ranger a story. In a short number of pages, I comfortably understand the world we are in and how each of my childhood heroes factor into it, which is quite an impressive feat.
Issue #1 is emotional, but also so gentle and respectful of the legacies of the rangers that are tragically no longer with us. What I find most fascinating about this story is how real it feels, as I can’t help but feel AJJ infused her emotions and personal experiences into this. Beneath the surface of rainbow spandex and super heroism, there is the story of an actress who grew up on a children’s television series that exploded in popularity behind comprehension in such a way that it has left a lasting impression on her soul, which she now chooses to bare for us here.
I see the parallels in Kimberly’s journey with that of Amy Jo’s, as both character and actress return after decades to mourn lost friends and revisit the past that lingers on their mind. The level of depth was surprising but welcome as it helps inform the story that The Return will inevitably become.
Beyond the realism, there is a really engaging Power Rangers story here as well as we open strong in the first pages, creating intrigue that had me anxiously flipping from one page to the next. Nico Leon’s incredible art further enhances this along with the gorgeous colors of Francesco Segala, creating a cinematic look that rewards readers and pairs marvelously with the story being told.
In a franchise that continually taps into the nostalgia of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The Return not only justifies its existence, but also may become one of the greatest Power Rangers stories ever told. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return releases Wednesday February 7th. Support your local comic book shops and pick up a copy!
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