A new issue of Go Go Power Rangers hit the stands this week with Go Go Power Rangers #16, and we’re looking at our favorite moments with some help of writer Ryan Parrott!
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Spoilers incoming for Go Go Power Rangers #16, so if you haven’t read the issue you’ve been warned.
We good? Good. To get you up to speed, over the last few issues we’ve seen Jason and Trini follow Rita into another world that altered their Ranger colors. Now Trini is the Red Ranger and Jason is the Yellow Ranger, and they are tailing Rita Repulsa, who is searching for a powerful item to tip the scales in her favor.
As we come to find out, that item is the powerful Dragon Power Coin, and she does successfully manage to finally grab it, but soon the Rangers get some reinforcements and attempt to stop her and find out more about what she’s gotten ahold of. Fans also get their first glimpse of Alpha-1 before the issue concludes, setting up the new storyline to come that will explore even more of these previously unearthed pieces of Power Rangers history.
Go Go Power Rangers #16 is written by Ryan Parrott and illustrated by Eleonora Carlini with inks by Simona Di Gianfelice. The book is colored by Raul Angulo and lettered by Ed Dukeshire, and you can find the full description below.
“The Rangers have swapped costumes and powers…and nothing’s working right! Can Trini step up to lead the team and stop Rita from acquiring the ultimate weapon?”
Alright, without further ado here are our top ten favorite moments from Go Go Power Rangers #16! You can also find our Go Go Power Rangers #15 commentary right here.
The First Green Ranger
One of the big revelationsย in this issue is who wielded the Green Ranger powers before Tommy Oliver. That turns out to be a character named Loriyan, a former servant of Rita’s who was sent to retrieve the Dragon Power Coin, but betraysย (or tries to) Rita and attempts to take it. That doesn’t go so well though.
“We actually went through several different iterations of this flashback, some of which were much more complicated and took canon in some intriguing directions,” Parrott told ComicBook.com. “But I ultimately ended up disregarding them because they lacked any real impact on our lead characters. So, I eventually came around to the Loriyan version because I liked how it setup Rita’s feelings about loyalty and betrayal, especially surrounding the Dragon Coin.
A Solar Connection?
While Loriyanย didn’t have a great go-round as the Green Ranger, we did learn a few things. First off, when Loriyanย morphed the suit did not have the typicalย Dragon Shield along with it. When morphed the character has a very Solar Ranger-like aura, which could mean perhaps the connection to the Morphinย Grid isn’t completely synced.
“A lot of this arc circled around the question: Am I who I am because of the color I wear, or am I the color I wear because of who I am? I think it’s debatable either way, but there does seem to be some relationship,” Parrott said. “So, when a weak-willed thief accidentally steals a power coin and tries to use it for evil purposes, it would seem like that wouldn’t work out super smoothly, right?”
Zack In Pink
When the rest of the Rangers get their colors swapped, Zack seems perfectly fine with going from Black to Pink, saying “I look awesome” after hitting the ground running.
“Considering some of the outfits Zack wore on the original show, I don’t think Pink Spandex is that much of a leap for him fashion-wise,” Parrott said. “And people do say that “Pink is the new Black.” I don’t know where exactly I heard that, but I’m pretty sure I heard it somewhere.”
Greatest Day Of Billy’s Life
Speaking of Rangers changing colors, Billy also changes from Blue to Black, and it brings out a whole new side of him. Not only is he digging the new suit, but he’s absolutelyย loving the Cosmic Cannon, calling this the greatest day of his life.
“I’ve always identified with Billy the most as a character so, when I wrote a scene where a teenage geek gets to teleport to another planet and fight aliens with a super canon — I just felt like that is secretly every gamer’s dream,” Parrott said. “Plus, if we’re saying that Rangers maybe take on the personality attributes of the color they wear — wouldn’t Zack also be having the time of his life? Maybe I’m wrong, but it felt like a fun way to play with the character dynamics.”
I Can’t Hit Anything With This
While Zack’s loving the new color scheme, he isn’t so thrilled about the new weapon he wields. That would be the Power Bow, and it takes a second to get the hang of.
“I’ve done a little archery in my time and that stuff is not easy,” Parrott said. “I’d be doing Kimberly a drastic disservice if Zack, upon picking up a bow for the first time, suddenly became Robin Hood. Kim is obviously putting in the time on the range.”
A Worthy Opponent
Despite not being able to take down the Rangers, Rita has always been quite formidable, and here we really see her put to the test.
“A personal pet peeve of mine is when movies or tv shows say that bad guys are tough — ex-special forces, top of their class, whatever — and the minute they start fighting, they get the crap kicked out of them,” Parrott said. “So, if I’m saying that Adriyel is the queen of a matriarchal combat-based society, she better be able to hold her own in a fight. So to me, this isn’t so much an indictment of Rita’s skills as it is a testament as to how good Adriyel is with a very large sword.”
Where Do The Arrows Come From?
Zack does get a little better at the Power Bow, but he does pose one interestingย question to Kimberly during the fight…where do her arrows come from? Do they just appear out of thin air, or are they made out of magical energy with some sort of sensor in her quiver telling it when it’s empty? So many questions!
“Honestly, there are some mysteries even I don’t get an answer,” Parrott said. “All I care about is if the arrows show up when she needs them.”
Trini’s In Charge
One of the coolest parts about this arc has been seeing Triniย in charge and acting as the team’s Red Ranger, and she again steals the show here.
“Trini’s personal arc in the last few issues has been about taking agency over, not only her own feelings but her place on the team,” Parrott said. “And I loved the idea that when push came to shove, Trini fully embraces her role as the Red Ranger and the team just goes along with it. Plus, from what I’ve heard about the real Thuy Trang — she was kind, respected and when she spoke… people listened. Makes sense that Trini would too.”
The Softer Side Of Bulk
Last issue Kim and Skull certainly had a memorable date, and Bulk shows a rare softer side when he sees his friend sad. That protective side turns to pride though when he finds out the truth, and it’s hilarious.
“Bulk and Skull might be annoying bullies most of the time, but they’re also best friends who are extremely loyal to one another,” Parrott said. “So, I have no doubt that either one of them would come to the emotional aid of the other, even if it means yelling at a girl in a high school hallway. I also just loved that, when Bulk finds out what really happened, his anger turns to unabashed pride that his friend is a “ladies man”.”
An Old Friend
On the final page, we finally meet Alpha-1, who we will be learning a lot more about over the next several issues.
“Alpha-1 was actually an idea that I pitched when I was first interviewing for “Go Go Power Rangers”. He’s the first model of the Alpha series to work with Zordon. He’s been a blast to write so far and I adore the design. The next arc deals a lot with Rita and Zordon’s past and how it impacts their future, so I hope people will check it out. It should be pretty… revealing,” Parrott said.
Well, that’s our top ten moments from the issue, but what were your favorite moments? Let us know in the comments!
