Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #2 Reveals Its Heart, But Is Held Back From Its Potential (Review)

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers returned to action after 10 years away in their big debut, and as expected, it takes some time to shake off the rust. It’s not just working together as Rangers though that’s holding them back, and that realization is at the heart of a more poignant second issue. That said, it’s easily Rita Rabiosa who steals the show. It turns out there’s more to this villain than initially expected, and the stakes she brings to the issue and the series moving forward can’t be praised enough. The potential for the series is still immensely high, but it just hasn’t quite put together all the pieces yet.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1 established that the Rangers have been very much living their own lives since retiring from active duty. While that was highlighted in issue #1, it’s not until issue #2 that it’s actually explored, and Marguerite Bennett is able to craft a more compelling team dynamic and overall picture of these iconic characters as a result. Unfortunately, the art doesn’t seem to bring any real punch or emotional weight to many of these moments, leaving some major potential on the table.

PROS	CONS
The Rangers Start To Make Key Realizations About Themselves, Not Just As Rangers, but As People	The Dialogue Is Clunky at Times, Even If The Message of the Moments Are Clear
The Megazord Battle Feels Appropriately Epic In Impact and Scale	The Facial Expressions And Team Interactions Lack Emotion and Detail, and They Cause Poignant Moments to Suffer
Rita Rabiosa Is Already The Best Part of the Series

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Reveals Its Heart (And Its Greatest Strength)

While seeing the Rangers get back in the swing of things in issue #1 was fun, issue #2 really crystallizes what the biggest strengths will be from this point forward. The first of these is exploring how challenging it can be to maintain friendships, even with those who you are closest to.

Granted, not everyone has saving the world as part of their bond, but even with something like that connecting you, it doesn’t mean you can’t drift apart as life takes you in different directions once that connecting force is gone. The realization of this and how we get there was one of my favorite aspects of the story, and I’m eager to see Bennett continue to explore that in future issues.

The other strength of this issue is undoubtedly Rita Rabiosa, who commands all of the attention the moment she enters a scene. Andrew Lee Griffith and Joshua Jensen absolutely knock her sequences out of the park, and when she reveals the reasoning behind her attacks, you can actually feel the pain and grief in every word she utters, and every threat feels like a promise that she fully intends to deliver on.

While those moments shine, there are many others that lack that much-needed weight and visual punch. So many of the unmasked scenes feel bland and lifeless, and though the Megazord sequences are some of the book’s best, even though feel like they could use an extra boost.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #2 successfully builds upon the solid foundation of issue #1, and as a whole, the series still shows immense promise, but there are still some elements holding it back from its true potential.

Published By: BOOM! Studios
Written By: Marguerite Bennett
Illustrated By: Andrew Lee Griffith
Colored By: Joshua Jensen
Lettered By: Ed Dukeshire

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #2 is in comic stores now.

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