Go Go Power Rangers #16 is published by BOOM! Studios and it is written by Ryan Parrott, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini, with ink assistance by Simona Di Gianfelice, colored by Raul Angulo, and lettered by Ed Dukeshire.
For years, Power Rangers fans have wondered exactly how Rita Repulsa managed to get her hands on the Green Ranger’s Power Coin. The bulk of this issue is dedicated to that backstory, as we learn that she hired a thief to steal it from Ninjor, who forged the original Power Coins. The only problem was that the thief decided to keep the coin for himself and attacked Rita in the process. Needless to say, this does not end well for him.
In the present, Jason and Trini, who have wound up teleporting onto the planet Breel where Rita hid the coin and swapping colors, as a result, manage to contact Zordon and convince him to send the other Rangers. Billy, Kimberly, and Zack go to rescue their friends, but end up also swapping colors. What transpires is essentially an extended Power Rangers episode as the Rangers get used to their new powers and fight off the natives, who have decided to kill Rita. Elsewhere, Baboo has convinced his fellow minions to rise up and overthrow Rita so they can rule the Earth. If you haven’t gathered, Rita is not the most popular person in the universe.
GGPR, in contrast to the main series, has managed to focus more on character than action. Though the bulk of the issue is dedicated to the Rangers’ fight to survive, we get to see how switching colors affects them. Trini becomes more bold, like Jason while Billy inherits Zack’s carefree attitude, and so on. We also see how ruthless Rita is and how that ruthlessness does not sit well with others, especially those who claim to serve her. Parrott has done a fine job peeling back the layers of all these characters and Rita is no different.
Carlini continues to shine; her work is eerily similar to previous series artist Dan Mora, who still provides covers for the series, and brings an anime-esque flare to the table. The splash page where the Rangers form their weapons is the highlight of the issue; combined with Angulo’s vibrant colors and Dukeshire’s letters, the art seems to literally leap off the page.
If there was one setback, it was that the Rangers’ color switch didn’t last as long as I thought it would; fortunately, the last page sets up a new story arc that is poised to yet again answer deep-seated questions about the Ranger mythos-which is what this series excels at.
Go Go Power Rangers #16 is available in comic shops and digital retailers Wednesday, January 9, 2019.
Go Go Power Rangers #16
TL;DR
GGPR, in contrast to the main series, has managed to focus more on character than action. Though the bulk of the issue is dedicated to the Rangers’ fight to survive, we get to see how switching colors affect them. Trini becomes more bold, like Jason while Billy inherits Zack’s carefree attitude, and so on.
