REVIEW: Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers: Forever Rangers #1

Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers: Forever Rangers #1, is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Ryan Parrott, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini (with ink assistance by Simona Di Gianfelice) and Francesco Mortarino, colored by Raul Angulo, and lettered by Ed Dukeshire, serves as the conclusion to the first two years of Go Go Power Rangers.

Go Go Power Rangers: Forever Rangers #1 opens nearly ten thousand years ago, with Alpha 5 seemingly mourning Zordon. The sage then appears in his time-warped form, telling his assistant they have much work to do. Cutting to the present, Alpha-One is hellbent on killing Zordon and ending the battle with Rita on his own terms, no matter the cost. The Rangers rush to stop him, receiving help from an unlikely ally.

At this point, Parrott has more than proven himself adept at handling and expanding both the Power Rangers mythos and bringing depth to the usual giant robot fights. All the Rangers work as a well-oiled team at this point, with Jason issuing orders on the fly, Billy realizing Alpha-One’s weaknesses, and so on. Parrott also ties up several recurring plot threads, including Jason and Trini’s nascent relationship, Kimberly’s fractured relationship with her parents and her ex Matt, and Zack learning to trust Zordon.

However, the biggest shock of the issue goes to Rita. Go Go Power Rangers, a series that has finished its first year, has done an excellent job of fleshing her and her minions out, and in this issue, readers see just how far she is willing to go to win. It’s a rather shocking moment, and thanks to prior events, as well as certain readers’ knowledge of the Power Rangers mythos, it hits like a freight train. This is excellent because it continues the comics’ trend of showing Rita to be more than a screeching one-note villain.

Carlini and Mortarino split art duties on this issue, with Carlini handling the conclusion of the Alpha-One storyline and Mortarino drawing the opening flashback and half of the epilogue sequence. Carlini draws a frantic, fast-paced fight scene that gets the adrenaline rushing, including what may be one of the best Megazord transformation sequences.

Mortarino, who will take over artistic duties on Go Go Power Rangers has a style that hews very closely to original series artist Dan Mora’s work on the series; and although he only draws half the issue he gets to draw a heart-wrenchingly emotional moment between Trini and Jason.

Rounding out the art team in Go Go Power Rangers: Forever Rangers #1 are Angulo and Dukeshire. Dukeshire’s lettering helps to give each character their specific voice-particularly Alpha-Five and Alpha-One. Alpha-Five’s speech balloons are normal, square shapes while Alpha-One’s have fritz lines, underlying his speeches with a quiet menace. As befitting a Power Rangers comic, Angulo fills the pages with color, from cobalt lightning crackling as the Megazord forms to a thick, ominous miasma surrounding Rita as the Green Power Coin lies before her.

Go Go Power Rangers: Forever Rangers #1 is definitely worth your time if you’ve been following Go Go from the beginning, or if you’re a huge Power Rangers fan. Hopefully, Parrott and Mortatino continue this stellar work in future issues.

Go Go Power Rangers: Forever Rangers #1 is available wherever comics are sold.