Mighty Morphin #17 is written by Mat Groom, illustrated by Moisés Hidalgo, colored by Raúl Angulo, and lettered by Ed Dukeshire. It’s published by BOOM! Studios. In the wake of the Eltarian War, the Power Rangers are stuck with a ruined Command Center and uncertainty about when Lord Zedd will strike next. When Zordon reveals the location of a new Command Center, the Rangers immediately plan to recover it except for Rocky, as he volunteers to stay behind to spend time with his family. Meanwhile, a new enemy makes their presence known.
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In the same vein that Ryan Parrott boarded the Power Rangers titles after Kyle Higgins finished the epic Shattered Grid saga, Groom picks up the pieces of The Eltarian War. Not only is he a perfect fit for the Rangers universe — he’s served as a co-writer for other Tokusatsu-themed comics including Supermassive and The Trials of Ultraman, but he builds on what came before, including introducing elements from another classic Rangers season. Perhaps the best part of the issue is the focus on Rocky, who often got shafted during his tenure on Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and Power Rangers Zeo. Luckily, the Rangers comics have done a great job of giving character development to each and every Ranger. Rocky is no exception; he’s deeply dedicated to his family and jumps at the chance to stay behind so that he can see them and continue his Ranger duties.
Hidalgo, having previously illustrated issues of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, returns to ramp up the sci-fi elements of the Power Rangers mythos. After all, this issue literally features the Rangers going to space. Their new spaceship is a shimmering golden Eltarian cruiser, with long insectoid-like legs and a round cockpit; it resembles a firefly, minus the wings. There’s only one fight sequence between Rocky and a new group of foes, but Hidalgo puts some oomph into it – the Red Ranger leaps and weaves through the air, swinging his Power Sword in a graceful arc.
Topping off Hidalgo’s art is Angulo’s colors. Most of the action takes place in the wreckage of the Command Center, with swirls of brown dust and the sun shining down on the Rangers. A few scenes also take place in the Promethea HQ, which provides a great contrast with its sterile white walls. And while each Ranger is wearing clothing matching their signature color, Red is the most prominent because Rocky has a major role in the story. Even Dukeshire’s lettering grows larger and redder when Rocky shouts “Tyrannosaurus!” before morphing into the Red Ranger— and the new bad guys’ word balloons also have a reddish-orange tint to them.
Mighty Morphin #17 welcomes a new creative team as it begins to explore the aftermath of the Eltarian War. With the seeds sown for another era of Power Rangers to make the jump to comics, the team’s in good hands, and the Power Rangers comics continue to be a cornerstone of BOOM! Studios’ titles.
Mighty Morphin #17 is available now wherever comics are sold.
Mighty Morphin #17
TL;DR
Mighty Morphin #17 welcomes a new creative team as it begins to explore the aftermath of the Eltarian War. With the seeds sown for another era of Power Rangers to make the jump to comics, the team’s in good hands, and the Power Rangers comics continue to be a cornerstone of BOOM! Studios’ titles
