It’s time for the Powers Rangers to morph on over to the DC universe in this unlikely comic book crossover…
It’s always fun when two usually disconnected properties cross over, and this January DC and Boom Studios have come together to give us one particularly off-the-wall team-up: the Justice League and those Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers!
Things begin with the shocking revelation that the Power Rangers’ home city of Angel Grove is no more – and apparently it’s all Zack the Black Ranger’s fault. We then zip back 36 hours and find out that, due to Zack’s short-sightedness, Lord Zedd breached Zordon’s command centre. With his transporter damaged, Zack zapped him and Zedd out of the command centre and into a different universe… where he encounters what he thinks is one of Zedd’s monsters, the freakish Batman!
First of all, this is a Power Rangers-heavy issue, with the focal point being Zack. Nonetheless, it is not at all impenetrable for readers unfamiliar with Angel Grove’s finest. Tom Taylor’s dialogue is particularly impressive; it’s far snappier and Whedon-esque than that of the original show. It’s also nice to have Zack at centre stage as he was usually reduced to the background in the series.
Stephen Byrne is the perfect artist for this project – particularly as his hobby is to produce fun crossover art on his Twitter account. His bright, clean style is a great fit for this all-ages tale whose cast of characters traverse the rainbow. As is traditional for superhero team-ups, the two teams clash upon meeting, with Batman and Flash being outmanned by the combined force of the six Rangers and Kimberly’s Pterodactyl Zord – or, as Flash calls it, the “flying pink dinosaur robot.” Byrne excels in these scenes and any DC or Rangers fan will be delighted at seeing these icons brought together.
Overall, this opener issue kicks things off in style, with a pacy, linear plot and great artwork. It ends with the hilarious – and nicely feminist – moment of Batman being carried away by the Pink Ranger – which only promises more breezy, nostalgic fun to come in future issues.
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Fandom Factory 