An exciting relaunch hampered by poor accessibility and questionable coloring
I've recently become aware of the increasing popularity and success of the Power Rangers comic universe by Boom! Studios and Ryan Parrot. The covers for the series has been eye-popping - often gorgeous cover after gorgeous cover adorning your local comic shop's shelves. I was too far removed from the beginning of the series, and admittedly I hadn't followed the series since my youth in the 1990s.
I was excited to learn that Boom! would relaunch the series, this time as two parallel series, in 2020. Here was my perfect opportunity to become a participant in a party I was obviously missing. Equipped with my limited 1990s nostalgia, I jumped into this issue with very little expectations, hoping to have my hand held, being that it was a newly relaunched series. I was disappointed to discover that there would be no hand-holding here. This is a series for die-hards only.
Thankfully, I have enough knowledge to glean the most basic information from the issue. I was aware of Tommy's history as the Green Ranger and adversary of the Rangers and his turn as the White Ranger. What I apparently forgot entirely was the Zords were also Dinosaurs. Being a parent, I often visit the libary (or used to before COVID), and I noticed all the different Power Rangers series there have been since the original. Dinosaurs, vehicles, samurai, aliens. I think all that change made me forget that the originals did have dinosaurs as Zords. All of this confusion could have been avoided with a more accessible entry point than what this issue provided. Perhaps a separate issue guide was in order. If there was, I missed it.
Cover Art: EXCELLENT
This is a beautiful cover by Inhyuk Lee. It is eye-catching and clean. A very iconic cover.
Materials: EXCELLENT
You have a sturdy-feeling card stock cover. Just right for a new series launch. The paper quality is high with thick, substantial paper stock.
Script: GOOD
I really enjoyed the Zordon back story and underlying mystery regarding the new mysterious Green Ranger with new powers. I think those are perfectly balanced plot points - along with the other interpersonal stories going on. Admittedly, I found it hard to follow as I am not as well versed in these characters as a fan of the series would be. Lastly, the biggest problem I have with the script is the lack of hand-holding for new readers.
Art: MIXED
Pencils and inks from Marco Renna look really good here. Lettering from Ed Dukeshire is also great. What is really a problem in the art department is the coloring by Walter Baiamonte with assistance from Katia Ranalli. There must be a story behind it because the coloring in this issue is......terrible. Colors are clashing all over the place. Sometimes you have green on green on green or blue on blue on blue and the lack of contrast is really off-putting. Either the mistake that was made here needs to be avoided or they need a new colorist. That is the primary thing I am going to be focused on with the next issue.
Overall: GOOD
Overall: GOOD
