Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo #1 Review

 

Writer: Ryan Parrott

Artist: Shawn Daley

Colorist: James Fenner

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke, Stan Sakai & Emi Fujii; Takeshi Miyazawa; Jared Cullum; Goñi Montes

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Kenzie Ronzca, Allyson Gronowitz, Bryce Carlson & Matt Gagnon

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $7.99

Release Date: September 25, 2024

 

Miyamoto Usagi protects a rare treasure. Usagi works on behalf of Mizuki and her people. As fighters regularly attempt to steal the glowing green orb, Usagi’s skill as a former samurai allows him to deflect them. But the Wadokei is ticking. Can Mizuki enlist more help before they lose the Dragon’s Eye forever? Let’s grab our katanas, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo #1, and see! 

 

Story

Like Mizuki and her people, Angel Grove faces constant attacks. Today, Hogwash roots through the town, and only the Power Rangers can stop it. Yet, like the three attackers Usagi chased away, each Ranger fight as they see fit. Like Starlord in Avengers Infinity War, Jason wishes they would follow his orders. So, as they banter, Jason uses his Power Sword to banish Hogwash. But then, as if summoned by Zordon, the Rangers disappear amid colored light.

 

Hogwash was not unique. Rita Repulsa's monsters often resemble animals and plants. When the Rangers materialize in a Japanese temple surrounded by humanoid animals, they prepare to fight. Tomotsu Ogasawara calms the Rangers. The Human introduces them to the people he protects. As in Angel Grove, monsters continually attack nearby homes and farms. The locals have gathered in the Temple of the Eternal Spring for safety. Tomotsu may be a rare Human foundling, but he safeguards the community that raised him. Like the gods in Jason And The Argonauts, Tomotsu sought visions of heroes in the temple waters. Then he prayed that the Masters would send the Rangers to drive the monsters away.

 

After the Rangers choose to aid Tomotsu, Jason shares his concerns with the lone Human in Usagi's world. Later, in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo #1, the Rangers help Mizuki and her people. Usagi shares his experience to cast Jason's dilemma in perspective. Ryan Parrott's story then hurls the Rangers and Usagi into battle with the man who brought them to this world and an ancient evil that could destroy it.

 

Art

Shawn Daley hurls Usagi into battle. Usagi looks lean, lithe, and agile as he deflects their attacks. Usagi favors a two-handed grip with a single katana. But he often uses his hands and feet to deliver telling blows amid flying leaps and spectacular acrobatics. Zach comments that Usagi is the toughest bunny he has ever seen in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo #1. Yet Daley’s portrait of all the Rangers emphasizes their youth. They may be teens with attitude, but they have much to learn. While they look up to Tomotsu, the Rangers stand eye-to-eye with the residents of Usagi's world. Jason and his team wear traditional costumes and summon their zords when they fight. Yet, in the final battle, their attire changes to honor the civilization they protect.

 

While Shawn Daley applies lines and dots to shadows and foreground characters, James Fenner enhances these with color. The ever-changing color palette brightens scenes as Hogwash exhales florescent acid, the Rangers become a comet that whizzes through a vibrant circle of energy as it orbits Earth, and the teens arrive in the yellow and brown temple. Tomotsu becomes a silhouette as he stands before a gray fountain pouring turquoise water into a splashing pool that evokes Koura standing beside the fountain of destiny in The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad. Yet Tomotsu’s purple attire shines as he grasps the green orb and unleashes a torrent of yellow, orange, and red destruction.

 

Ed Dukeshire casts uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Lines of text are well-spaced, and words rarely shrink. But dialogue swells and changes color when characters introduce themselves, morph, and fight. Sound effects enhance a hammer slipping from the hand of an unworthy wielder, Usagi sending the Rangers flying, and zords charging through the pastoral landscape threatened by Tomotsu’s actions. While Zach realizes Usagi has some tricks up his sleeves, the creators team up to unleash theirs and make Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo #1 a unique and enjoyable read. Thanks to Boom! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When the Rangers stumble, Usagi helps them find their feet. Jason and Usagi bolster each other’s worldviews in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo #1. The ronin may lack a Power Sword. Still, he proves a welcome ally as the Rangers battle fire-breathing ninjas and a man bent on bringing Usagi's world to its knees.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.