Power Rangers Prime #6 Review

 

Writer: Melissa Flores

Artist: Jo Mi-Gyeong

Colorist: Ellie Wright

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Caroline Butler, David Mariotte & Matt Gagnon

Cover Artists: Dan Mora; Nimit Malavia; Keyla Valerio; Alessio Zono; Miguel Mercado; Erica D’Urso; Bon Bernardo; NRG; Smunchy

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 30, 2025

 

Ryan is an enthusiastic member of the Eltarian Youth Corps. As a VR Trooper, the young Human boasts more firepower than the Eltarian Guard. When Rita Repulsa’s space dumpster crashed into a dumpster in Angel Grove, Ryan’s squad wanted to pursue the Space Witch. Then, Valentina gave him a lead on a Power Ranger.

 

Mark is a half-Aquitan refugee. After spending time in an Eltarian Detention Center, he got accepted by Angel Grove University. Mark rescued his dog Doobie and the Power Ranger Lauren from an Angel Grove dumpster. His roommate Orion and his new Eltarian friend Jun praise his bravery. But even after he grasps a Zeo Crystal and becomes the Blue Power Ranger Prime, Mark remains paralyzed by fear. How will he fare when Ryan’s VR Troopers capture him? And will Ryan take his bad day out on Mark? Let's grab our Morphers, leap into Power Rangers Prime #6, and see what happens!

 

Story

Ryan has everything he wants. Jun’s mother, an Eltarian Admiral, esteems him. He has a glamorous job that many Humans would kill for. But then his girlfriend becomes the Yellow Power Ranger Prime. So when he takes Mark into custody, Ryan asks Mark to tell him everything he knows about the Power Rangers. The Admiral may be able to protect Jun, but Ryan needs to apprehend the other Power Rangers to keep Valentina out of the Angel Grove Detention Center.

 

Ryan tries hard to bond with Mark in Power Rangers Prime #6. But the refugee doesn’t buy it. The Aquitan has lost his family and his world. It’s hard to imagine the Eltarians letting Mark resume his studies at Angel Grove University or his internship at Angel Grove Natural History Museum. So, what does Ryan have to offer Mark?

 

He may be in custody, but Mark isn’t powerless. In his earliest memories, his mother shared her fears with him. She also instilled a belief that freedom was more important than submission. His mother chose to live on Aquitan because the Eltarians ruled Earth. Mark has lived with fear all his life. But in Power Rangers Prime #6, Mark remembers that fear is a choice.

 

Art

Jo Mi-Gyeong portrays Mark as a youngster swimming in the ocean. Mark breathes with neck gills while his mother wears a scuba suit and regulator. Amid Ryan’s interrogation, Mark’s childhood memories interweave with his mother’s stories. The Eltarians who welcome him to Earth appear concerned for his wellbeing. As Ryan questions Mark, the VR Trooper exemplifies strength, resilience, and caring. Yet Ryan’s eyes hint at his fears for Valentina, and his frown suggests that he blames Mark for her plight.

 

Darkness hangs over Mark's future in Power Rangers Prime #6. Yet Ellie Wright brightens Mark with purple gills. She links Mark with the magenta and lavender sealife on Aquitan and a fellow alien refugee at Ellis Island. Blue proves the dominant color, portraying Aquitan’s oceans, Mark’s cell, the rain falling when he arrives on Earth, the city where he was born, and the Eltarian Guards who rescued him. Given all the blue in his past, it’s easy to understand why Mark chose the blue Zeo Crystal over the others Rita Repulsa offered Lauren’s friends.

 

Ed Dukeshire communicates this story about how we relate to our government by placing uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The letters grow bold, swell, change color, and rarely shrink as Mark faces his damaged past and present. Sound effects help us hear launching missiles, explosions, an alien scream, and a chair pleading for oil. Thanks to Boom! Studios and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Like Mr Spock, Mark is a man of two worlds. He possesses a childlike innocence and helps those in need. Yet when he gets frightened, he relies on an inhaler to restore calm. Becoming the Blue Power Ranger Prime was the beginning of a journey. In Power Rangers Prime #6, Mark must fight for the freedom his mother valued or accept the subservience the Eltarians demand.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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