Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Halloween Special #1 Review

 

Writers: Sina Grace, Meghan Camarena, Danny Lore, Nick Marino

Artists: Sina Grace, Zachary Sterling, Jodi Nishijima, Juan Romera

Colorist: Sina Grace, Ellie Wright, Joshua Jensen, Andrew Cramer, Juan Romera

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Miguel Mercado, Nicole Goux, Nick Roche & Sketch Ellis

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Tea Fougner, David Mariotte, Caroline Butler & Andy Schmidt

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $7.99

Release Date: October 22, 2025

 

What terrors threaten you on Halloween? Pumpkin Rapper wants you to know that Rita Repulsa is a schemer, and this spooky season’s a screamer. He is determined to make you think twice about what you eat, drink, and dig your knives into. Will Pumpkin Rapper make you regard this most howling of holidays in a new light? Let's put on our costumes, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Halloween Special #1, and see!

 

Putty for Your Thoughts: Story

Our appearance influences our position in society. But it also affects how we see ourselves. In Sina Grace’s story, Rita Repulsa plays Mind Swap with Kimberly Hart. But instead of doing Freaky Friday with the Pink Ranger, Rita transports Kim’s mind into a Putty.

 

The first story in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Halloween Special #1 forces Kim to empathize with the life of a Putty. When Rita usurps Kim's place among her friends, she also leaves Finster free to pursue his whims. Kimberly must choose between playing it safe and risking everything to protect her friends.

 

Putty for Your Thoughts: Art

Sina Grace gives Pumpkin Rapper front-page honors as he introduces the first story in this collection. Then the art jumps to after Operation: Mindcrime. A putty looks into a vanity mirror framed with pink wood. The blue putty shapeshifts, adopting Kimberly's casual attire. But her arms and face, and then her entire body, revert to blue clay when others attack her. Sina Grace and Ellie Wright lavish bright colors on Putty for Your Thoughts. But blue, green, and pink dominate as Kimberly confronts the possibility of not just giving up her powers but leaving her Humanity behind.

 

Terror Toad’s Trick-Or-Treat Takeover: Story

In Meghan Camarena's story, Rita Repulsa's Terror Toad returns to Angel Grove on Halloween. Like all the trick-or-treaters, he's hungry for goodies. But his favorite treat is swallowing Power Rangers. This second story in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Halloween Special #1 puts Billy Cranston into the hot seat. As the other Rangers fall victim to Terror Toad's tongue, the Blue Ranger must find a way to attack the villain's weak spot.

 

Terror Toad’s Trick-Or-Treat Takeover: Art

In Angel Grove, children dress up not only as traditional ghosts and witches, but also as Rita Repulsa and Goldar. Zachary Sterling opens with Black Ranger as an Ooshies figure in a candy-filled Jack O’lantern. Then, as Blue Ranger runs off to rejoin the Power Rangers, a panel shows Terror Toad in his updated form. Joshua Jensen provides beautiful coloring to this endearing story set on Halloween. But most colorful of all is Terror Toad's new neck armor. The metal showcases a blue and pink sheen trimmed with gold.

 

Pumpkin to Sing About: Story

In Danny Lore's story, Zach and Jason take time off from college to chaperone a group of teens. After visiting Joe's Pumpkin Patch, Raina's pumpkin rings like a phone. When it leaps toward Jason, he tosses it out of the bus. The pumpkin sprouts a torso and limbs. Then, it chases after and attacks the bus.

 

Zach and Jason are no longer teens with attitude. Still, they are quick to comfort the teens in their care. Adhering to his responsibility inspires Zach to draw on his strengths and demonstrate leadership in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Halloween Special #1.

 

Pumpkin to Sing About: Art

Jody Nishijima contributes detailed pencils with an anime vibe. Jason leaps into action when danger threatens the teens. As the bus hurtles around a corner, Pumpkin Rapper springs off the ground in time-release images. Andrew Cramer's vibrant palette and lighting help this story stand out.

 

Candy Cornered: Story

In Nick Marino's story, Trini feels like an outsider. While she enjoys hanging out with her friends, she's not into watching scary movies. When they devour the candy corn in the large bowl, Trini visits the store. An attack by the Putties while filling her cart is just the start of the night's adventure.

 

This final story in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Halloween Special #1 doesn’t focus on Trini’s heritage. Still, it acknowledges that we may embrace some traditions while having a disconnect with others. Like all great Power Rangers stories, when her friends are in danger, Trini rises to the challenge to protect them from Rita Repulsa’s mischief.

 

Candy Cornered: Art

Trini looks bored while her friends sit rapt on the couch. Arising from her telescope, Rita exults as she raises her wand. Putties attack when Trini reaches the store’s Halloween decorations aisle. She smiles as she morphs into the Yellow Ranger. Juan Romera contributes a subdued palette that focuses on white, yellow, and orange. Blue, purple, and pink fill backgrounds, while green dominates the final portion of a story that urges readers to enjoy their favorite Halloween snack in moderation.

 

Lettering

Ed Dukeshire fills white balloons and colored narrative boxes with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation. Sound effects often accompany enlarged, colored dialogue. Pumpkin Rapper insists U Can't Touch This as white dialogue in orange balloons. Zordon’s instructions appear in blue balloons, while white letters in a green balloon signify lip-smacking flavor. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Zordon gave Kimberly Hart, Billy Cranston, Jason Scott, Zach Taylor, and Trini Kwan great power. But while protecting people from Rita Repulsa's menacing magic, they care for others. Zordon’s first Teens with Attitude empathize with others and work together to confront danger. Alongside Tommy Oliver, they inspire the next generation and sacrifice for others' happiness in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Halloween Special #1.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1 Review

 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1 Review

Writer: Ryan Parrott

Artist: Vincenzo Federici

Colorist: Raúl Angulo

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Alessio Zonno; Dan Mora; James Stokoe; Declan Shalvey; Paulina Ganucheau; Mateus Santolouco; Kevin Easterman; Freddie E Williams II & Francesco Segala; Tula Lotay; Francesco Tomaselli; cMv; DefShogun; Freddie E Williams II & Andrew Dalhouse; Ivan Tao; Björn Barends; Frank Uzan; Jimbo Salgado; Leno Hernandez

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Caroline Butler, David Mariotte & Andy Schmidt

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 13, 2025

 

The Turtles and the Power Rangers have teamed up to confront their enemies. But Shredder and Lord Zedd have also joined forces, and they’re making life difficult for our heroes. Can Splinter and Zordon keep the teams focused on defeating their enemies? Or will Shredder and Lord Zedd's constant attacks shatter the Turtles and Power Rangers' faith in each other? Let’s grab our weapons, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1, and see!

 

Story

The heroes are frustrated and no mistake. But they’ve got cause. Lord Zedd has put his Putties at Shredder's disposal. And Shredder has powered them up. Now, the Putties require more than a blow to the center of the chest to take them out. Tommy and Raphael argue that their combined teams are barely hanging on. And while Lord Zedd and Shredder's agents pop up across the world, the Turtles and Power Rangers are treating symptoms when they should be seeking out a cure.

 

Despite Zordon and Splinter's urging to remain patient, Tommy, Raphael, and their compatriots have a right to worry. Up on the moon, Shredder is starting to think that he's running the operation. Frustrated, Lord Zedd threatens to destroy his world if Shredder elbows him aside.

 

Before Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1 transports us back in time, Ryan Parrott begins his story at the end. Leonardo and Tommy combat the super-powered Putties after they’ve destroyed Billy’s Radbug. There’s some irony here, as Billy and the Power Rangers used the Radbug to reach the Command Center when Tommy prevented them from teleporting.

 

Tommy is no longer under Rita Repulsa's spell. While fighting alongside Leonardo, he hopes to return to the Command Center he attacked as the evil Green Ranger. But Leonardo holds little hope that they can defeat their foes and reunite with their friends and brothers.

 

Art

Vincenzo Federici shows Billy’s modified Volkswagen Beetle falling from a tornado. But instead of flying off in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1, the Radbug crashes. Dust rises, obscuring the rock formations that evoke the locale surrounding the Command Center. As Putties climb over the damaged car, Tommy and Leonardo emerge in a splash page. But they don't offer the Putties a pizza.

 

As Vincenzo Federici moves his camera to Paris, he brings Trini and Donatello into focus. The heroes battle a larger opponent before the Arc de Triomphe. Like Billy's Radbug, smoke rises from an overturned vehicle as the Eiffel Tower rises in the distance. Trini and Donatello leap into the air, delivering kicks, hits, and stabs while avoiding their opponent's mighty hammer.

 

Raúl Angulo enhances a fight atop a speeding locomotive. While snow falls through the blue sky, their purple and gray opponents summon red fireballs with their hands and wield red and yellow flaming weapons. Zordon gazes down upon the combined teams from his blue pillar in the purple command center. As the sun’s light reflects off Earth, green combats purple in Lord Zedd’s Moon Palace. While his red suit and head form a link with Karai, the Putties wear purple like their new leader.

 

Ed Dukeshire opens with black uppercase narration in white/orange narrative boxes. Alpha 5 speaks with a less relaxed font than his Human, Turtle, Rat, and Eltarian companions. Amid the white and blue balloons, giant colored dialogue accompanies the flurries of sound effects. Raphael's off-camera dialogue appears as white letters in red boxes. But while Tommy's responses appear in white-gold boxes, Thomas Covenant doesn't join the fight against Shredder and Lord Zedd in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The Turtles and the Power Rangers share a camaraderie that lets them work, fight, and share rarely spoken insights. Still, not everyone trusts Zordon and Splinter’s leadership. And that can get both teams into trouble when they take on the Foot Clan and Lord Zedd in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

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

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Revenge #1 Review

 

Writer: Zoe Tunnell

Artist: Tango

Colorist: Adam Guzowski

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Tango, Steve Gregson & Jack Lawrence

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $7.99

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

When Billy Cranston accidentally revives Rita Repulsa, she ranges far and wide, defeating Power Rangers in different places and eras. Billy and his team chase her down in 2023, but Rita escapes to 1993 to battle the teenagers with attitude before they can become a permanent menace. Can the Power Rangers pursue her through the time portal? And might meeting their younger selves create a paradox that disrupts space and time? Let's grab our morphers, leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Revenge #1, and see!

 

Story

In Zoe Tunnell's story, the Rangers decide the rewards outweigh the risks. Despite Minh Kwan's desire to avenge her mother's death, Billy and Zach convince her and the team that they must play backup to the team in 1993. So, the 2023 team intercepts threats and menaces before they reach the teenage Power Rangers and uses their fists and feet rather than their Power Ranger suits and weapons.

 

While Billy's team battles familiar foes, older Rita tries to command her younger self. But even though Robo Rita has more experience, her younger self is a ten-thousand-year-old space witch. The fact that Robo Rita has become a cyborg doesn’t help Rita Repulsa trust Robo Rita in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Revenge #1. Likewise, the original members, Billy and Zach, replacements Katherine and Rocky, and their recent addition, Minh, are still finding their places in the newly shaped team.

 

Minh Kwan suffers in Zoe Tunnell's story. Billy's accident led to her mother's death. So, the newest Ranger tests the boundaries of her role among the original Blue and Black Rangers. While Billy leads with his head, Zach backs him up with his heart. Zach wants to ensure that Minh can handle her new role and that she's prepared, should Minh meet her mom at this earlier point in Trini's life.

 

Art

Tango energizes action scenes while revealing the characters’ emotions in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Revenge #1. A blast from Robo Rita's wand sends the Rangers flying. When they remove their masks, Billy's maturity shows, while Minh evokes happy memories of Zordon's original crew. The Rangers strut down streets in '90s fashions and battle Finster's creations in back alleys. Robo Rita makes an indelible impression, appearing more powerful than Rita Repulsa, yet thinner and more reliant on her magic wand than her 1993 counterpart.

 

Adam Guzowski often paints the brightly colored Rangers against pink and purple backgrounds. The rainbow-like portal welcomes them back to the yellow, orange, and brown shore where the Rangers often fought Rita's monsters. Bandora Palace glows yellow while Robo Rita, Rita Repulsa, and Goldar share a gold bond. This forces white-furred Finster, clad in his blue-green work clothes, to withdraw to his laboratory. Still, even as he digs his hands into his gray clay, golden shirt sleeve cuffs and gold-rimmed spectacles shout his loyalty.

 

Ed Dukeshire places black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons. Robo Rita's words frequently grow bold, her font lacks curves, and she speaks into rectangular balloons with lightning bolt arrows. Colorful dialogue and frequent sound effects emphasize the danger Robo Rita poses and foretell the 2023 team's pain after battling monsters without their powers. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

When Robo Rita leaps through a time portal, she unleashes an unintended battle of one-upmanship on the moon, while the 2023 Rangers discover that the '90s were a very different age. Interpersonal drama, unexpected meetings with their counterparts, sparkling dialogue, and explosive action will help Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Revenge #1 grow on you.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

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

Vicarious TP Review

 

Writer: Ryan Parrott

Artist: Eleonora Carlini

Colorists: Mattia Iacono & Luca Mattioni

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artist: Dan Panosian

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $19.99

Release Date: August 26, 2025

 

Justin Bright is trying to make it in high-priced San Francisco. While he’s behind on his rent, he keeps looking for a job. He has a taste for the high life, so Justin spends nights in clubs, looking for abandoned drinks to nurse. When he sees two ruffians roughing up a man as he returns home one night, Justin identifies with the victim. Will leaping to the man’s assistance change his life? Or will Justinn become another victim of the growing Proxy Hater movement? Let’s link into Vicarious TP and see!

 

Story

Everything is new to Justin, now that he’s living on his own. To his surprise, Justin proves a capable fighter and deters the aggressors. Their victim, Christian Gold, refuses to go to the hospital. Instead, he asks Justin to drive him home. After zooming down the highway in Christian’s sports car and exploring his luxury home, Justin wants to know how the man made it big. Because Justin did him a solid, Christian gives him a name. Justin can follow in his footsteps, but the journey will demand everything he has and isn’t without risk.

 

In Vicarious TP, Justin undergoes an operation to become a proxy. By linking with his implant, people all over the world can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything Justin does. Linking offers many benefits, such as enjoying food you love but shouldn’t. You can attend exclusive parties or enjoy a long-distance relationship through your proxy. If you hunger for the high life, the best proxies have agents. And like Christian Gold, they don’t come cheap.

 

Ryan Parrott’s story follows Justin through the thrills and dangers of becoming a proxy. As with many emerging professions, opponents have strong reasons why linking with a proxy is harmful to the individual and society. Vicarious TP explores the gray areas of the law, where technology or substances may be legal for one purpose but illegal for another. And then there are the dangers accompanying any technological device implanted in the Human body, particularly when they control brain functions.

 

Art

Eleonora Carlini draws this world of pleasure and pain with straight lines and sharp angles. Justin cuts through the competition with a star on his cheek, golden rod earrings, and a wide smile. Like the man who gave him his start, Justin’s long hair forms rough waves as it frames his face and bounces along his neck. Biometric tattoos give Justin a singular appearance when he disrobes.

 

Mattia Iacono and Luca Mattioni contribute a vibrant palette that heightens the energy pulsing through near-future San Francisco. Justin’s tattoos shine and glow like the neon lights that brighten the skyline in Vicarious TP. Sylvia Synn’s gold tiger stripes link her with her star proxy, while Christian’s blond hair connects him with the movement’s chief opponent. And then there are the red clothes that Sylvia and Christian wear to Justin’s first proxy party. They evoke the blood that covered Christian when the “Sunday School Frat Boys” laid into him.

 

Becca Carey fills white balloons and colored narrative boxes with black uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and occasionally enlarge or shrink. Sound effects enhance small but significant events, whether Justin is meeting a client or disposing of his unwanted past. But most often, spikes protrude from proliferating balloons as clients dig what Justin is doing and urge him to take it to the next level. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

In Vicarious TP, Justin Bright’s desire to be his own man means becoming other people. As he swims in a sea of predators, Justin proves he can dish out what he takes. Ironically, in this story about identity, Justin may be bright. But who is Justin?

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

 

Butterfly TP Review

 

Story & Creator: Arash Amel

Writer: Marguerite Bennett

Artists: Antonio Fuso & Stefano Simeone

Colorist: Adam Guzowski

Letterer: Steve Wands

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $17.99

Release Date: August 12, 2025 

 

As Rebecca Faulkner peruses the skyline of Oslo, Norway, her thoughts drift back to a simpler time. When she belonged, and every day was a joy. Rebecca has changed so much that she wonders if she can even trust her memories. How much of what she remembers happened, and how much is a creation of her mind? And how might her next mission reconnect her with her past? Let's grab our Walther PPKs, leap into Butterfly TP, and see!

 

Story

After her father died, Rebecca's life fell apart. Her mother became devastated and embittered. Eventually, she found another life partner. But young Becky had no one to help her deal with her loss. So, she followed her father's career path. Eventually, she landed at The Project. The company trains operatives to discard their identities. She no longer goes by Becky or Rebecca. All Rebecca recognizes now is her codename of Butterfly.

 

In Butterfly TP, a retrieval mission goes horribly wrong. When the dust settles, the world believes Rebecca has killed a Russian oligarch. Suddenly, her employer no longer takes her calls. What little direction she receives leads her on a journey into her past and the father she barely remembers. While Arash Amel and Marguerite Bennett's story follows Rebecca, it also shows us events from her father's eyes. Much to Rebecca's surprise, David Faulkner didn’t die in Somalia. He has spent the past twenty years in hiding. Her father is married to a woman younger than her. Rebecca's half-brother likes dinosaurs.

 

As in her Witchblade stories for Top Cow, Marguerite Bennett discusses how institutions can strip us of our individuality. Her story of intrigue, pain, and loss reminds us what it does to our souls when others value us for our skills over who we are. Butterfly TP shows how governments and companies attract idealists before corrupting their grand plans to appease commercial and political concerns. Still, Rebecca and David have found each other. If they can survive everything the world throws at them, perhaps they can start over as father and daughter. 

 

Art

Antonio Fuso introduces Rebecca with glimpses of her past. A river winds through an evergreen forest as her father helps Becky aim her rifle and shoot bottles off a wooden fence. Adam Guzowski links father and daughter with a maroon flannel shirt and a pink jacket. The lenses of David’s glasses are the same blue as Becky’s eyes. 

 

Rebecca stands on a balcony in modern Oslo. Her blonde hair sways in the breeze as she frowns at the historic buildings surrounding her. Like the bottles on the fence post, a glass of red wine perches atop the hotel's wrought iron balcony railing. A beauty kit mingles with armaments in her room. A quick change transforms Rebecca into a woman with short brown hair. Wearing a sweater, scarf, and glasses with narrow, rectangular lenses, she pulls on a backpack. After leaving the hotel, Rebecca merges with the crowd before finding a baby carriage and adding that to her disguise. 

 

Stefano Simeone relays the second half of Butterfly TP. Rebecca's world grows less angular after she reunites with her father. Camera angles shift as Adam Guzowski anchors us in her new reality. David Faulkner's hair has gone gray. He pulls on a checked maroon coat, while Rebecca wears a pink jacket. Once again, evergreens surround father and daughter as they seek safety from their pursuers. As backgrounds turned scarlet when young Becky shot a bird, white snow now drifts through a red sky as a streak of yellow impacts and travels through a soldier’s throat.

 

Steve Wands fills dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes with black uppercase text. David Faulkner's thoughts and memories of why he faked his death appear as white letters in black boxes. Sound effects help us hear alarms, gunfire, and explosions, while crashes accompany shattered dreams. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy. 

 

Final Thoughts

Butterfly TP follows two surveillance agents living in Europe. Both Americans have seen their dreams become nightmares. They are also related. As they reconnect, they must flee the people hunting them. The reissued trade paperback contains extensive commentary from the story's creators, the original Hollywood pitch, production photos, and interviews with the cast, producers, and showrunners of the new, reimagined Amazon Prime TV series.

 

Rating 9.6/10

The review originally published at Comic Book Dispatch.

Check out Butterfly Season 1 at Amazon.com.

VR Troopers #2 Review

 

Writer: Mairghread Scott

Illustrator: Sebastián Píriz

Colorist: JP Jordan

Letterer: Taylor Esposito

Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke, Goñi Montes, Chris “Mista Jonz” Jones, Tom Scioli, Simona Di Gianfelice, Sina Grace with Nick Filardi & Ivan Tao

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Caroline Butler, David Mariotte, Lily Kessinger & Andy Schmidt

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 20, 2025

 

Ryan Steele has a dog to welcome him home. His teammates, Kaitlyn Star and JB Reese, support him at work. He used to have a girlfriend. Now, he can feel his relationship with Valentina slipping away. After his mother's abandonment and his father's death, Earth's Eltarian overlords cared for him. They raised Ryan above all other Humans to protect Earth from monsters, mutants, off-world traffickers, alien weapons, and exotic drugs. Still, he yearns for a greater feeling of belonging.

 

While investigating a break-in, Ryan found a sleeping woman at the Angel Grove Water and Power facility. Ryan also spotted a mysterious figure who vanished. Then he noticed someone building a device to tap into the city's energy supply. Amid their battle, Ryan’s Virtualizer reacted to the intruder’s touch. Can Ryan and his teammates catch the fugitive who has eluded capture for two years? And how is his father’s death related to the intruder who was building the strange device? Let’s grab our Virtualizers, leap into VR Troopers #2, and see!

 

Story

Ryan threw himself into becoming a VR Trooper. He even encouraged Valentina’s Eltarian roommate Jun to become one. Still, Ryan knows he’ll always be a second-class citizen to his Eltarian masters. After Ryan’s confrontation with the intruder, Zarysh tells the team that their security forces are aware of this intruder. His name is classified, but the Eltarian reveals that the intruder pierced their reality two years ago. Zarysh also drops another bombshell: the Eltarians created the VR Troopers program to capture this reality-hopping intruder and prevent anyone else from traveling here from a parallel Earth.

 

While Ryan copes with this news, JB wonders about what else Zarysh isn’t telling them. He has examined the device that Ryan found the intruder working on. When JB muses that it could be a teleportation device, Zarysh suggests they transfer the equipment to the Eltarian Science Division. JB also notices Zarysh didn’t mention that the intruder nearly activated Ryan’s Virtualizer. As the Eltarians keyed the Virtualizers to each trooper's biosignature, it shouldn't have responded to the intruder’s touch. 

 

As JB probes Ryan's unhappy memories, Kaitlyn undertakes an unauthorized mission in VR Troopers #2. She inhabits a world populated with alien refugees. The Eltarians have rewritten Human history to portray the Power Rangers as villains. When JB ponders a link between the mysterious figure and her sleeping aid, Kaitlyn insists on investigating the corporation that manufactured it. 

 

Art

While the VR Troopers Headquarters evokes Seattle’s Space Needle, the Ziktor Industries tower recalls the Earth Defense Directorate building in New Chicago. After Ryan, JB, and Kaitlyn share their discoveries amid Stark Industries-like hovering displays, Mr Ziktor interacts with blue/green holographic displays before immense wall windows. While the skylights above the troopers are less colorful than in Ranger Academy’s Opalescent Dome, they shower highlights and shadows upon the teammates. Yet a tense encounter in a corridor sparks an electrifying transformation in VR Troopers #2.

 

As Sebastián Píriz fills pages with engaging characters, dramatic camera angles, and impressive settings, JP Jordan fills panels with a luminous color palette. A sense of warmth and vitality inhabit the VR Trooper headquarters as JB makes his case with orange holographic displays. Inside the tall gray tower, the green interior and blue wall windows give Ziktor Industries a clinical ambiance. When Kaitlyn follows her instincts, she discovers a hallway bathed in red in VR Troopers #2. 

 

Taylor Esposito’s black uppercase letters in white and pale blue balloons grow bold for intonation, swell for volume, and rarely shrink. Large yellow letters announce locations in Mairghread Scott’s story and showcase a familiar catchphrase. Sound effects enhance a fraught battle while a slamming barrier evokes a stormtrooper's lament aboard the Death Star. Thanks to Boom! Comics for providing a review copy. 

 

Final Thoughts

Discovering an intruder constructing a strange device with Earth-based components was just the tip of the iceberg. Ryan Steele hungers to learn the circumstances surrounding his father's death and why the Eltarians dispense revelations on a need-to-know basis. Mysteries mount and dangers threaten the team in VR Troopers #2.

 

Rating 9.6/10

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

Power Rangers Prime #9 Review

 

Writer: Melissa Flores

Artist: Michael Yg

Colorist: Fabi Marques

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Caroline Butler, David Mariotte & Andy Schmidt

Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke, Crystal Kung, Vash Taylor, Emilio Lopez, Tula Lotay, Eleonora Carlini & Huy Dinh

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

Ryan holds Mark in custody. If he officially arrests Rita Repulsa's Blue Ranger, the young orphan will lose everything: his place at Angel Grove University and his trusted docent status at the Natural History Museum. If the refugee doesn't spend the rest of his life in an Eltarian prison, Mark will likely end up living underground like the other unregistered aliens.

 

But Ryan also has Valentina and Jun to consider. His girlfriend is the daughter of Angel Grove's mayor. Ryan doesn't want Admiral Janessa to learn that Valentina and her son have become Power Rangers. He may not lose sleep if Lauren, Mark, and Orion go to prison. Jun might survive his mother's wrath. But Valentina and her father would join Mark in whatever future the Eltarians decide to punish them with.

 

The Red (Samurai) Ranger's arrival in Angel Grove set all these events in motion. To protect his girlfriend and the Aquitan orphan who lost his mother and his world, Ryan proposes to swap Mark for Lauren. Will Jun, Valentina, and Orion agree to Ryan’s proposal? And what might Rita say about Ryan’s optimistic strategy to safeguard their futures? Let's grab our Morphers, leap into Power Rangers Prime #9, and see what happens!

 

Story

Along with Kaitlyn and JB, Ryan is a VR Trooper. His mother vanished long ago. His father disappeared more recently. So he meets his friends in a Japanese garden that was important to him and his father. The Space Witch has corrupted his friends. Rita Repulsa has given them the forbidden power of the Power Rangers. And in Melissa Flores’ story, Rita has taken the mantle of the Green Ranger. Once, she created the Green Ranger to destroy the Power Rangers. Now, Rita uses it to inspire them to destroy everything Ryan loves.

 

Melissa Flores gives each character a chance to shine in Power Rangers Prime #9. While Valentina and Jun have enjoyed a life of privilege, they are beginning to understand why Rita said their lives were illusions. Admiral Janessa and her Eltarian supervisors see this more clearly. If they want to retain control of their 205^th colony world, the overlords must prevent uncontrolled non-Eltarians from tapping the Morphin Grid.

 

While Rita's contemplation opens Power Rangers Prime #9, their confrontation at Ryan's special place gives each of the characters much to consider. Considering her history, Rita demonstrates exceptional wisdom. But despite the power they all wield, each realizes that winning is about more than who can deliver a colossal blow. While the Eltarians have rebuilt Earth on a foundation of deception, the divisions separating them are the greatest lie of all.

 

Art

The Green Ranger hovers above the crowd, forcing the Power Rangers and the VR Troopers to look up at her. As she leaps into battle, Rita wields her wand instead of a musical dagger. When Kaitlyn splits in two to battle the Space Witch, a character goes from being protected to defending others. The transformation evokes a fan-favorite catchphrase from the original TV series. Amid the explosive battle, Michael Yg shows Admiral Janessa conferring with her superiors in her headquarters.

 

Unlike the opening of the series, when Rita painted colors with her fingers, Fabi Marques opens Power Rangers Prime #9 with Rita as an ethereal being composed of white and green. Yellow links Valentina with Rita’s wand, while red connects the VR Troopers with Lauren. Amid the fury of the lavishly painted fight, pink and blue link the Eltarian overlords with their lowliest alien refugees.

 

Ed Dukeshire places uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. While the Space Witch's purple incantations fill jagged white dialogue balloons, Rita's purple pondering fills lavender narrative boxes. The letters grow bold, swell, and change color amid dramatic and action-packed confrontations. Sound effects crackle off would-be heroes and survivors, while sighs and gasps accompany monstrous roars. Thanks to Boom! Studios and Hasbro for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Rita Repulsa has known good and evil. She has learned the pitfalls of each. To secure her survival, Rita always opts to destroy her enemies. Yet time has taught her to expect her minions to fail her. So the Space Witch bides her time, while her new Power Rangers, the VR Troopers, and the Eltarian leadership of Earth adjust to the changes Rita has wrought in Power Rangers Prime #9.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

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

The War #1 Review

 

Writer: Garth Ennis

Artist: Becky Cloonan

Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Cover Artists: Becky Cloonan, Jay Shaw, Trevor Hairsine with Rain Beredo, and Tula Lotay

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 30, 2025

 

Deep down, we believe that words shouldn’t hurt us. Perhaps some, like Mr Spock, can dismiss hurtful words dispassionately. But even words meant to calm and console can lead to anger or depression. Words can ruin relationships and destroy lives. How might dialogue and argument draw friends closer together or push them apart? Let’s grab a bottle of wine, leap into The War #1, and see!

 

Story

Russia and Ukraine are attending a summit. But they do so without Volodymyr Zelenskyy. David argues that the Ukrainian war cannot worsen. Luke claims that Russia will never trust NATO. Both men urge their friends to follow the news in The War #1. Informing yourself about contemporary events is healthy and empowering.

 

After the eight friends part ways, their conversation continues. Reports of increasing tensions and violence drive the dialogue between partners and friends. With President Zelenskyy dead, Russia's focus shifts to Ukraine's allies. As Luke argued, NATO awakened the slumbering beast. Whether or not the friends view Vladimir Putin as rational, the Russian president has a vast arsenal at his disposal.

 

The War #1 is a dialogue-driven story that questions our readiness for war as individuals and as a society. Unlike in The Kids #1, when the world changes overnight, Garth Ennis probes what happens when the apocalypse approaches more slowly. Some draw comfort from reason. Others ponder a quick death. People mourn loved ones they will never see again. Relationships hang on tenterhooks, swayed by storms of emotion. David, Luke, and their friends process the situation by discussing it in these first three serial installments from the Hello Darkness series. But how can words bring comfort or support when a city can vanish in the blink of an eye?

 

Art

Tamra Bonvillain contributes a loaded palette to The War #1. Yellow, green, and pink enliven the evening get-together. When starlight pierces David and Nikki’s darkened bedroom, greens, blues, and skin tones glow and highlight an iconic movie poster. Streetlamps paint the sidewalks yellow as residents pack their cars, while taillights leave a trail of red. Pink and orange fill the sky as Travis and Grace opt for the safe course.

 

Becky Cloonan’s detailed penciling shows Luke’s involvement in the discussion, while Stefan props his cheek on his knuckles and closes his eyes. Nikki glares a quiet storm but rarely focuses it on David. Maggie and Spencer stand on a lonely platform before boarding an empty subway carriage. As Grace watches the TV from the couch, Travis presses his forearm against the wall window of their apartment. Instead of studying nearby high-rises, he stares at his phone. While Tamra Bonvillain reveals light sources and directions through color, Becky Cloonan enhances shadows and backgrounds with stippling. The dots suggest the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the friends like dust hurled into the air.

 

Pat Brosseau fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters that grow bold for emphasis and shrink for lowered voices. Lowercase text in blue and gray fields differentiates texts between David and Luke. While emotion and raised voices enlarge words and reshape balloons, sound effects erupt once amid an approaching storm. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

People often hypothesize their actions in foreseeable futures. But you can’t know how you would react to a situation until you experience it. And weapons of mass destruction can make the best-intended actions irrelevant. In The War #1, eight friends—David and Nikki, Luke and Stefan, Travis and Grace, and Maggie and Spencer—react to the threat and reality of war in different ways. Whether their actions seem wise or foolish to others, they are all very Human.

 

Rating 9.3/10

 

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

Be Not Afraid #2 Review

 

Writer: Jude Ellison S Doyle

Illustrator: Lisandro Estherren

Colorists: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Simon Bowland

Cover Artists: Reiko Murakami, Tyler Boss & Jenna Cha

Designer: Madison Goyette

Editors: Caroline Butler, Allyson Gronowitz, Elizabeth Brei & Andy Schmidt

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 16, 2025

 

On his 17^th birthday, Jordy Rehms makes a man claw out his eyes. Then he watches as the man chews his hand off. Jordy knows he's not Human. Still, he enjoys terrorizing the people in Enoch.

 

His mother once imagined a glorious future. Now, she cannot bear to face tomorrow. When Cora prays for deliverance, a man appears in her kitchen. Is Mr Phim the answer to her prayers? Or will he bring Cora more suffering? Let's grab a Bible, leap into Be Not Afraid #2, and find out!

 

Story

Seventeen years ago, Cora mourned her father. Her friend Cindy grieved for her mother. While Cora's mother grew bitter, Cindy introduced Cora to church. Cora found meaning in religion. But then she went too far. Cora dared to believe that she could speak with God, and he replied.

 

In Be Not Afraid #2, Cora envisions the world as it ought to be. Cora wants to share her vision of divine harmony with others. Instead, her mother locks her inside the house. Anyone who claims God speaks to them is crazy and a menace to society.

 

Jude Ellison S. Doyle intersperses Cora's discussion with her mysterious visitor with glimpses from her past. We discover why Cora found her unnatural pregnancy difficult instead of a blessing. Be Not Afraid #2 tackles the divide between the laity and the clergy. It also reminds us that the Christian Church closed the canon of the Word of God, then zealously rooted out “heretics” who disagreed with the establishment’s decisions. While addressing the way tragedy can tear families apart, the story reminds us of our daily struggles to spread kindness, even if love demands that we punish those who do wrong.

 

Art

Lisandro Estherren provides a window into Cora’s past, revealing the pain that divides mother and daughter. Mr Phim may reason with her. Yet his features seem harsh, and his movements suggest impatience. A vision from Biblical prophecy merges with a glimpse of Cora's home in the valley. Yet, as Cora mentions to Mr Phim, her town seems removed from time in Be Not Afraid #2.

 

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli adorn scenes of rural life in toned pages. Red adorns the opening scenes with her mother, and Cora's search for a new worldview. Green fills the valley, Cora's initial scene with Mr Phim, and her interview with a priest. While enhancing the mood of these pivotal moments, radiant yellow and white hail warmth, affection, belonging, and divine providence. Yet the visions seem slanted or skewed in Be Not Afraid #2 as if glimpsed not through a window but a funhouse mirror.

 

Simon Bowland places uppercase black letters in white boxes and balloons. The uppercase letters in boxes are more stylized than their cousins, but both are easy to read. Words grow bold for emphasis, while lowered voices receive smaller, lowercase letters. But white words appear in black boxes when everything right in Cora's world suddenly goes wrong. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Cora Rehms faces a difficult decision. The mysterious Mr Phim promises her deliverance from her suffering. But he appeared as miraculously as her son. And he advises actions that clash with Cora’s ethics and belief in Be Not Afraid #2.

 

Rating 9/10

 

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

To refresh your mind of previous events, see my review of Be Not Afraid #1.