Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1 is a great tribute to the show, characters, the actors, and fans! The show has been running since its debut in 1993 and it also has been continuing in comics form by Boom! Studios. There has been excellent explorations with the fan favorite characters, introducing new characters, and other parts of the Power Rangers universe. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special #1 introduced the alternate world with “Re-Imagine” by Amy Jo Johnson, who played Pink Ranger, and Matt Hotson with art by Francesco Mortarino. It starts with the premiere, “Day of the Dumpster”, and the formation of the Power Rangers.
This is the original team of Billy Cranston, Jason Lee Scott, Trini Kwan, Zack Taylor, and Kimberly Hart given the Power Coins to transform them into Power Rangers! Tommy Oliver, the new Ranger, is introduced in the seventeenth ep of season one. A year later, Lord Zedd arrives in “The Mutiny” (1994). Almost mirroring Tommy and Kimberly’s relationship, he falls for Rita. Another year and we get the fateful change. In “The Power Transfer” (1994), Jason, Zack, and Trini are chosen to go to the Peace Conference in Switzerland. Their powers are transferred to Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. Billy brings up that they can teleport from anywhere in the world. Kimberly is happy that the team is staying together.
Five years later, Kimberly and Tommy marry. Zedd and Rita marry in second season’s “The Wedding” (1995). Rita and Zedd use a Serpentera to destroy the Command Center along with Zordon and Alpha! Tommy says they should attack the Moon Palace base for Rita and Zedd! This shifts to the present with a familiar looking Emma Phillips about to take a flight with a shattered moon above her. Chapter One of The Return, is entitled “No More Power Rangers”, a nice twist on the theme song. It is by the writing team of Johnson and Hotson with Nico Leon providing the art. Leon worked on the Catwoman title to issue #58 (2023). The cover by Goni Montes has a very somber Kimberly dressed in a black coat, the Power Rangers around her and a closeup of her Pink Ranger helmet with the kiss with Tommy.
The opening has the moon as we are told that about the defeat of Rita and Zedd by the Power Rangers, “twenty-two years ago”! We see their colors streak from the moon and then the location of the Moon Palace shattering the moon as we are told the team broke up! “Today” at the deserted Command Center, we hear the fall of a dark figure onto a console. There is some panting as he assembles his Blade Blaster and the Red Power Ranger with poncho and belt starts shooting! The blasts are a great visual. A portal is formed and he is struck down. There is a mysterious figure who looks down on him as his Power Coin lifts from his Power Morpher! The bearded, scarred Jason wonders about this powerful villain. He is told that this person comes from the past and is the future! Leon's artwork reminds me of the simple pencil lines of artist, Brian Stelfreeze.
This goes to the Angel Grove celebration in the day of the Trini Kwan Memorial Park and Youth Center. It is presented by the older Billy who mentions she was the High Commissioner of Human Rights for the United Nations. Also the mayor of Angel Grove, incredible tributes to Trini and also actress, Thuy Trang, who died in 2001. I like this outcome more than what was in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always (2023) film. Still, this is an alternate world so both versions can exist! In the audience is Kimberly. Also there is Ernie, owner of the juice bar that was the usual hang out, and the goofy bully duo of Skull and Bulk. Billy looks over to see Zack and turns over the presentation to him. The crowd cheers the Black Ranger, but Kimberly withdraws.
She walks over and smiles seeing a photo of herself and Trini in 1994. Kimberly thinks back to the moment learning kung fu from Trini. Tommy leaps kicks over Jason, all in red, with Billy learning dance moves from Zack behind them. I like the color coordinated outfits. We also see to the side, Bulk blindfolded with Skull behind him, also with Ernie. Jason and Tommy are busy lifting barbells as Kimberly and Trini decide to leave for other places. There is a closeup of Kimberley’s eyes as she says she misses her friend. We see the cloudy skies as Kimberly is holding flowers in a cemetery. Zack walks up to her and she notes the cheering for the “famous Power Ranger.” He asks her to a restaurant with Billy and himself.
Kimberly places the flowers at a gravestone as she corrects Zack on how many times she saved him. She agrees to the restaurant, but wants him to call her Emma Phillips. Then, we see the gravestone of Tommy Oliver, and the saying, “His spirit lives on.” This is another tribute, a way for fans to say farewell to Jason David Frank whom we lost in 2022. Could the hooded man who Jason encountered be the return of Tommy? There is laughing at Chet’s diner. There is a Chet, owner of Astro Alley, in Power Rangers Astro Voyage. The conversation turns to the time since Kimberly was with them. Billy adds that “she”, Trini, missed her. Zack struggles that everyone should know about Trini and her heroism as a Power Ranger. Kimberly is stern with Zack about his tell-all book.
Zack says that the agreement was to tell that he was Angel Grove’s only Ranger and the others were from the rest of the world. Kimberly comes back with if anyone else was revealed to be a Ranger, then all of their identies would be discovered. A tense scene. Zack says the publicity could Billy’s telecom company and Kimberly is in Canada as Emma. It seems like Johnson is putting in some of her own life into her character. Kimberly slams her fist on the table which disturbs a customer and waitress! Billy changes the subject mentioning that Zack’s book led to his Clean Power Hip Hop Kido Festival. We see the festival which looks great that was in Tulum, Mexico with djs, dances, and martial artists!
The stage also has screens in the diamond shapes of the Ranger uniforms. Clever design. Billy starts to talk about his company, we see a closeup of Billy setting his glasses with a finger, a great character detail. He brings up his secret project. He used Alpha-5’s databankds, we see Alpha’s head on a pedestal with a white rose, the small touches are incredible. Billy has been working on making “safe teleportation.” He says it could be used to transport food to the hungry and move people from hurricanes. Billy mentions teleporting hurricanes, that is dangerous tampering with weather. We see a closeup of his Power Morpher. He brings up that he could have teleported away sick cells from a person. Trini died from an illness and Kimberly tries to reassure Billy. Then, she realizes he was tapping into the Morphin Grid thinking he broke the agreement from twenty-two years ago.
Billy clarifies he hasn’t morphed and just used the Power Coin like Zack using it for his clean energy festival. Zack grabs his forehead, funny! Kimberly brings up Jason. Billy explains that he worked as a firefighter and then there was an arson. A destructive crime, the hooded person must have started the fire setting up the events. Jason agonizes next to a fire truck as a body is taken away. Jason morphed as the Red Ranger, Zack said to help people at first, we see him rescue people from a fire, then fighting crime, to finally counter-terrorism. Billy tells Kimberly that Jason wanted to use Morphin Grid to permanently become the Red Ranger! We see Jason in his Red Ranger uniform altred with poncho, patches, and belts. Billy says that the Morphin Grid was used by someone else. Billy thought it was Kimberly, but now Zack says they have to find Jason as Power Rangers. I love the mystery and the surprise ending! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1 takes the Tokusatsu action show premise and focuses on character moments that are dramatic!
Five Power Coins out of Five!
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