Go Go Power Rangers #21 // Review
The new era of Power Rangers continues with Go Go Power Rangers #21. Tommy Oliver has lost his Green Ranger powers to Lord Zedd and Turbanshell. Writers Ryan Parrott and Sina Grace delve into the psychological effects this has on the young Power Ranger as well as his friends. Meanwhile, events begin to take shape that will redefine Power Rangers canon forever.
Even though their state in larger canon remains confusing to dubious, Boom's Power Rangers books continue to be respectful to the show's continuity. Kyle Higgins' opening run was clearly defined taking place after the “Green With Evil” arc from the show, with Go Go's first stories directly succeeding MMPR's pilot episode. With the new universal timeline remade and the mainline Mighty Morphin Power Rangers title committed to showing the events of the team post the “White Light two-parter,” Go Go Power Rangers once again finds itself in the role of a prequel, this time chronicling the gap of time between “Green No More” and “White Light.”
Even though Go Go is technically an insular title to the events of MMPR, Parrot and newcomer Grace's script helps it stand out. Parrot has always relished the opportunity to expand on past continuity, and issue #21 is no exception. New insight into the thought process of Kimberly and Tommy in classic scenes not only makes for an enjoyable reading experience on its own but enriches those scenes like the climactic battle against Turbanshell in the show or Kimberly and Tommy's date in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25.
The addition of Grace's voice is a noticeable contribution to the script, especially to those familiar with Parrott's writing. Ignoring the freshness that comes with a new co-writer on a long-running title, issue #21 has a new rhythm to its dialogue that invokes memories of Grace's time on the X-books. A pleasing match indeed, especially when one considers Go Go's place as an emotion-driven drama-heavy staple of the PR titles.
Issue #21 isn't totally without fault, particularly in pacing. While the story facilitated a need for multiple jumps at different times, there's lacking connective tissue, resulting in jarring transitions. Francesco Mortarnio's line work also leaves something to be desired, whose artwork at times suffers from blocky lines that look rushed when compared to previous issues of Power Rangers. However, Mortarnio also has his own high moments, including a gorgeous scene of the Thunder Megazord fighting Turbanshell that is begging to be a poster.
Issue #21 is an above average continuation to a beloved series that re-examines classic moments of the franchises and trail blazes an exciting future for the teenagers with attitude.
B+
