Originally published on Set The Tape
The fight between the heroic Power Rangers and the monsters of another universe continues in the third issue of Godzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as the brightly coloured heroes find themselves facing off against some familiar foes.
Last issue the Power Rangers managed to survive an encounter with Godzilla, King of the Monsters, after arriving in a different universe chasing after their team-mate Tommy and the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa. Having barely survived that battle the Rangers attempted to free Tommy from Rita’s imprisonment, but were forced back into battle when Rita, allied with the Xilian aliens, unleashed more monsters on the innocent civilians of this other Angel Grove.
This issue picks up where that left off, with the Rangers back in the Mega-Zord to take on Rhinoblaster and Eye Guy, two villains from their past who have been recreated, as well as their new foe, Gigan. As Rita tries to use her magic to turn Tommy back to evil, hoping to bring the Green Ranger under her control once more, the Rangers are forced to fight against three giant monsters; luckily, help arrives in an unlikely form when Godzilla re-enters the fight. But will Godzilla fight with the Rangers, or is he yet another threat for the heroes to deal with?
I was really excited by this series when it was first announced. I love both the Godzilla and Power Rangers franchises, and bringing the two of them together felt like a perfect fit, to the point where it was surprising it took close to thirty years to do. And whilst I have been enjoying this series this third issue really does seem to emphasise my biggest problem with the book – that not a great deal actually happens. A lot of the issue is given over to the big fight, and whilst that shouldn’t be a bad thing (who doesn’t want to see the Power Rangers fight Gigan?), this is the third big Zord fight in as many issues. It’s beginning to feel repetitive.
As a kid I remember the Zord fights being some of the best parts of an episode of Power Rangers, particularity in the early days when the show was a bit slap-dash and ill thought out (though in a charming way). But other seasons of the franchise, such as Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue and Power Rangers Time Force, really tried to do something different, to tell stories. And the current BOOM! Studios comics is similarly showing that there can be some great, layered, and interesting Power Ranger stories. But it feels like Godzilla vs Mighty Morphin Power Rangers lacks any kind of story depth or complexity, and is just riding on the gimmick of the Rangers fighting iconic monsters.
The only times we see anything outside of the big fight it’s Rita and her goons torturing Tommy and going over their plan. And yes, we do learn a little more about what Rita is doing, that this is part of her conquest of her home dimension and not simply her skipping out, but we don’t get much else. She reveals this is part of her plan, but we kind of knew that from page one. She reveals she’s planning to betray her new allies, but anyone who knows the character knows that’s coming.
It doesn’t feel like any of the characters are characters beyond the simple, surface level cliches of what they are. None of the Rangers even really say anything that stands out as something that their character would really say, and most of their lines could be given to any other Ranger and it not feel weird. They’re not individuals with quirks or traits in this book, just folks in costumes controlling a big robot. The only characters who do feel like they have a personality are Rhinoblaster and Eye Guy.
As with previous issues, the art is good. Freddie Williams II and Andrew Dalhouse do a decent job and things look nice enough. There are a few moments in the big fight where the Mega-Zord looks a bit strange, due in part to being in positions a guy in a big suit wouldn’t be able to achieve. We’re seeing the thing at angles we don’t on TV, and it just feels kind of odd because of that.
I’m hoping that we get something with more substance in the next issue, something that isn’t just the Mega-Zord fighting giant monsters. However, with the way this issue ends it looks like that’s not what we’re going to be having, as yet more monsters have been thrown into the mix. And whilst it is great to see these universes interact, to see Power Rangers monsters side-by-side with Kaiju, it’s getting to the point where I really need something more.
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