Power Rangers Unlimited #4
Marcell Hines
Recap
It’s a race across a barren wasteland to stop a mysterious Zord no one has witnessed before!
The world of the Lightspeed Rangers has been destroyed, and the Aquabase lies in ruin, leaving Joel Rawlings, Lightspeed Green, as the only Ranger left. Worse yet, the planet is faced with a dystopian future where water is worth more than gold, forever shifting the balance between good and evil.
Now the race is on, and the clock is ticking as the elite Unlimited Team, led by Trini Kwan, joins forces with the enigmatic Aqua Boss to build a mystical weapon.
Can they stop their enemy — and possibly turn back the clock on Joel’s world to a time before it became so desolate?
Review
Mariner Bay has been destroyed, and so have the Power Rangers. With the Aqua Base all but a remnant of humanity’s last hope. Demons have run amok. Striking Tiger answers a distress call from the last Power Ranger on the planet in order to stop a surprising new enemy from destroying the multiverse.
The episodic nature of Unlimited helps keep things fresh, but there is the fear that a lot of this set up might not see a satisfying payoff, but until then this is another fun issue with plenty of enjoyment to be found throughout. One of the most interesting reveals here is that Striking Tiger doesn’t just go to world fans already know front the shows, but alternative versions of those worlds as well. This should have been evident given Striking Tiger herself is an alternate version of Trini, but sometimes I’m a bit slow on the uptake.
This time around Striking Tiger is called to an alternate version of Mariner Bay (setting of Lightspeed Rescue) where the Power Rangers lost their fight and as a result the demons are now in charge of the Earth. In the midst of this chaos a mysterious new villain known as the “Black Turbo Ranger” has created a dimensional rift, prompting Joel Rawlings (Lightspeed Green Ranger), to call on the Striking Tiger for help, but as always she’s not alone having brought along: TJ Johnson (the second Turbo Red Ranger), Lucas Kendall (Time Force Blue Ranger), and Summer Lansdown (RPM Yellow Ranger).
Porter and Esposito offer a much moe action-heavy story as opposed to the stealthy heist from last issue. It’s a refreshing change of pace and once again the team is well put together by putting together a bunch of known gearheads from across the morphin grid. Despite his apocalyptic environment, Joel remains true to his depiction in the original Lightspeed Rescue series and his dynamic with the also alive Miss Fairweather (going by The Aqua Boss) is as fun as ever. As for the Black Turbo Ranger, he’s an interesting antagonist who seems to know about the other Rangers despite them never seeing him before. His immaturity gives me an inkling as to who he might be, but I’ll keep that to myself for now. Another highlight in this issue’s writing is that there is some much needed pathos finally given to Trini and Operator.
Sorressa’s art is highly kinetic compared to last issue which is warranted given the vastly different circumstances. High-speed chases and lots of explosions help keep the excitement up with the aesthetic clearly inspired by Mad Max, but the slower moments are also well-illustrated. The Black Turbo Ranger’s design is a bit too busy and edgy, but I feel it fits with how his character is being portrayed so far.
Final Thoughts
PR Unlimited #4 is another fun issue with plenty of meat to chew on for later. High stakes action and some good character bits put it up there as one of the best issues so far.
Power Rangers Unlimited #4: Highway To Mariner Bay
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8.5/108.5/10
- Cover Art - 8.5/108.5/10
