Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5
Written by Ryan Parrott
Art by Simone di Meo and Alessio Zonno with Walter Baiamonte and Igor Monti
Published by BOOM! Studios and IDW Publishing
Released June 17th, 2020
It’s the ultimate showdown between the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, up against the joint forces of Rita Repulsa and Shredder! Cowabunga!
Blows dust off of Ninja Turtle comic books
Hello? Hey? You guys still with me? Remember comic books? Remember when the Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers crossed paths in the most epic way possible? Complete with Green Ranger Shredder, Turtle Rangers, and Power Ninjas? Three months ago I reviewed Ryan Parrot’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue 4. I’ve been riding a wave of nostalgia with this series since it’s release…loving every word and panel. I stated, “With everything currently going on in the world, this comic series couldn’t have come at a better time.” Yes, I quoted myself. And I can’t say things have gotten necessarily better since then…but we’re humans. Sometimes we have to take some steps back in order to move forward. But I’m not here to talk about reality. I’m here to put a cap on what is one of my favorite comic stories of recent memory.
We left the story with some power swapping between Turtle and Ranger…Rita and Shredder reeling in for a final attack…Bebop and Rocksteady are giants…Megazord incoming. You know the routine. Parrott writes the final issue in true Power Rangers finale fashion: with a whole lot of wisecracks and robot fightin’. From the Turtles controlling the Megazord like an arcade cabinet to panels of The Shredder blowing in the Mighty Dragon Dagger… fan service is in full swing and aptly written. This could’ve been a very mundane story, yet the energy in the writing and art come together to create what is, in my opinion, the best Ninja Turtles crossover to date.
Simone di Meo and companys’ artwork is stylish and energetic. The Megazord battle happening at sunset creates a warm feeling throughout the comic as comforting as the nostalgia it sets out to trigger. The illustrations show such a great sense of motion that fit our heroes perfectly. The inclusion of Metalhead bonding with a Megazord to create the world’s first fully functioning “Turtle-Zord” led me to have an out-of-body experience. Seeing both my childhood crushes April O’Neil and Kimberly chatting it up on the couch had me grinning from ear-to-ear. And that’s what I’ve really been looking for the past few months. Just some good reasons to smile.
I give Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a standing ovation. It’s proven to be a fun, action packed, humorous adventure created by fans for fans. You’re not going to be pondering life’s questions when finished reading it…but you’re not supposed to be. It showcases the roots of why I grew up loving these franchises to begin with. It makes me want to go to my backyard and attack imaginary bad guys with sticks and do horribly executed jump-kicks. In conclusion, it makes you feel like a kid again. I truly want to thank Ryan Parrot, Simone di Meo, and everyone else responsible for creating this crossover. Read it. Buy it. And ask for more. Now please. Sequel? I’ll be here waiting.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 is now available wherever comics are sold!
