Written by Andrew Fontana
Justice League / Mighty Morpin Power Rangers #1 is exactly the kind of crossover that would make your ten year old self wake up on a Saturday morning with frantic glee. Its filled to the brim with Batman scowling, the Flash quipping, end of the world stakes, and the promise of earth shattering superhero vs. Megazord action. The sheer ridiculousness of the Power Rangers franchise might not seem to be a good fit with the more stately DC Universe, but Tom Taylor and Stephen Byrne knit these two worlds together for an exciting crossover that’ll be hard to beat.
The hardest trick a crossover must pull off is the balancing of tone. The Power Rangers franchise is known for bright colors and completely off the rails mix of superheros and giant robots. He establishes their world first, then shifts to the crossover with DC in the back half of the issue. Having Batman and the locale of Gotham city be the first things the Rangers see is a brilliant way to play the aesthetics of both franchises against each other.
He also wastes little time with set up. Taylor focuses on ramping up the plot immediately, revealing the eventual team-up of the Justice League and Power Rangers before the two teams even meet. We get a sense of the stakes involved, and the potential of a truly zany plot developments. Its clear throughout these proceedings that Taylor has a grasp on what makes the characters work, down to every line of dialogue.
Byrne’s artwork is appropriately cinematic for all the action that takes place this issue. His Rangers are lean and muscular, his Batman intimidating. Byrne’s fight scenes flow with the cadence of a blockbuster action flick. His pencils, along with the colors, go a long way to selling the nostalgia-fest of Taylor’s script.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
