By: Andrew Fontana
When this crossover was announced I thought it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. Pop culture is saturated with nostalgia. Everything from movies to fashion calls back to a simpler time when Trump wasn’t president and superheroes were drawn like bulging sacks of muscle. Some things from that glorious era have held up nicely, but Power Rangers unfortunately has not. So when DC and Boom Studios planned to crossover the still too-gritty DC universe with the complete absurdity of Saban’s crown franchise, I saw the shadow of corporate fingers plucking the strings of nostalgia. I ‘m not embarrassed to admit that not only did the first issue of Justice League/Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers completely shatter my expectations, it raised the bar for crossovers overall. Issue #2 builds on that well-laid foundation, and offers some exciting new developments to boot.
Taylor understands the appeal of a crossover like this. The interactions between the Justice League and the Power Rangers have an organic flow, highlighting the differences between the two teams as well as establishing their similarities. There’s plenty of humor to be found here, like the Black Ranger commenting on Batman’s dour nature or Superman asking Kimmy to park her pterodactyl. These interactions between very different characters go a long way in making this issue an absolute joy to read. The potential team-up of Lord Zedd and a DC villain whose identity I will not spoil is another highlight. Its safe to say, however, that this dynamic duo promise to make the following issues very interesting indeed.
The success or failure of this issue’s art rests on whether it can meld the tone of two very distinct franchises. This Byrne does expertly. The showdown between the League and the Dinozords is rendered in the appropriate scale, as is the subtle differences in musculature between the teenaged rangers and the more adult DC heroes. Byrne’s stylized pencils makes the action in this issue explosive and dynamic.
Rating: 8.5
