• Written By: Brenden Fletcher and Kelly Thompson
• Illustrated By: Daniele Di Nicuolo
• Colors By: Sarah Stern
• Letters By: Ed Dukeshire
• Publisher: Boom! Studios
• Publication Date: June 1, 2016

“Wow. I forgot how good that feels.” – Kimberly Hart

The last time I heard about Kimberly… she left the Power Rangers to pursue her gymnastics dreams, and left for Florida to train for the Pan Global Games. That was in 1995. It’s 2016 now, and The Power Rangers original American franchise has brought back the first Pink Ranger to continue her story – and it’s fantastic.

Power Rangers PINK #1: Synopsis

The issue begins right at the end of the Pan Global Games. Looks like Kim’s training did well for her, because she is seen with four gold medals around her neck. However, her joy doesn’t last very long. We’re immediately informed that she hasn’t heard from her mother in a long time – to the point that she’s left multiple messages with no response, and missed her daughter’s performance at the games. Kim has grown up to be much more insightful and heads off to find out just what’s going on. She’s not wrong, there’s a lot wrong. She finds her mom’s place empty and the area that she lives in has become a ghost town. The only signs of life are…green fish monsters? She befriends a man named Serge who is having the same problem as she: a missing family. Kim partners with an old friend who gives her the power she needs to get more answers…unfortunately for her, she finds her mom is worse off than she expected. Kim’s hunches that there’s a lot more going on than her and Serge’s families disappearing is a situation she’s quite familiar with.

The Creative Team

There’s a fantastic team behind PINK. Personally, I’m not super big on comic books unless it’s a title I truly enjoy. Because of this, I’m not very familiar with names like many other more avid readers may be. Brenden Fletcher, one of the co-writers, is known for his work in Batgirl and Black Canary. I’ve been trying to read Batgirl and catch up on it, and Brenden’s writing makes me very hopeful for it. I’ve enjoyed the revamp given to Batgirl, and trust his writing abilities to give a good story to Kimberly, too. Kelly Thompson, the other co-writer, is known for her work on A-Force and Jem and the Holograms. so far, the two feed off of each other very well to tell a compelling and interesting story. It’s new and fresh, but rings true to the old character and storyline that have been dormant for twenty years. It’s refreshing.

Daniele Di Nicuolo’s illustrations are on point. I find them gorgeous. They’re simplistic and the lines flow with each other. Sometimes, I’m not a major fan of the way the eyes and noses are done…but that is just me nitpicking. His art meshes beautifully with Sarah Stern’s colors. The backgrounds never take away from the characters leaving them be the focal point of each panel. The colors blend perfectly together and I’m enjoying the mix of warm and cool colors in their pastel vibe. Very nicely done.

The Cover

The cover – it’s beautiful. I’m a huge fan of the color pink so a comic about my favorite ranger in my favorite color can’t go wrong, right? The main cover was done by Elsa Charretier, and I have nothing but kudos for her work. It’s the Pink Ranger in her old costume jumping into the air while preparing to shoot her weapon: the bow. Behind her, you can see the Pterodactyl Dinozord flying alongside her and the colors blend together to show its in motion in the sky. There’s a tiny bit of a lens flare on the right and it makes for a fantastic finished product. There are seventeen variants for this issue, each fantastic in their own way. I think Elsa Charretier’s is my favorite for its simplicity and color, as well as showing the Pink Ranger’s gracefulness. The pose she holds in the air showcases her body’s control thanks to years upon years of gymnastics practice, and I appreciate the nod to Kimberly’s roots. I am in love.

In Conclusion

Buy this comic if you have not already. The original Power Rangers from 1993-1995 is so outdated that it makes it hard to watch sometimes, but this comic (as well as the other MMPR series) gives a modern new life into the characters we grew up with. Seeing Kimberly in a 2016 feel being herself and doing her thing is a breath of fresh air that I didn’t know I needed.

Amy Jo Johnson had requested Kim’s departure from the show so she could focus on other acting opportunities. She was given plenty of time to leave, but it always broke my heart to know my favorite left and never got the happy ending I wanted for her (yes, I was a major fan of her with Tommy). Actually, for me, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ended with the movie in 1995. I had no idea there were more episodes until many years later. The movie would’ve been a great conclusion, but knowing it didn’t end in a way that I would have enjoyed makes this comic even better for a big Kimberly fan like myself.

At some point from her Power Ranger departure, Kim learned to ride a motorcycle which I find so cool. I mean, if she could drive around a giant flying mech, a motorcycle should be no big deal. It’s great to see her karate and fighting skills haven’t wavered – maybe were even increased with her training for the games. She still said her typical, cliché, ’90s-style sayings during her fighting – “Eat feet, black lagoon rejects!” – and it’s so true to character that you can hear Amy Jo’s voice as you read along. It was even good to see Goldar again, regardless of his potential plans that are yet to be revealed. We’re just going to need to wait until next month.

Until then? PINK #1 is morphenomenal.

• PINK #2’s release has been pushed back to July 20th as per the Boom! Studios blog.