Two of the 90s most iconic teams reunite to conclude their trilogy of crossovers in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. The Rangers and Turtles face their deadliest showdown yet when two of their greatest enemies – Lord Zedd and Shredder – unite for an all-out assault on Earth! With the relentless attacks on innocent civilians and a shocking new breed of Evil joining the fray, even the combined strength of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles might not be enough to stop the chaos. And when one of their own is lost and alliances begin to fracture, the road to victory suddenly grows darker than ever. Can they find a way to work together again before the villains claim total victory – or will this be their final fight?
Nowadays, it is commonplace to see franchise crossovers, with both the Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles in particular crossing over with almost every property imaginable. But in many ways, these two were ahead of the curb. Throughout the 90s, they were two of the most dominant properties on both television and toy aisles, which lead them to meeting in a two-part crossover on Power Rangers In Space. Over twenty years later, the Turtles would meet the original ranger line-up in the comic crossover Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – the success of which lead to two sequels.
This is a series that is not afraid to play with fanservice. The opening issue alone gives us a mutated Lord Zedd, a Green Ranger version of Shredder, a White Ranger version of Splinter and Zordon in Krang’s mechanical body. With the stakes rising in every chapter, having the two franchises’ most iconic villains Lord Zedd and The Shredder team-up will have fans of both salivating. Returning writer Ryan Parrott continues to prove to be a deft hand when it comes to depicting both teams. But even beyond that, the fact that he’s willing to go outside the box by having a focus on Splinter and Zordon show his dedication to both franchises and his willingness to have fun with established formulas.
Art in this series is handled by frequent TMNT artists Vincenzo Federici and Jodi Nishijima who bring all the right levels of energy and excitement readers have come to expect from these two franchises. Their work is a key reason in how this series is so successful in appealing to its target audience with each page feeling like a tribute to the golden years of both TMNT and Power Rangers.
A perfect celebration of both franchises and a lesson in how to channel nostalgia constructively! This is one that fans young and old will read again and again.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is out now from Boom! Studios (9798892157414, p/b, £17.99)
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