ARC Read - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Pink Ranger

I belong to the generation of kids who, at some point growing up, caught the first series of 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' on TV in all its campy glory. Back when it started as an adaptation of the Japanese 'Super Sentai' show, that also utilised a significant amount of footage from the original. Because of that, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for any material involving the OG team, and Kimberly and Trini in particular, them being the original two female rangers to appear on the show.

Reading "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Pink Ranger", which follows a grownup Kimberly, I can say that it certainly lived up to my nostalgic expectations. The book collects Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1-4, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink #1-6, "Re-Imagine" from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special, and a new short story.

I genuinely enjoyed all stories included in this volume, they all felt really true to the spirit of the show, but for me, the standout was "The Return", both because of the fact that it was co-written by Matt Hotson and the original Pink Ranger, Amy Jo Johnson herself, but especially for its mature tone and the way it approached the characters, and also for the touching way it pays tribute to Jason David Frank and Thuy Trang. It feels like a sincere love letter from Amy Jo Johnson to both the character she portrayed, and to her two co-stars who passed way too soon.

I like this version of Kimberly we see in the stories here. She feels like a slightly older, maturer, more experienced and no-nonsense evolution of the same character we watched back in the day. Where the book starts, we find her in her post-Rangers days, still a skilled fighter, and still eager to pop in and help where she's needed. Soon facing a situation that calls for her reaching out to Zordon and Alpha, which of course leads to her, once again, becoming the Pink Ranger. Revealing more than that would delve into spoiler territory, so I will just say that the way everything unravels feels organic, the story is gripping, with fast-paced action and stakes that are pretty high. Many old, familiar characters also make an appearance too, in a way that serves the plot nicely and works in bringing everything together. 

The art is simply beautiful. From Jenny Frison's gorgeous cover to the amazing illustrations of Nico Leon, the way fighting scenes are depicted and the unique use of pink undertones in the first story, highlighting Kimberly's signature colour in a very clever way, subtly hinting that we are reading a Power Rangers story, but this is still her book. Each story involves different artists, and naturally has a different stylistic approach, with each creator bringing something new to the table, but they all fit really nicely as a collection.

There's something a little bittersweet, but also rather cool, in meeting these characters again as a grownup reader, seeing how they have also grown up as well. The book is the collective work of some extremely talented artists and writers, and the stories included are done with lots of love and clear understanding of the humour, the campiness, the action, the friendships, and the heart that made the show work, channeling all those elements in a way that I believe will appeal to any fan.

A big thank you to BOOM! Studios for providing me with an advance review copy. The book is coming out  January 13, 2026.