#finster

Normally I don't cover the covers for these retrospectives. Their good but would take up a lot of image space I may end up needing. I usually go under, but I still try to play it careful. I don't even really think about the variants.

For Go Go though, being someone who followed boom's solicits back then, I couldn' thelp but spotlight one of the coolest things it does: homage variant covers. Funny little takes on classic 80's and 90's films rangerfied. As someone whose mom used blockbuster's netflix take off for disc rentals just to show me classic 80's teen cinema when I was a classic teen, I coudln't resisiit. Some films i'll have seen, some I haven't but all of these put in so much effort. I mean this one creates a whole damn blurb based on the one from the poster for Pretty at Pink. As for the film.. it has not aged well at all. It DOES have a great poster and it's a great kickoff. Never thought about Kimberly and Jason and understandably the comic dosen't as the main series makes it clear that'd be a dead end. He does get a neat romance arc here though. More on that in a morphenominal moment.

We get a fantastic opening as the rangers talk over what just happened.. and for those of us who haven't rewatched the series since they were a children, this is a great recap of the ending of Day of the Dumpster, as while most of us know the broad strokes: Rita gets woken up from a trash can on the moon which has a breathable atmosphere because shut up and decides AFTER TEN THOUSAND YEARS IT'S TIME TO CONQUER EARTH. Zordon has Alpha summon 5 emotional and irrational youths, oh no not teenagers!, and gives them powers and giant robots to get in there and fight.

The part this helps with is that Goldar was the first they took down , and even without that it helps get any new readers up to speed. It's accesible to people who haven't seen the show and just vaguely now the basics as much as fans.

It also has a cool reveal at the end as to WHERE their talking abotu things like did the battle count as a victory since goldar retreated (Trini is unsure, but both Kimberly and Zack count it as one . Trini has also named them all)

I'd forgotten this and it blew me away and Dan Mora draws the mega sword at Sunset so beautifully.. the colors.. it's posing. It's so damn cool. And it perfectly sums up the book: this is still power rangers.. but it's about the people behind the helmets. Billy worries about the army, understandably so as while Zack says "But we saved their asses" i've read enough comics, and so has billy, to know the miltary in fiction tends to shoot first actually say thank you never. Jason is stoic though and hasn't been talking as he knows this is just the start and things will never be the same. Etc etc. Basically he's the one whose fully taken this in and realized just how hard this is going to be.

So we go back three months for one of Go Go's strengths: Flashbacks. Go Go relies heavily on them and using them this much can be tricky, but it works for the how: Go Go uses the tried and true narrative shortcut of having flashbacks to our characters pasts to help flesh out who they are now, to give us need to know information. Nothing in the flashbacks feels superflous it all helps inform the main plot and build the characters, helping them feel distinct. MMPR the comic did eventually, and with Tommy right away, but it took some time. Here that's the main priority. It's a book that's character first and my faviorite thing in comics: I don't mind a tightly plotted big ole plan, but prefer focus on who your following, who are they, what do they do, what funny stuff can they get up to that sorta thing.

Go Go uses the flashbacks to get into something the show never touched and the comic didn't really have time for: Who were these kids BEFORE they got the powers. What were they dealing with and how does it impact them now they have to deal with that on top of giant monster fights?

In Jason's case Parrot takes a swing with his character I geninely love: Jason is working out early in the morning at the Juice Bar and spooking Ernie a bit as it's before 6. A little before class workout.

Ernie didn't really feature in the other comic but served as the kids shoulder to lean on at times in the show, running the Juice Bar they all hung out and volunteered at, the series will also reveal why the rest started doing that, and geniunelly being a nice dude. I like the comic leaning into him as a mentor for jason: Linkara positied Earnie COUDL'VE been this in his history of power rangers videos but really wasn't, and it provides a more human contrast. I also like that they knew each other first.

Ernie is confused as from him Jason has everything: he's strong, he's kind.. why is he pushing himself THIS hard. Jason's explination is that swing: When he was in camp as a kid, one of the shiier kids spent weeks building an arrow.. an arrow jason snapped in half. Jason was a bully, and pushes and displinces himself so hard to both make sure he never slips back and to make sure he can protect people from people like he used to be. It's just one scene but it adds a lot: Jason, the babyiest of babyfaces, having been a shit as a kid really huamnizes him and explains why he's like this. He's scared of becoming who he used to be, but he at least channels it into geninely helping people. As a teacher and a protector.

We meet Zack soon after, establshing him as Jason's bestie and everyone's friend. Never would've pegged Zack for this series Krillin but here we are. He talks to everybody from the teachers, to a band kid to two girls wondering when he'll ask one to prom "Equality girl. First one to ask wins". I half expect him to fist bump miles teller after someone just greusomely got murdered he's so cool.

We then meet Billy and Trini with this book keeping them as besties, with Billy advisting Trini to just talk to her crush. she nopes out of that, I would've too at her age. Bulk and Skull interfere and here we see them being dickish ala the early show: throwing water ballons at billy just because. Billy relates this to all 4 of his friends.. and instead of Kimberly we have the series OC Matt, the big man on campus, football guy always in letterman jacket and the heart of the team. Why he wasn't chosen I really DON'T know, but I do think the series explains it. WHere kim is we'll also get to.

We get a Rita interlude as she has captured the astronauts who freed her and wants to know more. All their giving her is name rank and serial number, as you'd expect.

For now our rangers are busy talking over the aftermath of things, a neat look at just how the city's handling it: Constructoin's still on going since in this timeline they didn't hit up the abandoned warehoues district, some kids aren't back in school and even their teacher MisS Applebee is giving blood just to feel useful. It's smartly contextualizing this like the aftermath of a terror attack or something: no one knows what to do. And getting around might be hard as the military and press both want to know who the rangers are and Trini and Billy's moms are both starting to hellicopter. Trini worse but they need a cover.

As for Kim she's with her boyfriend Matt. Yup. Their evne cute talking over how it's been 90 days, Matt counted how sweet. We also get the last of our likes and quotes for the characters which are kinda cute but nothing to really dig into.

She's called away for Ranger buisness and it turns out Zordon knows about the captured astronauts and is warning the rangers... as for what his plan to deal with this is

Yeah he figures the beam up there is too long and puts the ranger in danger despite being both captured civilians and possibly having knowledge Rita can use beyond what she can watch from the skies.

Jason has the better plan of .. an actual plan. Go up there and rescue them. it's risky as hell, Zordon is geninely worried about them trying this but most of the gang is all in. Mostly. Trini is worried about the heights and danger and Billy is worried about slowing them down, another nice nod to other ongoing. Zack assures him, Trini annoys her mom, Kim has to break off her date, and away we go go!.

The rescue mission goes well at first: An absolute army of putties shows up btu Jason reveals his plan: Hold them off solo while every one else rescues the prisoners Zack and Bily tag team golddar

And Billy's sneak attack succesfully wins them the fight and they carry the astronauts' off. We get a cool twist.. for us.. for the rangers it's not good. Turns out the palace can shit to Rita's whims, and thus they can't find the exit tills he wans them too while Jason gets bodied by rita with one hit. It's a nice show of why they don't just.. go up and punch her: She's powerful enough to take them, she has near unlimited putties and she controls Bandor'as Palace. It explains why later they only go up when it's really that desperate and why Jason opts to use the dragonzord for their return trip in MMPR.

The group are confronted with Rita as issue 1 ends

I applaud Parrot for making Rita geninely terrifying and compelling, something credit where it's due Kyle Higgins also pulled off.. I also like this little reveal of how she knows who they are.. they accidently told her. They don't have commuincators yet just a space phone Jason got. Extra props for making Rita's toadies look terrifying. I didn't think you could make Baboo look like an anime villian but all my respect for pulling it off.

Issue 2 and I adore the homage. The Buffy Movie is cheesy but a bit of fun and one to revisit even if i'm not a fan of it's creator anymore. I mean Paul Rubbins as a vampire, a young luke perry, sign me the fuck up. I don't know why I was so mid on it as a teen, maybe I had too high expectations from the TV Show.

Anyways we begin with yet another flashback. This time we get Kimberly and Matt's date and after stealing a fucking car tonight, their young and alive after all they go get conrdogs. Both are nervous thinking this is their last date because of petty things they think the other is turned off by. Anxiety be a bitch. It's cute, it shows their both just as nervous. The fairway makes me nostalgic for my grandpa's carnival.. I still miss it and him. I barely rode any rides, but I have a lot of fond memories of the few I did: his verison of the teacup rides, a rocket that moved with a video inside, and er that's about it. But man I got some good food and a polliwhirl I miss. Buddy was life sized.

Kim has a less nostalgic time as her corndog was made what bad and she gets what sicks and throws what up. Matt takes her to his place to ralph and makes it clear he's up for a second date: This went horribly but it was no one's fault and it can't get worse right?

Natural smash cut to the rangers fighting the putties. THeir outnumbered and Rita starts blathering about them surrendering and how Zordon cares more about winning than them. She's lying of course... but the ambiguity is nice. We know he probably won't, but the rangers don't. It's likely how she could make her pitch to zack months later.

Back at the command center the rangers TRY to breach the subject of you know telling someone and Zordon's response is "Yeah tha'ts nice. THESE WERE RULES BEFORE MANKIND EXISTED! FORFEIT YOUR POWER IF YOU DARE!"

This scene bugged the crap out of me on this reread. The comic WILL handle this better.. but it seems weirdly callous of Zordon to just go SHUT UP BITCH IT'S IN THE RULES, especially since later in the arc Zack questoning his decisions instead gets what you'd expect out of him: an honest answer that helps explain his reasoning and shows his deep empathy. It's weird because, if I remember right when this topics broached again next arc, he DOES give a more detailed answer as to why the rules there. It feels weirdly out of character and while I was fine with it at first, it helps sew that distrust... if your just going to have him be more empathetic at the end of issue 4, why. We know Zordon's not evil, his counterpart in the main book, while not given as much screentime, is just as wise and empathetic as always. I like the Rangers not liking the job or not trusting him, but Zordon shouldn't be an asshole to make that work. It works on it's own. Granted I may just be touchy because, even having a vallid excuse, Miraculous has milked this secret identity angst and absolute rules for all it's worth. With Power Rangers it just makes sense and the only problem is ZOrdon being an ass in how he explains it to his child soilders.

This leaves Kimberly wondering.. not about whose evil, it's clearly Rita, but if she's not ENITRELY wrong, if they have to give up EVERYTHING just to do this. At the same time Zack confronts Jason about his plan, clocking that Jason always intended this and making it clear he dosen't object to the tactic, it worked long enough to get the prisoners free, he just wants Jason to que him in so he can back him up. He's not alone in this.

We see more consequences of the Ranger Life the next day though; Trini gets chewed out by her mom who worries she's pregnant, but Trini assures her she's not.. if still on thin ice. Matt is mad at Kim for bailing and while he tries to be a good dude and not get mad he is, and Bulk and Skull crash class late and are dicks about it. Do doo do do, doo do doo doot do doo you get it. Skull reading ms applebee's book to check for aliens is damn funny. Jason tells them to sit the fuck down in the most jason way possible and Trini likes it.. likes it a lot.

Yeah Jason is the guy she's been crushing on... and she decides to get some one on one time by suggsting skipping 6th period , SIXTTHHH PERRRIOOOD, to go do some ranger training.

Meanwhile on the moon, Rita' sminons are all rattling off their own ideas: Goldar blames himself, Finster wants to create an army, Baboo wants to run away, all good stuff but Rita's response is shut the fuck up, mommy's talking. She points out how earth should've been conquered sooner: it has no galactic representive, no prescense and seemingly no magical defenses. How she missed , the mystical robot animal dimension, hiddne ninja school or pizza place ran by a mystic karate master are beyond me, but she at least grasps theirs only one ranger team in her way and decides to play a diffrent game and has Finster craft her a new monster.. specail order.

So it's time for the shiptastic sparring session: Trini has more than crush related reasons for this: They got their powers days ago, have no idea what the limits are and Zordon didn't bother to give them actual training in the days he's had since. So Trini decides to test this the easiest way possible: Beat each other up.

This goes well with a lot of nicely drawn combat and we get an explination for why Zordon didn't bother with a manual: The suits do it automatically, giving the useres a sort of inherent fighting instinct: Trini only has one karate class as a kid to go off and Billy has no cordination out of uniform, but in it their both masters. We also see the suits give the rangers extra speed and strength as Trini and Jason test them. She also suggests they could fly. The proper term is jetting but it is a nice little nod to that.

Jason and Trini both really like this.. Jason because it's a brilliant and needed idea, and Trini because abs and this is the first time she's actually gotten to TALK to jason and had the confidence to do so.

As they take the long way home, we pop in on Zack and Billy. Zack is visting the command center and Billy has been busy all day making the commuincators: he hasn't figured out how to power them yet, he isn't as at home with the morphing grid tech just yet, a ncie call forward to the main series. Rereading this having read the main series up to this point, it is impressive how well they mesh: ther'es some slight diffrences, Billy isn't as depressed here, but it's not so far off that it dosen't feel like the same universe and you see small little things that keep consitent with the other series: Zack is closest to Jason, Trini to Billy. It's nice

As BIlly talks ot Ms Applebee who says the only thing he has to focus on is his grades which even putting aside the whole "he's secretly the blue ranger thing"... maam there was a giant monster attack the other day. For all you know he missed it due to PTSD. I get the "your not special" talk with it but come the fuck on.

We then cut to months ago when Matt introduced Kimberly as his girlfriend.. and it went tits up. Zack and Trini call her salad girl, are dicks about it and have apparently eben dicks for months after Kim was a dick in a restraunt while Jason and Billy have no idea what's going on and Kim understandably storms off.

To understand why they see her as salad girl, i'm going to jump ahead a little to the start of issue 4 as we get the incident in question: Kimberly was at a nice restraunt with her parents.. who are undergoing a messy slow burn car crash divorce and at the time were still together and couldn't stop bickering. She took it out on Zack the waiter... and accidnetly got him fired because his boss is a dick. So both sides are understandable: Zack DID get fired and to him she was just a snooty rich girl.. but it has been months and he never asked why or accepted an actual apology, one Kim's clearly tried to give.

I do like this twist though: We know they'll be friends, see present day, but it's nice to have a little conflict and see the group came together slowly over time: Trini just joined, Kimberly was last in line and Matt was apparently there a while.

Back to the issue at hand and Finster finds his new assignment dull, but does it because well.. he knows better. Rita disagrees and is right as her new putty.. is an infiltrator one that appears human. This is such a brilliant idea: a putty that hides in plain sight and can spring into action without the rangers realizing it tilli t's too late. It also fits her mo of going after the rangers where they live: While Lord Zedd would be far more cutting with it, Rita did have a tendency to turn the things they love, including a pig they love into monsters. Sending a putty down to inflitrate is a nice modernization of that. Why just send giant monsters when she can vary tactics.

We continue with issue 3 and another banger Natcha Bustos cover. I haven't seen footloose despite loving Kenny Loggins and parodies of that whole dance sequence in the warehouse with kevin bacon.. or in the case of High School Musical 2, the hilariously half assed imitation.

He who is tired of Zack Effron doing weird shit with his hands and golf on an abandoned golf course with an awkward tan is tired of life.

So we open with our most distant flashback yet: Billy and Skull as kids playing together, with Billy often having Skull come over to avoid his douchey brother. It's really sweet.. and makes the present, where Skull, of Bulk and, is taking part of Bulk's bullying bullshit.

The rangers talk monteization when Matt comes up and wonders what the hell he missed.. which is awkard.. as him all wanting them to be there for angel day, a concentrated cleanup Trini set up to help pick up the rubble. The rangers did talk about doing that as rangers on thir own earlier, they simply haven't ahd the time and iwth the military all over it wasn't the smartest idea. The right thing to do, but one that would be very hard to.

Rita's putty heads around but dosen't really have enough intellgence to actually.. succeed in looking for the rangers. It dosen't help she dosen't have last names and throws a table when not getting answers. Still Rita's tactic is sound as she relates a childhood story: Her brother had a dragon. She wanted one but was not old enough so she kept torturing the thing to make it eventually bite her brother and have ot be put down. She points out why not just kill it: Kill it and you get anothe rpet, make them fear the pet and you scar them for life. Goldar dosen't ge tit but we sure as hell do.

The rangers have other problems though: Trini ends up on topo f jason and barley hids she's flustered. Luckily jason is oblviious as fucks and suggests what if we let everyone else join which she says is just.. super yeah of course.. totally not a bummer. The bigger issue is Trini forgot her mom's birthday! So did her dad so she's pretty screwed.. and we see the two ARE geninely close: They were before angle grove but while Trini's found friends.. her mom hasn't. It's a great recontexutlization: her mom hovers.. because she's really that close to Trini and just worries given the giant monster attacks.

The giant monster attacks also mean trouble for the Juice Bar. Ernie's going to have to shut down despite being a needed place for the kids. For the kids. But he's lost staff for understandable reasons: most have bolted after Arrival Day, another nice show of the conseqeunces. Also like the name arrival day really snappy.

So it's time fo rangel day as everybody cleans up everywhere. Bulk is.. still a dick, and it leads to a fight with Jason and it being broken up by Mr caplan, who somehow is an even bigger dick, being mad at bulk.. but also at jason for getting into a fight both to defend another student and... for "not being the law son". Yeah because teachers are great at handling student on student violence and totallya lways do the right thing you mustached dick.

Things go pear shaped quickly though as putties rain down and while Trini , Zack and Billy are able to get away, Kimberly's stuck with matt who well meaningly won't leave her side and Jason is stuck with the mustache man , bulk no skull, and can't leave because mustache is like "No don't go running off you stupid teen"... okay he's not all bad. An obstacle in the way but not ALL bad. I like that the obstacle isn't some convient obstruction it's just.. people geninely trying to protect them. Gee it's almost like keeping thier identities a secret is fucking pointless, especailly since Rita knows. Are .. are we sure all of Zordon's brain got trapped in there with him in le tube? That he didn't miss a piece?

We end on Matt trying ot defend kimberly who tries to get him to back off so she can leave but being a genuinely good kid he won't. This gets him horribly injured by the monster finster wanted to send in the first place, a cool kangaroo like thing with some tentacles for reasons

Excellent burn too. Matt is a tiny bit flat, they try to prop him up a bit much, but moments like this make it clear he would've been a hell of a ranger.

back to the monster who I like. It's not an all time faviorite, but I admire making some sort of killeroo with monster tentacles, warriors armor and an earing. It's a bit MUCH.. but I still vastly prefer it over the generic monsters from MMPR's first arc. It's darker without loosing the series creativity. I'll take overdesign over under any day.

So we come to the finale of the first arc and our finale homage cover. And on back to the futur eI find it a decent film, just not entirley for me. It left such an impact on the time travel genre most time travel stories after it imitate it in some way. Some moments are unimpechable though: everything from the delorean test from "your gonna see some shit" to "I wanted to give it a little style", huey lewis' cameo, every huey lewis song on the soundtrack the climax. It's a geninely fantastic film. I"m just not big on time travel.

So after the salad girl flashback we're back to present day as the others cover Kim who refuses to leave Matt despite the rangers badly needing her. She eventually gives in.. and hands him over to the putty infiltrator whose doing everything she can to look as supscious as possible. She's just lucky Kimberly is depserate and not loving having to leave matt to go help.

As for Jason he's still stuck, and while these scnearios are common for a super hero I like it here as three of the others DID get away. It puts a personal spin on it: Jason already has a complex about having to be the best, never slip again, never let someone get hurt.. and can only hide as he can do NONE of those things. You can see the pain on his face as Ernie says not to worry "the rangers are out there' Knowing he should be and blaming himself.. despite the fact this isn't his fault. It's not even Kaplans fault: Sure he' skeeping Jason trapped in here, but he's trying to protect him. Granted why the grown man in a sweater vest things he can defend the karate expert teenager is a whole other debate, but it's well meant: He knows he can't take a monster, jasond efintely could even umorphed and would prove so later ni green with evil, but he's gonna die before any of these kids get hurt. It's a nice bit of nuance to a character whose entire role in the series was just getting on bulk and skull's case for being dumbasses.

Rita eventually decides to MAKE HER MONSTER GROWWW... given this rita is less hammy and more calculating we sadly don't hear that but it's a fine tradeoff: the rita here is a strategist like I said.. and she's sacrficing a pawn in Flogg, the weird monster thing. Also that name tells me a lot more about Finsters fetishes than I ever wanted to know. I mean nothing wrong with a good flogging, I relate, But no one wants to imagine finster liking that. If you didn't before and just now made the connection like I did, welcome to my nightmare.

They can't fight at first because too many buildings. The abandoned warehouse district still hasn't recovered, but follow it to the power grid as it intends to knock it out... and lure them into a trap, absorbing the electricty. Damn finster really went all out, put all his kinks into one death machine. Kim is able to free Trini and Zack's zords, but their outmatched. Thankfully Zack has a plan.. a bad one but the only one: Have billy knock out the power partially. This works and gives Jason the distraction he needs to escape. Time for megazord, slashy slashy, the day is saved. And Billy realizes this is a pattern: one monster is an isolated attack, two is a campaign.

The teenagers with attitude are rightfuly worried more people are going to leave in droves... but instead at the juice bar they find teens celebrating. Jason explains why: The rangers.. are giving them hope. It's a testimate to the real power of superheroes to inspire. Billy saw that earlier as Skull is a genuine fan.. though Billy says "We see everything" to make it clear he knows he's a bully in a way that dosen't out his secret. People may not flee simply because now it's proven the rangers WILL be there every time and can be there sooner than they were before now the power protects them.

We also get the predictable solution to Ernie's problem, though I do like explaining why the teens volunteer there since here they don't have the power of a thousand red bulls to do 80 tasks at once: Jason volunteered the rest of the gang. It's a win win: the center stays open and they have an airtight alibi.

Trini also gets a happy ending: She went to korea somehow, presumibly with her zord , Zordon apparently runs on firefighter rules that as long as you call in you can use them for whatever, and got a rock that says family, as Trini's mom had a rock garden with her mother they worked on after school and Trini wants to contiue it. IT's geninely sweet and shows there are at least perks to being a non tatooted teenage alien fighter from angel grove.

We then get Zack whose.. a tad pissy , wondering why HE'S not the leader since he's been doing all the work as one lately. That more acidic side we see in MMPR being an issue is bubbling up here.. but it's handled far better. Here even if he's being a bit whiny and could've talked to jason about it, and Jason being trapped wasn't jason's fault, he is right Jason did veer off to go fight rita the other day.

So Zordon decides to do some actual mentoring. He does violate Jason's trust... but belive Zack's earned the full story: He relates how Jason was once a bully.. and that's why he's leader. His determination to be good and be better also means he'll watch the other rangers, try to keep them from the same darkness and rage that got him.

He also points out why Alpha choose them specifically: A close knit group who seem vunerable apart.. but together their unstoppable. No one member is more valuable. Jason is leader because he's very needed emotoinal support and will do his best to notice when the others are struggling, to lift them up when their down. Yet they all have the qualities of a leader because you neve rknow when you'll need one.. or loose one. And he has lost one, something we'll get to in the other series. It also nicely synergizes with that one explaning why a close knit group: because Zordon has learned from the past he needs to look into his team's emotoinal needs and compatablity. It's what makes the rangers diffrent than a lot of teen teams, yet similar: They all knew each other before, and thus are already close , would die for one another. They have the loyalty of a combat unit baked in. Yet like them, their a family of sorts. I mean.. dating's still allowed, their not siblings adopted or otherwise, but you get it; they lean on each other anyway they can. It's why Tommy threw it off slightly as he was the new guy in a team that was this close and adds some needed subtext to MMPR"s first arc; Their likely so thrown off because they were a close unit even before being a team now given a wild card. Zordon choose these kids because their there for each other, yet have the nobility needed. It's such a good explanation and meshes well with the dark other reasons, the more pragmatic stuff Zordon sadly has to think about being at war.

Speaking of Dark stuff, Matt wakes up in the hospital seemingly in a coma.. but he's fine... or rather PUTTY MATT is fine... the real ones trapped in Rita's funtime death mansion. Uh oh. More on this possibly later this year.

For Now Go Go is good as I remember. It takes a more relaxed pace, but the focus on the rangers as characters makes it work: We see them as people and not the clean cut cardboard cutouts of the show, what this does to their lives. It takes a pretty stock superhero team and injects a more modern teen superhero sensiblity into it. Yet the team knowing each other, having each other to lean on, adds a nice vibe to it. We don't get that as often these days, the buffy style shows have long gone extinct. I'ts ncie to have a team who are just there for each other, that the friendships aren't in question, it's just a matter of if they can survive this difficult job of theirs. Add in one of the best modern comic book artists and you have a true clasic. If your intrested in the ranger comics, i'd recommend starting here or in trade with book one of the library editions which covers the complete original run as the second half of the book is an interquel between Shattered Grid and Necessary Evil, aka Parrot's post shattered grid run wehre he takes on the main books and ties both series together.