Review - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (@IDWPublishing)

"...that bond can make them family."

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are one the most successful (if not oddest) collection of heroes ever created; they're right up there with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The notion that the two groups would ever cross paths has seemingly been pretty far-fetched until Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 from IDW Publishing. The issue is written by Ryan Parrott, illustrated by Simone di Meo, colored by Walter Baiamonte (with assists by Igor Monti) and lettered by Ed Dukeshire.

The Power Rangers arrive in New York City to find Tommy Oliver (a.k.a. The Mighty Morphin Green Ranger) but soon discover he's joined forces with the villainous Shredder and the Foot Clan! As the Rangers are sent reeling by this betrayal, they 're confronted by another (fr)enemy... the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Can these heroes find a way to work together to defeat the bad guys and save the world from total destruction?!

Considering all the similarities in the two properties there are still plenty of differences, many of which Parrott reconciles quite neatly. As is most often the case with MMPR, Tommy is the link between the two groups and Parrott uses him as a natural way to connect the two groups together. Parrott spends much of the issue going back and forth between groups before focusing on them collectively, giving the reader a great look at the inner workings of each team and how they interact with one another. When they finally come face-to-face, it's very entertaining, primarily because Parrott lets the loose style of Turtles clash with the more rigid approach taking by the Power Rangers. Much of the dialogue exploits the two approaches well as Parrott keeps things very light and enjoyable regardless of the situation.

di Meo's art style is very slick and successful in marrying the two group styles to one another. The Ninja Turtles show of their more modern look while the Power Rangers remain tried and true with di Meo's style working perfectly for both groups. The linework is very minimal with the characters being defined by thin, wispy lines set amidst chaotic backdrops representative of combat. di Meo relies on panel layouts to keep up with the tempo of the story, leaning on more organized panels for quiet times and staggered/slanted panels for the combat. Baiamonte's colors (along with Monti) are rich and vibrant, making each character from each group extremely easy to identify.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 is really smart and a lot of fun. The two groups have their own styles in terms of everything and watching them square off against one another is a really fun "what if" from a lot of people's childhoods. Parrott's script is fast-paced with an abundance of on-brand quips and exchanges. di Meo's artwork provides a beautiful look at the characters that flows very well from panel to panel. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 has plenty of appeal for fans of either franchise, but newcomers to either will still find plenty of good stuff to read.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 is available now.