Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Dark Sky Overhead Cine-Manga

    (Tokyopop, 2003)
™ and © Tokyopop

These are not your father’s Power Rangers.

Those who haven’t looked at the franchise since Power Rangers Turbo: Into the Fire may not be up to speed on their Power Rangers lore. The knowledge that there are half a dozen series they may have missed is a little daunting. (Lost Galaxy? Lightspeed Rescue? Wild Force?)

This volume starts readers on the ground floor of the latest permutation of Power Rangers: Ninja Storm. There are differences (for example, there are only three of them), but it’s essentially the same story: Teens morph into color-coded theme heroes to fight cosmic menaces.

The two tales, told in “fotonovel” format, include the new Rangers’ origin and the debut of their Zords. (Why are they called Zords, if there’s no Zordon?)

It’s confusing that the cover and title page feature cartoon versions of the heroes. The reader opens the book to find the art is actually stills from two TV episodes. There’s no reason that should be any more jarring than a photo cover on a comic book, but it is a little surprising when the reader is expecting comic-book art.

— Jack Abramowitz
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