Boom! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #15 releases today!
And for the first time, the hit comic series is introducing some of the most iconic characters from Power Rangers lore. Allies such as Ninjor and Blue Senturion have arrived on the scene, as have villains ranging from Knasty Knight to the Pumpkin Rapper.
But the issue ultimately shines as it re-introduces Zordon, the Power Rangers’ all-knowing mentor who has been mysteriously absent since Issue #4.
For more on Zordon’s shocking re-appearance, and the newest Power Rangers characters to join the fray, check out our exclusive interview with writer Kyle Higgins below, along with character art designed by guest artist Daniel Bayliss.
And be sure to pick up Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #15, by Kyle Higgins, in stores now!
–SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT–
For the past several issues, Zordon has been absent from the storyline. What made you decide to hold off Zordon’s return to the comics until now?
I think, when fans read this issue, they’ll understand that where Zordon went made it really tough to show before now, without spoiling big things in the Drakkon story. Plus, Zordon being out of the tube for as long as he has been meant taking away a mentor and a guiding voice for the Rangers. It’s forced them to rally together and, I think, has brought them closer.
Zordon has always been a very powerful, but also mysterious character to this franchise. What was your favorite part about writing Zordon?
Getting him out of the tube. [Laughs] Zordon’s very much the wise old mentor character, which can be a chore to write, but this issue was a blast—we put Zordon in a position for him to see the way things “could have gone,” and that’s not necessarily a good thing. I’ll be diving into Zordon a bit more in the next year, and this was a nice precursor for it.
Issue #15 gives us the first look at a host of iconic villains who work alongside Tommy (Rito, Knasty Knight, Pumpkin Rapper, etc.). How did you decide which villains to include?
Honestly? A lot of it is personal taste. Old villains I really like, visuals I think are interesting, etc. Pumpkin Rapper’s a sentimental favorite, so he HAD to get the nod.
The issue also gives us our first look at new heroes such as Blue Senturion. How did you decide which characters from Power Rangers lore to include?
It was a conversation with BOOM!, and then with Saban. This is an alternate timeline, so things happened much differently here than they did in our world, but still… there are core things we can’t change too much. The Thunderzords, for example. If we wanted the Tigerzord and the Falconzord, Saban was pretty adamant that we use the Thunderzords for the rest of the Rangers. So, things like that create parameters for me, which helps me determine other characters, Zords, etc. that we can use.
We see a brief hint of Ninjor presumably reviving Saba, and playing a major role in this world’s history. Can fans expect more from Ninjor moving forward?
Absolutely!