MMPR X TMNT PT II Issues #3 & 4 [Review]

This Mighty Morphin Mutant Mayhem is going all out with new morphs, rangers, and the Turtles! A TOTALLY TUBULAR story that is worthy of a double-issue review before the finale.

#3 Shadow Morphs and Mutant Rangers!

With the Command Center under attack and the mysterious reveal of The Shredder both teams of teens are shocked, to say the least! Further down Ranger Raph comes face to face with Casey who somehow was able to disrupt the morphing process thus powering down the Turtles and Rangers.

Making Preparations

Rita and her crew with Traangs rock soldiers in tow start to enslave the residents of Angel Grove. The turtles, rangers, and Shredder all come to an uneasy accord, knowing that their motives are aligned. So Billy and Donnie put their big brains together to come up with some sort of plan.

Rita and Casey look thru the wrecked Command Center, Krang shows up and talks about the one they found in Dimension X but it was already destroyed. Casey follows up with why Earth? Both Rita and Krang plainly explain it’s just a matter of pride at this point. How a backwater planet can keep two of those most powerful beings at bay is mind-boggling.

Finally, the Rangers and Turtles go on the offensive Billy and Donnie have come up with an alternate power source, Mutagen! The Rangers morph up into Mutant Rangers! As they are putting a massive beat down on the putties and various Turtle villains. They are having a hard time figuring out how to use their new forms, so it’s hilarious the one-liners they make.

During the encounter, Casey and Leo have one-on-one and ask Leo to trust him, that he’s playing it as his inside man and he has a plan…

Master Splinter comes and does as Spinter does flawlessly. He tells his sons that they are on a different path so the Turtles head off the Dimension X with Shredder…..

Part 3 Covers GALORE!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers X Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cover — Goni Montes Cover

There are 3 more covers by Freddie Williams II, Sajad Shah, and R1c0.

Part 4 Dimension X Marks the Spot!

The Turtles are stuck in the desolate wastes with Shred-head. The tension between the usual enemies and now allies is palpable.

Meanwhile, Splinter comes to the Mutant Rangers aid. Giving them a new perspective on their new abilities.

it finally “clicks” for the Mutant Rangers. They go to town on the rest of the putties, and even Leatherhead gets what’s coming to him.

At the Command Center

Krang is hacking thru the Command Centers systems learning what he can about the tech the rangers have at their disposal. Krang then tells Rita to dispose of Ranger X Casey Jones. Rita already knew that Jones slipped them a way to get to Dimension X and a way to possibly stop the invasion. A very one-sided fight ensues, and we don’t see the outcome, but the space witch has the advantage.

Power Up!

As the turtles fight thru Krang’s Dimension X strong hold Mikey and Donnie both find the X morphers, release Karai, and come upon a slew of classic MMPR villains. A HUGE 2-page fight goes on with Shredder and Karai assisting. Then the Morphers start to glow. Supposedly they shouldn’t work, but Donnie thinks that because the Turtles have been linked to the grid they have residual energy that reactivated them. YOU GUESSED IT: The Turles Morphed! Into Dimension X Rangers! They finally have evened the odds against the monsters of the week.

Mega-Mutant Problems

As the Rangers dispatch the rest of the rock soldiers, putties, and Leatherhead. They hear an ominous voice call out to them It’s Krang……. Megazord-Krang!

Thoughts from THE GRID

These 2 issues have a natural progression as Ryan Parrott only has 5 issues to work with. Nothing really came out of left field, but I do like the fact that Tommy when Mutant Morphed resembled a Dragon of some sort.

Rits and Krangs partnership I hope will have some sort of backstabbing because they are both too evil! Both of them I’m hoping will have some sort of mutually beneficial destruction. Speaking of villains, the designs of the classic MMPR monsters done up in the style of this comic are amazing! Tons of more texture and personality than the static foam latex we saw on tv as kids.

Having Master Splinter still as that Player/Coach dynamic is always a joy. considering he is thoughtful in his movements, and in his fighting. But just as concise in his words when teaching the rangers how to adapt as mutants. My only gripe about the Mutant Rangers was the preview of the covers giving it away… but that’s more a gripe about the industry as a whole, having to preview an issue multiple times before release.

Having April with Bulk and Skull, to me doesn’t seem to drive the plot at all. I’m hoping that in the last issue, we get some sort of resolution. But again, for me, it was kind of wasted space where we could have gotten some more rangers or turtle’s story.

Speaking of Turtles

yay… they morphed (we totally didn’t see that coming) Like I said 5 issues are not a lot to fill so you have to get in what you can with what you have. Having the Morphers already color-coded, sorry big mistake. If they were powered down then maybe a gray or washed-out morpher would have been a good idea and once held they could glow with the Turtle’s color. Aside from that, big kudos about X-Morphed Mikey having a weapon he’s unsure about. I could guess this was a reference to that fact in some continuities that he wasn’t allowed (Censored I mean) to use his nunchucks so he had to use a kunai and chain or grappling hook type weapon.

I’m anxiously waiting to see the Finale and what big twist Ryan is going to throw at us. I know from chatting with him multiple times that he is just as much of a fan of these franchises as we are so his childhood dreams are playing out in the panels. So stay tuned for next month’s finale!