Comic Book Reviews (Week February 16, 2022): Power Rangers Issue 16, My Bad Issue 4, & More!

Welcome to my comic book review round-up for the week of February 16, 2022. I will be reviewing Power Rangers Issue 16, Rain Issue 2, My Bad Issue 4, and more!

There wasn’t a lot that caught my attention this week. But the good news is that I enjoyed the four comic books I read. Let’s begin by talking about Power Rangers issue 16. From writer Ryan Parrott, the latest issue of his amazing Power Rangers comic series focused on bringing the ‘Eltarian War’ arc to a close. I would have liked some more time to be spent when dealing with certain plot threads, but I was quite satisfied with what we got.

One of the things I enjoyed about the ‘Eltarian War’ arc was how it allowed Zordon to enter the battleground. Zordon teaming up with Zedd to defeat Zartus made for some very funny moments. I was looking forward to seeing how Zedd and Zordon’s relationship would progress after defeating a common enemy, and in my opinion, I think Parrott handled their dynamic quite well. Zedd’s stuck in his ways and having him become a “good” person again, even for just a couple more comic book issues, wouldn’t have made sense. At least he spared Zordon’s life.

The conversation the two had about how a mysterious energy field, called “The Power”, was looking over everyone in the universe was interesting. It had some religious undertones and Zedd was clearly a nonbeliever. I liked the answer Zordon gave Zedd about how a person’s actions determined their fate and also connected a living being with the rest of the universe.

The Omega Rangers got two conversations. From what I could understand, with the universe still in chaos (when is the universe not in chaos?), there’s still a lot of stuff that needed to be handled involving the Emissaries and the Morphin Masters. At least the Omega Rangers got a vote of confidence from the Blue Emissary.

The second Omega Ranger-centric conversation was between Trini and Drakkon. I have enjoyed the dynamic between the two throughout this series. There’s a sense of mutual respect between them. Drakkon’s story is far from over.

Skull got a nice little moment with Candice/Zelya. She wanted Skull to go with her to Eltar, but he realized he needed to stay on Earth and look after Bulk. And besides, as Skull put it, they only went out on, basically, a single date and while they will miss each other, a single date didn’t warrant Skull leaving everyone else on Earth to be with Zelya. I liked seeing how mature the two were about their feelings for each other.

As for Zedd’s minions, I mean, is anyone really surprised they decided to go back to Zedd on the moon?

All in all, the ‘Eltarian War’ arc was immensely enjoyable. It had humor, high stakes, character development, and awesome action sequences. I can’t wait to see what Parrott’s got planned next for readers!

Does it have obvious queer representation? No.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Rain Issue 2

From writer David. M Booher (based on a story by Joe Hill), the debut issue of Rain made for a well-written emotional read, and the second issue was no different. This is by no means a happy miniseries, and yet the writing will entice you to keep reading. Having lost her girlfriend Yolanda and Yolanda’s mother, Rain issue 2 had Honeysuckle decide to walk to Denver to tell Yolanda’s father, Mr. Rusted, about the tragedy. While making such a trip doesn’t make sense when facing thunderclouds that poured fatal needles as rain, Honeysuckle needed to get to Denver and talk to  Mr. Rusted as part of her healing journey.

We also got introduced to a man named Marc DeSpot, who lost his cat to the dangerous needle rain. With a crazy religious cult becoming a threat to Honeysuckle, it’s nice to see she has someone as capable as Marc, an MMA fighter, by her side. And due to the unexpected arrival of a familiar face in the last panel, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue!

The unique art style by Zoe Thorogood continues to perfectly fit the story being told.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

My Bad Issue 4

I was provided with a free digital copy of My Bad issue 4. The opinions I have shared are my own.

Kudos to writers Mark Russell and Bryce Ingman for continuing to deliver the goods in a comic book series that satires the superhero genre. I really enjoyed seeing how Chandelier’s plan to get The Accelerator to leave Earth to defend his home planet from giant lizards ended up impacting King Emperor’s character. I have to say, I was not expecting the King Emperor to get the type of character development he got after helping Rush Hour recover from all the torture that King Emperor accidentally put him through. And yes, I found myself shipping him and Rush Hour a bit (emphasis on the bit) once they started living together.

Also, what the heck’s wrong with Acid Chimp?!

As with any well-written satirical work, the content will make you think or feel something. For me, My Bad issue 4 had me do both through a one-page story about companies exploiting the creators of fictional characters. Hollywood not properly compensating certain creators of characters that appear in live-action adaptations is an unfortunate occurrence.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Strange Love Adventures Issue 1

This Valentine’s Day anthology included a couple of stories I really enjoyed reading. Featuring a total of 8 stories, if you’re into romantic comedies and drama, I think you will like this particular offering from DC Comics.

‘Lightning in a Bottle’ by writer Stephanie Philips was a humorous tale of Harley trying to get over yet another breakup with the Joker. I wasn’t expecting Black Adam to propose marriage and the type of power-up it had Harley experience as she told the story to Ivy. Now, did it actually happen? I’m not so sure. But it made for a fun short story.

Writer Rex Ogle’s ‘Love of Country’, starring Peacemaker, was just… it was just weird. Still fun. But weird.

‘Service’ by writer Devin Grayson was a nice little exploration of Alfred’s love for the BatFamily. 

‘Dinner For Two’ by writer Ram V was definitely the highlight for me as it had the Riddler keep Batman busy with solving a riddle on Valentine’s Day because the Riddler was lonely. Batman’s entire rogue gallery is basically in love with him (doesn’t need to be romantic in every case) and I’m here for it!

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Recommendation: Pick it up!

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You can read Jessica’s review of Nightwing issue 89 here.

Which comic books did you read this week? What did you think of Power Rangers issue 16?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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