Justice League, Avengers, Power Rangers. As a child of the 90s, those were the big three superhero teams I grew up with, and Power Rangers: Sins of the Future capitalizes on that by being a direct sequel to one of the most popular entries of the series, Time Force. As a standalone released by BOOM!, it holds up well compared to other OGNs in the series and even the ongoing comic.
Time Force, for those unsavvy to the show’s history, follows Pink Ranger Jen Scotts as she travels back in time from the year 3000. Her mission? Stop the evil mutant Ransik, who murdered Red Ranger Alex, and traveled to the year 2001 to change history. Bringing her team of rangers, Jen is shocked to discover Wes Collins in 2001, a direct ancestor of the dead Alex. Becoming the team’s new Red Ranger thanks to some DNA morphing science, Wes joins these rangers in protecting his city.
In the series finale, Wes and Jen profess their love for each other, but to prevent the future from changing, Jen returns back to her time. While the Power Rangers base is destroyed in the fight, Wes keeps his powers and continues to protect his city. Sins of the Future picks up some time shortly after, with Jen coming back in time to fight leftover armies of the show’s big bad, and for a rendezvous with Wes. The two rangers have been seeing each other during Jen’s missions to the past, but the strain of potentially affecting the future as well as ignoring her duties is affecting the relationship.
When Jen goes back to her time, she is shocked to receive an order to terminate her relationship with Wes. To further complicate things, Jen arrives back in 2001 to see that the Power Rangers base has magically reappeared. Something, or someone, is messing with the past and Jen barely discovers this before being attacked by a Black Time Force Ranger. Writer Matthew Erman does a fantastic job of weaving the plot together, and Jen and Wes feel as authentic as I remember from the show. Jen still worries about walking the line between love and duty, and is every bit the strong leader she has always been.
The art by Giueseppe Cafaro, with colors by Francesco Segala, makes great use of light and shadow, but is not as pop art with the colors as Dan Mora’s Power Rangers. This works for the story well, as it is more of an emotional piece focusing on Jen and Wes, but it does mean that the Power Ranger suits aren’t as bright as they were in the show. Nod to cover artists Diego Galindo, for nailing the look of Jen and Wes in both the faces and personalities with Jen warrior posing in the front and Wes supporting her.
As it is a standalone novel, I would recommend it for any library collection that has a Power Rangers fan base or a collection of OGNs featuring strong-willed and driven women. While I could not locate the age rating through the publisher’s site or the pre-published copy, I would recommend it for older teens and young adults, as there is a nostalgia factor at play here.
Power Rangers: Sins of the Future
By Matthew Erman
Art by Giuseppe Cafaro
BOOM! Studios, 2020
ISBN: 9781684156191
Related media: TV to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
