you don't have to be alone.

20s - she/her - this is my blog for all of my Power Rangers ramblings, including screencaps, art, and liveblogs!  (18+ only to DM me, please!)

[kimberlyannharts]

I know I don't talk about real-life events on this blog very often but as long as this occupation is happening I strongly encourage my followers to reconsider giving their money to Power Rangers. Haim Saban is a zionist who financially supports the AIPAC and politicians advocating for this genocide, and while there's no clear answer to how much he gets nowadays with Hasbro owning the franchise, his name is still attached, so it's better to be safe than sorry. If you would like to engage in PR content there are plenty of 🏴‍☠️ sites to use or download links; or limit spending in games like Legacy Wars to in-game currency rather than your own real money.

And in the meantime check out this post with resources to help Gaza and the Palestinian people during this time of crisis.

[kimberlyannharts]

A slight addition to this, while I still believe you should avoid giving PR your money whenever possible, the BDS would like you to focus maximum effort on these specific companies!

Not putting more money into Haim Saban's pocket is important, but remember to listen to Palestinians and other official representatives.

[kimberlyannharts]

one of my favorite genres of Tomberly is when Tommy addresses the team like KIM!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and everyone else)

[kimberlyannharts]

Potentially the only fandom more Miserable than Spider-Man fans tbh

To be fair to Spider-Man fans that truly is a land of the highest highs and the lowest lows so they earned their rights to be miserable

[kimberlyannharts]

The Power Rangers fandom is the only fandom I've ever been in where companies are like "look at all this cool stuff we're making!" and the response to it is "welp guess this means the franchise has failed and is dead in the water"

[kimberlyannharts]

The preview pages were down and Aunt Kimberly was protecting Minnie. When I saw that, I felt sorry for "once and always" 😭😭😭😭😭😭

love being validated that OaA Kim had to be nerfed because there would be absolutely no way she'd go along with the whole "nooooo murdering the evil death robots is bad :/" nonsense

[kimberlyannharts]

Though I love it and dont think it deserves the trolling, I do think that mmpr 2026 has a bit jarring opening though. Everything happened too quickly.

It was like the feeling of arriving say, 15-20 minutes late to the movie theatre.

Like actually show a few pages of rangers' civilian lives before having Billy bring them in the Command Centre. Maybe have Billy teleporting them in be the last page of the first issue and then everything else. (First issue becomes second, Second issue becomes third but everything stays the same)

Either way, I think we will see Marguerite's real writing in the coming issues with the sort of slice of life stuff.

I get what you mean, even if I do think the intention was for us to feel the same urgency and panic over jumping headfirst into action before you even know what's going on that the Rangers do. (And part of me wonders if the criticisms of Prime being too slow and having no Ranger/Zord action didn't influence it a bit as an editorial choice.) It helps that we know things will slow down considerably after that fast-paced opening, but there IS definitely a lot that needs to be explained that the opening arc expects you to just kinda roll with (like why they have new suits, where's Zordon, where are THIS timeline's Rita and crew, etc)

I think a compromise would have been for the CGD issue to be the one that shows off the Rangers' civilian lives before being called in by Billy, rather than being an abbreviated version of issue one

[kimberlyannharts]

Playmates could do the funniest thing rn

Drop Collector’s Line of the MMPR V2 suits

And I would get the whole set because I love being contrarian

[kimberlyannharts]

Ten years on and on, and fans still haven't grasped that comics don't necessarily have to be part of a TV series, and that a relaunch doesn't mean it has to be the same as the main canon. Well, I liked the second issue somewhat better than the first. Tommy, where did you go, kid? Will you see your old version in Green?

It's times like this where I do kinda wish the designs of the characters and props could vary more between incarnations to make it more obvious that this is a new thing, like TMNT or Transformers. (Not counting suits obviously, since suit changes are usually in-universe changes.) I get they probably just want to keep things consistent visually across the mediums, but still.

But yeah, super interested in learning what Tommy's up to. And I have wondered if they might pull a Green No More and have Green end with old!Tommy sending a message to his younger self, especially if either theory about Green being Rita Rabiosa's home dimension or a bad future of the 2026 dimension is true

[kimberlyannharts]

I love the comics right now, both mmpr and Unlimited, and I feel genuinely excited for the first time since Melissa's run on mmpr ended in 2024.

People are saying Unlimited is so good because it has characters from other seasons, and I don't disagree because its high time they appear in the comics, but the main characters are Trini and 2016 Billy. It is still MMPR coded and still very good even to the anti-mmpr fans. So the whole 'anti-mmpr' stuff has no basis.

But on to brighter stuff, just saw the previews for issue 3 of mmpr and I am seated!

I do wonder if there will be a switch-up on Unlimited once it's obvious the roster changing every issue and page space will limit the amount of exploration the non-MMPR characters will get. Like #2's marketing hasn't exactly been subtle about it primarily being an Andros and Karone focus - I'm not expecting much for Kendall, Sky, and Chip. And yeah, outside of helping in the specific missions I'm not sure how much they'll be relevant to the greater story of Striking Tiger and Operator's respective baggage. Not that this is all bad writing or anything, I just have played these games before with fandom's expectations vs reality

[kimberlyannharts]

Re: mmpr 2026

It is CLEARLY set in an alternate universe. The previews made it clear.

A lot of trollers are saying they are not excited for this, because they know what happens after this continuity wise. That it would lead to Once and Always etc etc. They want something "new."

Even if it was set in the show continuity, it is not grounds to say the story is pointless. Look at Star Trek's success with modern shows like "Strange New Worlds" which are set before the original series, and despite being bound by established canon including the character death of one of its main characters, tells a fascinating story.

Minh was born around 2005-2006, and 10 years after MMPR roughly sets the timeline around 2003 (ninja storm). Plus Tommy at this point of time would be involved in Dino Thunder/Mercer stuff, not trekking through mystery forest etc. It just doesn't make sense within the show verse and it's fine.

Also if they had wanted "new" stuff, where was their support during "Beyond the Grid", " Ranger Academy" or even "Prime"?

This fandom would have a much better time with the comics if they approached each one with the mindset of "this is a new continuity unless explicitly stated otherwise" and it's very frustrating after TEN YEARS of BOOM holding the license that they don't seem to grasp this. It doesn't matter if it's the same cast or the same general timeline of events; that does not guarantee it being set in a pre-established continuity. Honestly, I'm starting to think the choice to release Power Rangers Unlimited, a book that uses the 1993 and 2016 continuities in its story, alongside MMPR 2026 is to subtly "other" the latter as its own secret third continuity. (And of course Green, a book that supposedly connects to MMPR 2026, is the one that is outright stated to be a reimagined future.)

But regardless, you're right; there's no need to dismiss it even if it IS set in an old continuity. Tommy, Billy, and Zack were the only 1993 Rangers to really get in-depth exploration of their lives after Rangerhood; Kim in particular is a complete blank slate. But unfortunately this fandom makes it clear that to them character work is secondary to cool flashy lore, so......

Whatever. It's expected at this point, but it never stops being frustrating. The 2026 series could end with Tommy and Kim getting married with Kim expecting Olivia and this fandom will be like "so I guess after this they'll break up so he can be with Kat to line this up with Once and Always?"

[kimberlyannharts]

What Kimberly needs is Tomberly; why don't they understand that?

I don't want to say Kimberly NEEDS her romance, as obviously she stands fine on her own without it, but I do find it interesting how many comics at this point write it so Tommy and Kim deal with similar issues and they're at their best when they're together

[kimberlyannharts]

I was thinking mostly in terms of “you keep releasing teams all at once like this you’ll run out eventually” but I sent that late and forgot about villains and like theoretically you could divide up Jungle Fury into three (core 5/spirit ranger/Jarrod and Camille)

Yeah, and notably Zeo Gold Jason is being sold separately. So it's not like EVERY character will be released in a set; Sixth Rangers and other "special" guys can spread things out

[kimberlyannharts]

Fascinating to drop Zeo all at once. I don’t expect it going forward but at the same time, it would be nice. That way at least there’s no incomplete teams

Obviously Playmates isn't hiding the fact that this line is meant for collectors and collectors love full sets, so I see it like a high risk, high reward situation. Most people in the fandom hated the Lightning Collection's "make a figure out of whomever we hit when we throw a dart at a board" strategy because it led to incomplete teams, so it makes sense to me, as long as the sales justify it continuing.

(Though I kinda wish they started backwards with Cosmic Fury so I could finally get a Fern toy)

[kimberlyannharts]

I enjoy MMPR 2026 because it seems someone finally remembered what actually made PR what it was. The characters, their interactions with each other, them being grounded in a supernatural world, and the craziness of giant fighting robots and aliens.

Thank you, Marguerite, for bringing the spirit of PR back. I finally recognize what I'm reading again - and actually want to keep reading it. IT'S BEEN SO LONG!

I agree! It does feel like someone finally heard all of the requests for things to take a break from the constant world- or multiverse-encompassing events. Sure, down the line we might get something big, but for now we can have fun with adventures in house hunting or blind dating, and that can be just as exciting.

Though I do think Zord Quest was the start of this shift; that felt like the first real return to that original balance between the mundane and supernatural we lost when the 2016 series began leaning more and more into the sci-fi elements, mostly thanks to the Omegas. (And of course Power Rangers Prime keeping that going by being 100% sci-fi fantasy with no divide at all, even if we probably would have gotten an attempt at it if the series had continued)

[kimberlyannharts]

I haven't had a chance to read the comics properly but keeping tabs on it via reviews, and I LOVE what I am seeing, and your review as well.

I truly appreciate you posting stuff as it is, instead of literally every other review being biased as hell and a version of "ugh, mmpr again. Ugh, Marguerite Bennett again after Beyond the Grid. Ugh, the suits suck."

Rita Rabiosa's motivation is so cool, and so is her design.

Zack being a strategist, Kim's insecurities but her fieriness to defend Minh (whom she just met today) is awesome.

I loved that panel with Billy and Kim hugging Trini while she is holding Minh.

Alpha Eye's design is so cool, and the bit with him bringing Minh back to Trini because its the safest place... Perfect and heartwarming.

Also, Kim being the first ranger to swear is so perfect and also so her!

There is so much to appreciate in this comic, and its just starting. I am really excited for the slice of life stuff in later issues. It feels like "Go Go PR" but if the rangers were adults.

Marguerite Bennett is an amazing talent who has written amazing stuff for DC and other franchises. Beyond the Grid wasn't bad either, yet most people are trolling her for no reason at all? And then they have the gall to act surprised when other serious talents and big-names steer clear of the PR fandom.

Thank you! I know I'm kind of an outlier in the online PR fandom in how I'm always happy for new MMPR stuff, but the backlash against MMPR 2026 has felt especially unfair and, if we're being honest, more than a little misogynistic. I don't like to pull THAT card because people are free to dislike a writer and their style, but people just hold such pointed grudge against her and Beyond the Grid than they do other authors and runs that's it hard not to call a spade a spade. I had to stop reading reactions to Power Rangers Unlimited #1 because the amount of times I saw something along the lines of "wow in just one issue this is better and more interesting than MMPR!" was starting to sour me to the book.

I think "Go Go Power Rangers but they're adults" is a good way to describe it. Marguerite has even said that she wants people to have fun with the book, which alongside the slice of life premises feels to me that it's going to stick with the lighter tone of GGPR over the more serious tones of MMPR 2016 and Prime. Not so light that there won't be any drama - Rita Rabiosa's goal is to kill a baby, after all - but clearly we're trying a new direction for the mainline series when the plots of the next issues sound like...well, episodes of Power Rangers. (Which in of itself DOES make sense - I'd argue in some ways GGPR has been even more influential to modern PR than the MMPR 2016 series.)

My hope is that now that we're past the introduction and the series shows off Marguerite's strengths as a writer people will get bored of the reactionary "MMPR bad, Beyond the Grid bad" opinions and approach it more honestly. It's honestly surreal to go from the PR fandom's hostility to her writing to DC/MAWS fandom calling the Death of Superman episode she wrote the best in the season, if not one of the best of the entire show lol

[kimberlyannharts]

are we ready for Lightning Collection...........2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kimberlyannharts]

LAST TIME ON MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (2026): The MMPRs are OLD HAGS now (like....DINO THUNDER TOMMY old) and aren't doing too well against their first fight against Rita Rabiosa (yes, RABIOSA, not Repulsa, that's important.) But I guess you can't totally blame their ages; not when there's other complications like Earth's tech going crazy, Tommy not showing up to the party, and Trini being unable to find a sitter for her literal baby.

It's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (2026) #2!

= I love Alpha Eye I'm sorry the implication that Alpha 5 is dead and Billy turned his corpse into this Thing is the actual mad scientist freak shit I want to see Billy do

= I mentioned this in my notes but I really am just so happy that two issues in and we're already making it clear Zack will be written with respect and appreciation for his skills beyond "the guy who makes jokes and is Trini's love interest sometimes." It really shows how he never fully recovered after That Scene in Necessary Evil that it took a complete clean slate to get things back on track for him

= I don't have anything to say here except this page looks cool as hell

= The way this scene kinda sets up Kim's arc by implying she doesn't think she has useful skills anymore oughhhghghhghh why does every modern writer look at Kim and go know what she needs? depression (even though she'll be the one to rally everyone together at the end..........gosh I'm just so excited to see her journey)

= Okay after all of Prime Rita's vagueposting I appreciate Rita Rabiosa just out and saying she wants to kill a baby just because Trini asked

= Also I've been keeping track of all The Return's influences on this new run, guys you can't fool me

= That being said whether that kid under Goldar is an alternate Selena or a new character entirely I love how little this franchise cares about Thrax. They really said our beautiful Rita and Zedd don't deserve a child that much of a chud

= KIMBERLY HART FIRST RANGER TO SAY FUCK (because really that's the only word that would fit there)

= MINH'S SAFEST PLACE BEING WITH HER MOM AND THE REST OF THE HETEROPLATONIC MULTIRACIAL POLYCULE OUGHHGHGHHG

= Meanwhile this guy's missing out on the polycule because he'd rather. idk. visit the Hell Castle