NERDAGES™
Power Rangers: Green #1 Review — Old Ranger, New Tricks
Eric Poole | Posted: 11/04/2026
(Image credit: Screenrant)
BOOM! Studios is back with another adventure from the Morphin Grid, and this time things are a little different. Power Rangers: Green introduces us to an aging Tommy Oliver, a world that has seemingly moved on from the Power Rangers, and a surprisingly depressing reminder that even our childhood heroes can’t escape the passage of time.
And I have to admit, this one hit a little harder than I expected.
A Dragon Ranger’s Retirement
The first issue wastes little time introducing us to a much older Tommy Oliver, who has apparently traded his morpher for a peaceful life tending a garden. In what I can only describe as an act of sacrilege, Tommy is using the legendary Dragon Dagger as a gardening tool. Yes, that Dragon Dagger.
As if that weren’t enough to remind us how far removed we are from the glory days of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the massive head of what appears to be a long-decommissioned Dragonzord rests behind Tommy’s modest home. It’s an oddly beautiful and depressing image. The once-mighty Green Ranger has traded saving the world for growing vegetables in the shadow of his former Zord.
Thankfully, Tommy isn’t alone. He’s joined by Alpha 5 and a teenage girl who appears to be a younger family member, possibly his niece, although her relationship to Tommy isn’t entirely clear at this point.
There’s something almost comforting about seeing this strange little family living together. Tommy has clearly earned his retirement a hundred times over, and for a brief moment, it feels like we might actually get a wholesome story about an old Ranger enjoying his remaining years.
Of course, that would make for a pretty boring Power Rangers comic.
An Unexpected Reunion
Just as we’re settling into Tommy’s quiet new life, another familiar, furry, fanged face makes an unexpected appearance.
Goldar!
Naturally, seeing one of Rita Repulsa’s most recognizable henchmen show up uninvited is enough to put the entire household on the defensive. But there’s a catch. Goldar arrives without his signature armor or sword, and, surprisingly, he comes in peace.
Apparently, the former villain needs Tommy’s help destroying a mysterious machine emitting an ominous red beam into the sky. What exactly this machine is, why Goldar wants it destroyed, and how the world ended up in this condition are questions the first issue isn’t particularly interested in answering just yet.
What follows is an unlikely team-up between Tommy, Alpha 5, their young companion, and a surprisingly entertaining Goldar. There’s something genuinely funny about seeing one of the Green Ranger’s oldest enemies reluctantly become part of the family adventure.
The group eventually makes its escape in what I can only describe as a Dragonzord-inspired dune buggy, apparently designed by Alpha 5 himself.
It’s ridiculous, nostalgic, and exactly the kind of thing I love about Power Rangers.
Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger
The issue concludes with Tommy once again preparing to become the Green Ranger, only this time there’s no flashy transformation sequence or pristine armor waiting for him.
Instead, he dons a homemade, shieldless recreation of his iconic Green Ranger suit.
It’s a simple moment, but arguably the strongest in the entire issue.
Seeing an older, visibly tired Tommy Oliver putting on a makeshift version of the suit that made him a childhood icon says more about his character than any elaborate action sequence could. The suit might be different, his body might be older, and the world around him might have changed beyond recognition, but underneath it all, he’s still Tommy Oliver.
And Tommy Oliver doesn’t walk away when someone needs his help.
A Little Too Much Setup?
As much as I’m enjoying the direction of this story, my biggest criticism is that issue #1 barely gets the adventure started.
We’re introduced to an interesting new world, reunited with some familiar faces, teased with a mysterious threat, and given an emotional glimpse of Tommy’s return to action. Then, just as things start getting interesting, the issue ends.
I understand that the first issue of a new comic series needs to establish its characters and setting, but I wish this one had pushed the story just a little further.
There’s a tremendous amount of potential here, especially with the unusual relationship between Tommy and Goldar, but much of that potential remains just that: potential.
Still, I’d rather finish an issue wanting more than wondering why I bothered reading it in the first place.
The Verdict: Growing Old With the Green Ranger
I’ve been a massive Power Rangers fan for as long as I can remember, and an even bigger fan of Tommy Oliver and the late Jason David Frank.
I was four years old when Mighty Morphin Power Rangers first aired in 1993. Tommy Oliver wasn’t just another character on television. For an entire generation of kids, he was the Power Ranger.
Seeing him portrayed as an aging, tired man who has traded his morpher for gardening tools is a surprisingly emotional experience. It’s a reminder that time marches forward whether we want it to or not, even for the heroes we grew up believing were invincible.
And considering how much time has passed since I first watched Tommy summon the Dragonzord, I’d imagine he and I aren’t all that far apart in age at this point in his fictional life.
That’s probably what makes this story so interesting to me. I’m not the same four-year-old kid who watched the Green Ranger take on the Mighty Morphin team, and Tommy isn’t the same young hero who first stepped out of Rita Repulsa’s spell.
We’ve both gotten older.
There’s also something bittersweet about seeing Tommy continue his adventures following Jason David Frank’s passing. For fans like me, JDF will always be the Green Ranger, and watching his most iconic character grow old while remaining dedicated to protecting the people he loves feels like a fitting continuation of that legacy.
Power Rangers: Green #1 isn’t perfect. The pacing is a little too deliberate, and the story ends before the adventure truly begins. But its atmosphere, nostalgia, humor, and emotional weight have already convinced me that this is a story worth following.
Issues #2 and #3 are already available, and I plan to catch up on both this week.
For now, I’m just happy to see Tommy suit up again.
Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.