BOOM!; $4.99  

Ryan Steele, Kaitlin Star, and J.B. Reese are the VR Troopers, the Eltarian Colony of Earth’s greatest heroes who fight monsters and any other threat against their people. It begins with Ryan taking a late night stroll to clear his head, only to find that someone has broken into a power plant. Inside he finds unfamiliar creatures/people and human hostages. Kaitlin and J.B. join the fight in time to see something astonishing, and when they regroup with Zarysh, it becomes clear that the Eltarian empire is keeping something from them.  

VR Troopers is a spinoff of BOOM!’s Power Rangers Prime series, however, new readers won’t be confused if they aren’t caught up on that book. Writer Mairghread Scott introduces the VR Troopers and the concept of their world succinctly and without too many unfamiliar terms or concepts. Ryan is the main attraction in this issue, which sets up their first challenge in the new series, though we do get to see a little of J.B.’s technical skills.  

The art and colors were provided by Sebastián Piriz and J.P. Jordan, respectively, who capture the high-tech, colorful look of the original mid-1990s TV show. The lines are well defined, the action has punch, and the colors are bright, but not cartoony. It’s a solid start for the new series. 

 –Amanda Sheriff