Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Lightning Collection Morphed Shredder

Release Date: December 2021
RRP: $31.99/£37.99

One of the biggest delights of the Power Rangers comics from Boom! Studios has been the opportunity for them to crossover with other heroes previously thought limited to the realms of fan fiction – including the likes of Godzilla and the Justice League. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles however they have some history with though, with Power Rangers in Space having previously crossed over with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. This six-part comic series though saw the heroes in a half shell meet the original Mighty Morphin rangers, with the Turtles themselves even getting the opportunity to morph. To mark this fusion of childhood icons, Hasbro produced a series of Power Rangers x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Lightning Collection figures – consisting of three two pack sets (featuring the four turtles, April O'Neill and a Foot Clan Tommy Oliver) and a deluxe Morphed Shredder figure. This figure is based on Shredder after he has harnessed the powers of the Dragon Coin to transform into his own twisted version of the Green Ranger.

Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Tyrannosaurus Sentry

Release Date: December 2021

RRP: $22.99/£24.99

One of the biggest stories to come out of the Power Rangers universe in the last few years was undoubtedly Shattered Grid – a multi-issue comic event from Boom! Studios which saw the

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers team (as well as all the other rangers from across the franchise) face off against Lord Drakkon, an evil version of Tommy Oliver who sought to gain power from across the Morphing Grid. Since the event both Lord Drakkon and the Ranger Slayer (a brainwashed version of Kimberly initially under Drakkon's control) have gone on to reappear in the comics, as well as feature in video games and various pieces of merchandise – including Hasbro's Lightning Collection. Now the Morphing Grid continues to shatter as Hasbro unveil the next figure from the comics continuity to join the line – the Lighting Collection Mighty Morphin Tyrannosaurus Sentry. These soldiers act as the elite personal guard of Drakkon, helping to carry out his will and battle against the resistance force known as 'The Coinless'. The Tyrannosaurus Sentry was released exclusively via Hasbro Pulse and (in the US) Target stores.

Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection In Space Psycho Green

Release Date: July 2020

RRP: $19.99

With the Power Rangers comic series from Boom! Studios continuing to go from strength to strength, Hasbro's Lightning Collection also has another element of the franchise to draw inspiration from. The line has gotten in on comic-original designs pretty early with the release of both Lord Drakkon and Ranger Slayer, but there was still one character from those earlier issues still outstanding. Issue 20 marked the first appearance of Psycho Green - a sixth Psycho Ranger who battled against Zordon's original team of rangers on the moon in 1969. The short story "Psychotic" revealed his identity as Trek, an alien from the planet Xybria who betrayed his team of Supersonic Rangers to become Dark Specter's first Psycho Ranger. Finally Psycho Green also appeared in The Psycho Path graphic novel, which saw Karone try to help rehabilitate the Psycho Rangers following her time as Astronema. Psycho Green was previously released in Bandai of America's Legacy Collection as an SDCC exclusive in 2018, but joins the Lightning Collection as a somewhat more accessible Hasbro Pulse exclusive. "Somewhat" being because Hasbro Pulse only ships to the US and Canada - making them far more difficult for the rest of the world to acquire.

Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Ranger Slayer

Release Date: June 2020

RRP: $19.99/£19.99

While the Power Rangers Lightning Collection might have over 25 years' worth of television content to draw from, in the last few years the Boom! Studios comic universe has also developed quite the repertoire of original characters. Hasbro quickly showed an interest with the release of Lord Drakkon in wave three, but given Tommy's popularity (not to mention the need to truly stick it to Bandai of America) that seemed a given. It was where the line went next in regards to the comics that was really going to show how dedicated Hasbro are, and collectors didn't have too long to wait for the release of the Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Ranger Slayer in wave five. Another denizen of the World of the Coinless introduced in Shattered Grid, the Ranger Slayer is an alternate version of Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart – brainwashed to serve as Drakkon's enforcer. After breaking free of Drakkon's control, the Ranger Slayer has since gone on to lead a ground of time-displaced Rangers in Beyond the Grid, as well as most recently returning to her home dimension in an attempt to finally restore peace.

Toybox REVIEW: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Lord Drakkon

Release Date: November 2019

RRP: $20/£20

While the show itself might be continuing on strongly, for many older fans one of the more exciting Power Rangers projects to have come out in recent years is the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic book series from Boom! Studios, adding in brand new stories of the original team whilst bringing it into a more modern setting. The comic's first big event was Shattered Grid, which saw all Rangers across time, space and dimensions threatened by Lord Drakkon - an alternate universe version of Tommy Oliver that continued on the path of evil. Though the comics have created more of their own rangers since Drakkon has certainly had the most impact on the franchise as a whole, so naturally fans quickly clamoured for fans of the evil Green and White Ranger fusion. Bandai of America released a figure at the tail end of their Legacy line, but as a Power Morphicon exclusive it quickly became scarce and expensive on the aftermarket as well as being prone to significant QC problems. Not long after Hasbro step in as the new owners of the franchise, and immediately begin asserting their superiority over their predecessors with their own collector line. Lightning Collection Lord Drakkon joins the ever-expanding range as part of its third wave, not only making it far more accessible to collectors than Bandai's version but also showing Hasbro's dedication to the ongoing comics as well as the shows themselves in the line.