Saban's Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon

Power Rangers: Non-Canon Standalone Books

by Kyle Higgins, Marcelo Costa (Primary Contributor), Giuseppe Cafaro (Illustrator)

When Tommy Oliver’s son goes missing, he comes out of retirement to find him. 

It’s been a long time since Tommy Oliver has served as a Power Ranger. He’s defeated space witches, brought down evil armies, protected the galaxy, but now Tommy leaves protecting the world to the Power Rangers at Space Patrol Delta. But when his son goes missing, it’s up to Tommy to discover a secret in his past, in order to save his future. Now Tommy will call on all his training, his friends, and maybe even some of his enemies as he sets out on his most important mission: find his son and bring him home.

Acclaimed writer Kyle Higgins (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Nightwing), artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Justice League vs Suicide Squad) and special consultant Jason David Frank (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series) present a powerful next chapter for Tommy Oliver, one of the most iconic Power Rangers in history.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2018

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snow and The South just don't mix. Drop 8-18 inches of snow and ice across the NC foothills and you get a mess. My teenager has been out of school for an entire week....and I've been cooped up inside. A bit stir crazy today....and desperately wanting something entertaining to read. *Bing* Email alert. A lovely email from Boom! Studios with a link to look at this new release graphic novel.

Power Rangers!

Oh yeah! The day got brighter! Got my hot tea.....a nice fluffy blanket to be comfy at my desk...and got ready to get my nerd on. :) I am not the comic book/graphic novel fan that my husband is....he knows every character, every artist, every writer.....I bow to his knowledge. I can't compete. But....I love graphic novels and comic books! The art is amazing. The story lines interesting. And the characters, plots, histories are always creative and fascinating. So I'm not reading this from an uber expert point of view....but just from the simple joy that the art and action hold for me.

The basics: Tommy Oliver has retired from the Power Rangers. He's feeling his age, but sometimes really misses The Old Days. Plus, he's having a bit of a mid-life crisis after getting downsized from his teaching job. Then his son JJ disappears. Tommy comes out of retirement to find his son and bring him home.

I absolutely loved this story! I will admit I have not followed much of the MMPR stuff since the 90s television show in the US, but even I know the origins of the Green Ranger. I read the RangerWiki to catch up on Tommy's story. Green....white....red.....he's quite the legendary character. I love how this story brings him back for a last adventure. I was glad to see that they consulted Jason David Frank to get the continuity for this legendary character right. But even for someone that never watched the MMPR show or read any of the graphic novels/comic books, this story can be a great stand alone story.

The artwork is fantastic. The story is exciting and action-packed (but it wouldn't really be the Power Rangers without lots of action). It really made me feel nostalgic for the days when I watched the television show with my son.

Great story for those who have loved the Power Rangers for decades and new fans alike!

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Great artwork and an awesome story. Tommy Oliver has been the longest serving member of the Power Rangers. Even leading multiple teams.

Now he has to face his most personal mission yet. Old and new enemies as well as allies. Has Tommy's past finally cought up with him. Can he rise to the challenge one more time?

Having Jason David Frank as a consultant on the book has made it better, but it would have been nice to maybe have in intro or a page for home to out his thoughts down. So far I have no idea what his contribution to the book was.

The book finishes with some of the sketches from the book and a preview of Boom's Power Rangers volume 1.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark Knight Returns saw an old Bruce Wayne picking up his cowl once more, Old-Man Logan was Wolverine's return...Soul of the Dragon attempts that same concept with Tommy Oliver. But like, why? His son is on the SPD force and goes missing in action so Tommy decides to bust out his old morphing coin to find his son...kind of. Cause the coin is broken and only lasts a minute or so. And Tommy's son isn't actually in danger. Like the actual interesting parts of the story are the ones glossed over and not the main plot points ever. I would have loved more about Scorpina and what she'd done...or like how the Ranger powers were being harnessed into the crystals being sold on the street as drugs...there was so much to explore. Instead we got Tommy moping about being old and reminicing on the old times. He wasn't even bad ass in the fights.

This wasn't awful, but I really just wanted more.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta é uma das melhores histórias em quadrinhos que li dos Power Rangers pela IndieVisível. Excetuando-se o primeiro volume de Go Go Power Rangers, que é sensacional, talvez Alma do Dragão seja o segundo quadrinho da franquia que mais gostei. Ele é uma espécie de Old Man Tommy Oliver, o personagem que mais esteve presente em numerosas versões dos Power Rangers. Ele precisa lidar com o seu filho que, aparentemente, virou a casaca e parou de servir à lei. Ele parece estar aliado a uma bruxa que ressurgiu no mundo. Mas nem tudo é como parece e algumas reviravoltas poderão surpreender os leitores. Nisso, Tommy passa por todas as suas versões enquanto um Power Ranger, bem como a capa prenuncia. O roteiro de Kyle Higgins é bem envolvente, mas a arte não me conquistou tanto, principalmente se compararmos com o que Dan Mora foi capaz em outros volumes da série. De toda forma, esse é um ótimo quadrinho para fãs de todas as fases dos Rangers.

[Michael Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting combination of Batman Beyond, Old Man Logan, and Power Rangers. What's not to like?

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tommy and Kat are married with a son and Tommy dons the armor (suit?) again?

10 year old me is screaming with joy.

Recommended 10+ for mild language and violence.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read that perhaps doesn't live up to the hype of being a Power Rangers equivalent of Old Man Logan.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite the Logan-meets-Power Rangers the concept promises, but, then, it's probably best that this book didn't go that dark. It's a fun tour through the life of Tommy Oliver and his last Morphin' Time.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommy Oliver hasn't been a Power Ranger in a long time. But when his son goes missing, Tommy will need all the power he can muster to defeat one of his oldest foes, rescue his family, and maybe work out just what life is worth living for in a post-Ranger world.

Kyle Higgins wrote what was basically the definitive Green Ranger comic in Shattered Grid, and this final Power Rangers story reads like his personal ending for his (and most people of a certain age's) favourite character. It's a little fan-fiction-y as Tommy cycles through all of his old Ranger powers in a mystery that's really pretty straight forward until the last third, but then the best comics always are - this is the kind of story that'll make Tommy fans squeal with delight I expect.

That said, it's a pretty brisk read (I clocked the entire thing in just over half an hour), and the art unfortunately gets progressively sketchier as the book goes on as if poor Guiseppe Cafaro was under some super tight deadlines by the time he got to the end. There's also a lot of time spent on just talking between Tommy and his new partner without actually saying anything, so this real estate could have been used in some better ways.

Overall though, this is a great little story that's hard to really fault. If you're a through and through Tommy fan, add an extra star on there for nostalgia's sake, if nothing else.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look my inherent geekness means I probably know more about Sentai shows than I should, and I generally hold a good deal of disdain for the Americanized version of said shows and stories. That doesn't mean that I don't have some knowledge of what has been aired in the U.S., and that played into this one and done novella.

I'm aware the Tommy Oliver character has spanned multiple series, and I saw a few episodes of SPD ( whose science fiction trappings, and alien characters gave me mild amusement). Those are both plot points here.

Because Tom Oliver is retiring as a teacher and as a Power Ranger. His son, JJ, is a SPD officer. Then said son goes missing.

Yeah, it's pretty much the standard cowboy's last ride before heading off into the sunset tale. But, it is well done and I think most would derive some enjoyment if they're looking for a quick read.

[Spayde · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Master Morphing Time!!!

The story follows Tommy Oliver, who is once again placed in the position where he must return to his role as a Power Ranger. Along the way, he encounters both new and old friends and enemies.

The comic, illustrated by Giuseppe Cafaro, is beautifully drawn, with lines reminiscent of the early Power Rangers illustrations in the BOOM Studios editions. Additionally, the story is crafted by the incredible Kyle Higgins, who has more than proven his skill with Power Rangers at BOOM Studios and with DC’s Nightwing.

Set in the near future, the story introduces us to Tommy Oliver, the legendary Ranger and one of the leaders of Mighty Morphing, Zeo, and Turbo, as well as a member of the Dino Thunder team, now in an unexpected situation. We soon learn that he is happily married to Katherine, also a former member of Mighty Morphing, Zeo, and Turbo teams. A series of events forces Tommy to return to his Power Ranger suit to find his missing son, JJ. Alongside his friends, Tommy has his faithful Master Morpher, which, like him, has a long history behind it, placing the burden on him to choose the right moments for "Morphing Time!" This leads to a small issue in the story, where, despite the Morpher’s deterioration and instability (with a coin fragment disintegrating after every transformation), Tommy continues to use it to transform. I would have liked the creator to put our hero to the test by making him unable to morph every time. I say “almost every time” because in the final battle, Tommy passes on his last transformation and coin to his son, showing that he’s accepted it’s time for the next generation of Rangers.

In conclusion, the story is highly engaging, even though it can be predictable at times. The illustrations are stunning. The comic can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the Power Rangers lore, but with it, it’s significantly more interesting. A treat for anyone who grew up with Power Rangers and a must-read nostalgia rollercoaster.

My rating: 4.5/5

[Rolando Marono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fui fan de los Power Rangers hasta la temporada de Samurais. Vi todas las temporadas y de todos los Rangers, mi personaje favorito siempre fue Tommy Oliver el Ranger Dragón Verde. Me encontré esta novela gráfica en Amazon a muy buen precio hace unos meses y al verificar que no necesitaba leer antes nada de Power Rangers de Boom Studios, decidí darle una oportunidad.
Algunos reviewers la comparaban con Old Man Logan de Marvel. Vemos a un Tommy mucho mayor, retirado y buscando a su hijo que fue secuestrado. Tommy tiene un Master Morpher que le permite alternar entre distintas monedas de poder, convirtiéndose en todas sus encarnaciones de Rangers anteriores, lamentablemente el morpher está roto y sólo puede convertirse en cada una de sus encarnaciones una última vez y sin escoger cuál será su transformación.
La premisa es interesante lamentablemente, la historia no es atractiva, a diferencia de Old Man Logan, no tenemos un mundo futurista y desolado, tenemos a Tommy buscando a JJ en el bajo mundo del crimen. Y el secreto sobre el pasado de Tommy que te mencionan en la parte de atrás es publicidad engañosa porque realmente no hay ningún secreto de Tommy.
Los diálogos son tediosos, largos y sobre explicativos.
Lo único que me emocionó fuer ver a Tommy encarnar a sus Rangers una última vez pero el factor emotivo de convertirse por última vez no es abordado ni desarrollado. Tommy parece indiferente ante el hecho de que esta será la última vez que se transforme.
Quizá esta novela un poco más larga hubiera podido desarrollar aspectos interesantes, lamentablemente no termina de agarrar forma.

[Paul Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was anxiously awaiting the release of this graphic novel. Not only is it an "old man Tommy" story, but it's also Kyle Higgins's final story from his run with the Power Rangers comics. Higgins really made Boom! Studios's comics excellent, taking a modern and more in depth look at the classic teenagers with attitude. I read the comics as they are released in graphic novel format so I still have more of Higgins's Shattered Grid to read.

This comic takes place in a near future where Tommy and Katherine are married with an adult son. He works with SPD and goes missing at the beginning of the comic. The future portrayed shows aliens on Earth as well as common space travel. It connects the world from the original Mighty Morphin series to SPD. It's futuristic, but grounded.

There are some excellent action sequences in this book featuring all of Tommy Oliver's ranger suits from over the years. There are some great cameos from characters from the original series. My favorite was Finster. The Witch is also a great reveal.

I really enjoyed this story. There was so much set up in this graphic novel that I hope Higgins gets a chance to follow up in some way. I wish Kat would have been utilized better. JJ ends the book in such an awesome space that I hope we get to see more of him. The story felt a little stunted. Higgins could have made many issues from this concept.

I give this graphic novel a 5/5. Kyle Higgins has a knack for story and style. I really hope he returns to Power Rangers storytelling in some way in the future.

[Allen Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 25th Anniversary Special from Power Rangers: Super Ninja Steel laid the groundwork for “Soul of the Dragon.” Dr. Tommy Oliver returned, and he brought his Master Morpher. Now he can shuffle through all five personas he ever donned: Green Mighty Morphin', White Mighty Morpin', Red Zeo, Red Turbo, and Black Dino Thunder.

The intrigue to “Soul of the Dragon” is that Old Man Tommy can dig into his entire Ranger closet. The cover has a nice display of all five of them. But there's a catch. Dr. O isn't the only one who's old. So are his Power Coins. Whenever a coin is used, it crumbles. Initially, I found this plot device rather cheap. But as it progressed, I understood the need for this. We were treated to an epic battle for each Power Coin, starting with the latest first.

Dr. Oliver is thrown a retirement party from the school he taught at in Dino Thunder. Later, he’s approached by Anara, who works with his son. J.J. is missing, so they go on an adventure to find him. She's an interesting match-up for our hero, but I was disappointed Mrs. Oliver didn't tag along. Kat is at his side for the retirement party. But she's whisked away to matters elsewhere.

This is Tommy's swan song. But there's hint that Tommy Jr could carry on his father's legacy.
A great shot even put J.J. in a Green Ranger suit ala the movie reboot.

[ST. JOSEPH'S DISCIPLE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty much the Old Man Logan equivalent of Power Rangers. One thing that I have always been so proud of in the Power Rangers comics is being able to tie in the storylines of the many seasons in the shows, into a cohesive world. Tommy is married to Kat, they live in the SPD world, and Tommy's son JJ. has gone missing. Little do we know, that JJ. is part of a secret undercover operation for SPD! This is super cool. But thematically, I got a lot out of it. Themes of legacy, passing of "the torch" to the next generation are so clear here. Tommy is getting old, and in the end he is still human. One piece of dialogue that stood out to me the most was when Anara was talking to Tommy about how just our parents being who they are affects who our children are. Whether we notice it or not. And that got to me.

Another cool thing is that Tommy has a Master Morpher! He can cycle through the different powers, but it is busted up and so it eats away from the power coins the more he uses it. It's kind of like that episode in In Space when Adam was going to use his Mastodon morpher to help Carlos.

All in all, this was a very good "sending off" of Tommy Oliver by Kyle Higgins. Great work!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esto pareció ser otro intento de Dark Knight Returns, sin embargo hay varias diferencias. Aquí el futuro no es distópico y pesimista. Me gustó que los Power Rangers actuales en esta línea temporal son los SPD y Tommy está retirado.

Tommy es el mismo que recuerdo. tanto el muchacho arriesgado de la primera temporada de la serie con el sabio mentor de los Dino Trueno. El personaje secundario Anara fue regular, pero me molestaba que tenía respuestas para todo lo que sufre Tommy en lo emocional, para eso hubiera preferido más interacciones con su esposa.

Es un cuento sobre familia y sobre pasar el manto y saber cuándo retirarse para dar paso a nuevas generaciones. Las referencias al pasado fueron bien establecidas en la historia. Se ve que Higgins hizo su investigación o simplemente creció con la serie.

Visualmente excelente. Los dibujos son expresivos y el uso de colores ayuda a darle vida a las secuencias y a los paneles donde predomina la actuación.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I was hoping, but still cool. There was virtually no connections to MMPR era continuity outside of a handful of mentions, and I don't know the later SPD era that they did reference. Still, I appreciated the idea that the whole Power Rangers timeline exists together and stuff. Tommy wasn't too much of a character, and he spent precious little time morphed, which was probably the biggest disappointment here, that we were denied him as the Green Ranger at the end. It was supposed to be about him passing the torch I guess, but the book seemed designed to build to that moment, we all wanted it, but didn't get it. Oh well. The art was decent, with pretty good coloring. A highlight was the scene with a reformed Finster. That was quite cool. So yeah, not the great sendoff for Tommy I was hoping for, but not too bad either.

[Jay Hobbies · Rating 4 out of 5]

seeing this novel pickup after revealing Tommy Oliver's master Morpher was brilliant. it was very well done. I love the concept of every time he morphed he lost a power due to the damage. it was good seeing that Tommy still wishes to continue fighting even though he can't anymore. I enjoyed that this universe still keeps up with timeline of SPD and I enjoyed seeing that his son is also part of SPD as well. I enjoyed this novel a lot from the art to seeing the old rancher suits. it was fantastic. the only thing that I heard it in my opinion was the big fight I know seeing Tommy's son pick up warfarin turn into his father's first ever transformation was good but not for me. overall four out of five for me

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great Tommy Oliver story as it features him returning to be a Power Ranger despite his old age and his numerous injuries. The plot is basically if the movie Taken had Power Rangers and I do like the idea that his Morpher is so damaged that each time he uses one of his powers it is lost forever. We also see him having to take longer to recover from each battle which is a nice touch since he has been in hundreds of battles so his body is not in the best condition. I also like that we do get some more on SPD and get confirmation of who he ended up with which is something a lot of fans have been demanding for years.

[Eadrinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows real fans of this series aren’t kids, they’re the 30 somethings that grew up with the show and are now sharing it with their own kids. This comic is a fan service for all the years this show has inexplicably kept its diehard fan base.

I’m personally very happy to see works in the PR fandom geared towards this older audience. Soul of the Dragon acknowledges the years that have passed and how characters have evolved. Tommy has his battle scars and his wisdom from his experience as both man and ranger.

No work like this is perfect, but the plot was pretty good, there are plenty of old friends to revisit, and I finished with a fulfilling amount of nostalgia.

[Philmore Olazo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart move to show the Master Morpher in the series before publishing this comic book.

Tommy is retired but must come back to action when his son is reported missing from a secret mission for SPD.

It’s great to see Tommy again, and with the obvious romantic choice, not Kim. Now we see him in another light, as a father looking to protect his son, even if it means putting his own life in danger.

All the callbacks to Power Rangers history are amazing and the villain is just a big love letter to a legendary scrapped fan pitch for the series.

Only negative point is with his partner for the story, a very boring SPD cadete with less personality than a Putty.

[Jenni Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my personal items I'm happy to own. Jason David Frank made so many people childhoods amazing and from what I've been told by the friends I know who were lucky to meet him at conventions he was a kind man and always there for fans. That being said I enjoyed this book because I got it before his death and I felt it closed the door on Tommy Oliver Story in respectful way and it's made even sadder with JDF passing so please even if you aren't a original fan you can still enjoy this along with Shattered Grid.

[Simeon Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully done final story for Tommy that does some enjoyable fan fic-y integration of the main PR timeline, the likes of which I have not seen since Forever Red, and works really well as Higgins' final say on the character and the PRU. Art is fairly well done, though faces can seem a bit too mushy at points. This is definitely something I would recommend any PR fan go out and read as soon as possible.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tommy Oliver is retiring from his job as a teacher, and it has been a while since he was a Power Ranger. His son, JJ, has joined SPD. But when JJ goes missing, Tommy will have to use all of his powers, from his days as the Green, White, Red, and Black Ranger, to find him and stop the new evil that is approaching.

Tommy Oliver is the ultimate Ranger, and is definitely my favorite. I really enjoyed this look into Tommy's life after the Power Rangers and how a legend can never really die.

[Avani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Green. White. Red. Black.

Long live Tommy Oliver.

I wrote that on my FB feed over a decade ago, and by golly, I stand by it.

I read this after a tiring day at work and it was so much fun! Featuring some of my favourite Power Rangers, Tommy Oliver, Kat Hillard, and Sky Tate, it was just really cool to see where they all ended up. The hints at their past and intervening battles, the excitement of a good Power Rangers story, the delightful artwork, just - *chef's kiss* mwah.

Absolutely worth every one of those five stars.

[Jay Faloon · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I am a huge power rangers ran and getting to read anything involving Tommy Oliver I will read it. I really enjoyed this graphic novel, boom studios have outdown themselves with the art and the characters. However I was a little disappointed with the huge fight at the end it was kind of a let down.

But I will recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Tommy Oliver and the power rangers.

[Eddie Possehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been on such a Rangers kick lately and this was such a fun read to quench that thirst. The Dark Knight Returns of Power Rangers is the best way to describe this one and it serves as a pretty good finale to Tommy’s time as a Ranger and is a heartwarming read post-JDF’s death. I wish there was more here but I guess that isn’t a horrible downside to a story—still a downside, though. Man, I need to read more Rangers comics.

[Hew La France · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this story. Everyone loves seeing Rangers come back in future seasons of the show to see where they are now, and this story sort of felt like those appearances. And Kyle Higgins took extra care to make sure it fit the show's 25 years of continuity really well. Overall, this was an excellent Swansong for Tommy Oliver. Highly recommend it for Ranger fans.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-executed example of the "retired hero saves family" subgenre, although the underlying plot was was weak and generic. Don't people provide some sort of cover story for cops going undercover so their rl people don't freak out? And wouldn't you be especially sure to do this if you knew the cop's dad was a Power Ranger who still had their power-y stuff? This was dumb.

[Tyson Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this after Jason David Frank passed. This book is a great tribute to him and a great treat to long time ranger fans. There are a fair amount of callbacks for OG fans. It is a solid story, that serves its purpose to tell one last Tommy Oliver story.

The book also answers what happened to Scorpia from MMPR.