Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo will receive some visitors from the future in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Usagi Yojimbo, a one-shot coming from BOOM! Studios and Dark Horse Comics in September.
The time-displaced tale will be told by writer Ryan Parrott, artist Shawn Daley and colorist James Fenner.
“I think one of the most exciting elements of comics is the unexpected crossover, so when BOOM! Studios asked me if I was interested in pairing the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Usagi Yojimbo, I didn’t hesitate,” said Parrott, a veteran of the Power Rangers franchise. “I’ve been a fan of Stan Sakai’s work and the epic story he’s been telling my whole life, so it was a true honor to get to step into that world and play with those characters. Plus, the moment I saw Shawn Daley’s artwork, I knew this had the potential to be an insanely fun, one of a kind ride that hopefully both Ranger and Samurai fans will enjoy.”
Although it doesn’t appear that Sakai is involved with creating the comic (except for a variant cover), he did endorse it in the press release:
“I’m really excited with Usagi’s crossover with the Power Rangers,” Sakai said. “This is the first time Usagi has teamed up with real superheroes (that do not have shells)! It’s a great story with fantastic art!”
Here’s what to expect from this history-making crossover:
During a routine Rita Repulsa attack, the Rangers’ morphers do something unexpected…by hurling them back to the Edo era of Japan!
Upon arriving at their historic destination, the mysterious Ogasawara begs the Rangers for their help. But the enemy they face isn’t what they were expecting…and our band of heroes will have to face a painful revelation if they want to save the day and return home.
“Some characters feel destined to cross paths, and I hadn’t realized how much I needed this team-up until I was asked to help bring it to life,” Daley said. “Stan Sakai’s legendary work was a formative introduction to comics for me, and as a lifelong fan of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the combination hits hard. That’s in no small part to Ryan’s incredibly fun script, which has been a privilege to draw. I also got to use my original Power Rangers figures for reference material–an artist’s dream come true!”
Here’s a look at the variant covers for the first issue, including one by Sakai, as well as covers by Jared Cullum, Goñi Montes and Takeshi Miyazawa:
The one-shot will arrive in stores Sept. 25.