Power Rangers: Sins of the Future

Power Rangers: Non-Canon Standalone Books

by Matthew Erman, Trey Moore

Time Force Pink Ranger Jen Scotts and Red Ranger Wes Collins have defeated their greatest enemy, discover their love may threaten all of time - but can they find a way to survive a shocking new threat and find their way back to each other?

A LOVE THAT CROSSES ALL OF TIME & SPACE After defeating the villainous Ransik along with their allies in the time-traveling Time Force, Pink Ranger Jen Scotts and Red Ranger Wes Collins want to try for a real relationship. But without sacrificing their commitments to the Silver Guardians and Time Force, can the two actually make the ultimate long-distance relationship work? But when Jen returns from the future, she and Wes are attacked by a mysterious stranger who has dire news - if these two stay together, they’ll disrupt the timeline and change the destiny of humanity! The shocking identity of their accuser sets them on a collision path with an enemy they never expected. Can Jen and Wes survive the threats to their pasts, presents and futures? Or will their love be the end of all time as they know it? Trey Moore (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Matthew Erman (Bonding) and Giuseppe Cafaro (Saban’s Power Rangers: Soul of The Dragon) present an all-new graphic novel set after the events of the hit Power Rangers: Time Force television series featuring two of the most popular Rangers of all time!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Superheroes

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2020

About the author

Matthew Erman is a writer from Columbus, Ohio. Erman is known for his unique storytelling style which often blends humor and heart with the surreal and sometimes disturbing. He co-created the critically acclaimed horror series, "Long Lost,” and the roadtrip fantasy "Witchblood" with his wife, Lisa Sterle as well as being the sole creator for the sci-fi coming-of-age graphic novel “Bonding”. Erman also has written for popular properties such as Power Rangers and The Dark Crystal and has upcoming comics with Mad Cave Studios, IDW, and more.


You can find him online at www.matthewerman.com or in-line at your local Arby’s.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good read!

I actually just re-watched this season (I’m watching the franchise through with my partner) so it was good timing. The story was interesting and had a couple of good twists. It was great to see how Wes and Jen continue after the season ended. I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t more of the other Time Force Rangers though. It also seems to be attempting to bridge Time Force and Hyper Force, but I thought that could’ve been a little better. Overall a pretty good read and fun.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty dismissive of Boom!'s licensed title until I started seeing the reviews posted, and it started my mind thinking that maybe I should try this (which I did starting with the Shattered Grid story line).

This novella goes back to another version of the Americanized Sentai television show, the Time Force rangers. I hadn't watched the show, and the thing with licensed characters you can't play with them too much as a writer. So points for emphasizing one relationship, time travel paradoxes and using side characters and villains well.

A great read, nope. A nice diversion on a Sunday evening, yes.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jen & Wes have got to be one of the better, if not the best, love stories in Power Rangers, mostly because the show very rarely leans into its romantic relationships anyway. When they were separated at the end of Time Force is one of the few times that I actually teared up while watching through the show, so I'm glad Sins Of The Future exists to show that they weren't just left in the lurch and could still find some way to make their relationship work.

Of course, that all goes wrong here when Jen finds herself adrift in the time stream and chased by a mysterious Black Time Force Ranger. The story gets a little full of itself as it plays fast and loose with continuity (since time's falling apart, it gets a pass), but the heart and soul of it all is Jen and her dedication to both Time Force and to Wes. It's fun to revisit the rest of the characters too, who all show up in some capacity, and the ultimate 'villain' of the piece is a nice callback to one of the stronger Time Force plotlines well. Plus it's got a soppy happy ending that made me smile too.

Giuseppe Cafaro's artwork is alternatively superb and super rushed depending on the page. The battle scenes get a pass because it helps them feel a bit more frenetic, but I'd prefer the refined style of some of the earlier pages and the ending to the insanity of the middle any day.

Time Force is one of my favourite Power Rangers series, and I'm glad to report that Sins Of The Future is a nice addition to that canon. It's not perfect, and it could do with a bit more polish, but just seeing these characters again and being treated properly is enough to give this high praise.

[Tito Mejia Martinez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love time force and I wanted to love this but God this was confusing. I might reread it and maybe I would like it more than but as my first read, this was crazy. It did have some good parts and I liked the art but the time-traveling and versions of people are too much to keep up imo.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Power Rangers. I love Power Rangers Time Force. I love Jen and Wes. Time Force is among my top 3 favorite seasons of Power Rangers. But this was honestly a let down for me.

First off, this was very confusing. There were a lot of ideas being thrown around in terms of time travel, and I maybe understood 50% of it. And that's with me consuming tons of time travel content in my life (Doctor Who, Life is Strange, Back to the Future, Endgame, etc.) It was especially hard to determine when in the timeline events were happening, what characters were from when, and why events happened and how the paradox occurs and is fixed... just confusion abound.

Second off, one of the main characters who is introduced in this graphic novel made me feel icky. Stop reading till the line break if you don't want spoilers. Anyway, I don't mind the idea of a Black Time Force Ranger, I just don't like that she is Alex's sister. I mean, we know Alex and Jen dated in the show. The new character Cyra looks exactly like Jen. So... um... WHY. Is Alex attracted to his sister? I mean, Jen and Cyra look the same. Exactly the same. And yeah, Cyra is young when Alex dies. And that's another thing! How did Alex come back to life, and different to his original person. I thought the Time Force EMT's saved his life after Jen and the others went back to the past! That whole section makes zero sense. Is Alex evil now or did he die again? Ai-yi-yi.

Finally, the thing that disappoints me the most is the fact that this has ZERO romance. I thought this was a continuation of Jen AND Wes' love story or at least their relationship. Wes is on the cover and advertised as a main character. Wes is hardly in it. NADIRA has more to do in this than Wes. Like what the crap man. The headline on the back proclaims "A LOVE that crosses time and space." WHERE IS THE LOVE AND ROMANCE? (They didn't even kiss in the end for feck's sake.)

I know I'm probably expecting too much. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with advertising miscommunication. The book is more likely to sell if it's sold as a Jen/Wes story considering they're the most shipped couple in the PR fandom. However, they should've said up front that this was a Jen story. I would've enjoyed it slightly more if I'd have known what I was paying for.

Also, just to say it, no hate whatsoever to the author/publishers of these graphic novels. I'm so happy to be getting this Power Rangers content, even if it's not my cup of tea. The drawings were fantastic and I am happy that it exists because that just means the characters live on is some capacity. This just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Schen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought myself a copy of “Sins of the Future” as a Christmas gift. Eagerly waited for it to arrive, but now that it has and I’ve read it, I’m disappointed. It was too complicated, tried to do too much, had too many improperly-foreshadowed plot twists and didn’t give enough space for its plot or the new characters to develop. In that sense it felt like a bad, overambitious fanfic. Worst of all, it didn’t even satisfactorily resolve the problem it was meant to address, i.e. how Wes and Jen’s relationship ends. Will do this review with only minor spoilers.

Unnecessary references to other seasons – this comic was trying too hard. I did not like the “origin story” for a mentor from another season. It added nothing to that mentor nor to this story’s plot or characters. Similarly, it was completely unnecessary for a sidekick from another season to show up. Especially the job that sidekick was performing in the ending scene – is that sidekick now nothing more than a waiter? Also, two characters made references to an unimpressive Disney-era season. I can forgive the one by Jen as being something she might actually say, but the other reference has no in-universe justification.

Lousy resolution of Wes and Jen’s romance – this comic had one job. Even before the plot began, I was wondering – why did Time Force allow Jen to come back for short jaunts? The show made it seem like time travel was something rarely undertaken and only for major missions. Why would Jen be in tears during the show’s finale if officers could come back for short trips? Even if Time Force has changed its policies since the show’s finale, it weakens the “star-crossed lovers” dilemma if she can still visit frequently. But the ending was worse. Is that the comic’s proposed solution? That Wes and Jen should carry on their relationship only in the way shown in the last scene? How can that possibly be sustainable, who would want to have a relationship that way? What a cop-out – now nobody has to make any difficult decisions. I would rather keep the ambiguous ending from Reinforcements from the Future, where we don’t know what Jen decided.

Plot didn’t make sense – it started going downhill after the new Ranger’s identity was revealed. Up till then, they were building up the new Ranger’s power and anger at Jen. Suddenly all that is resolved in a flash, and we get new allies, a new mysterious villain and new mysterious location. From that point on I was just trying to keep up with the story, rather than understanding the characters or the plot. It moved too fast for the story to have weight. (Also, even after the reveal, I didn’t understand why the new Ranger would be angry at Jen. Didn’t Jen suffer the same loss that she did?)

Other nitpicks
- Eric is one of my favourite characters in Power Rangers (not Time Force, all-time). He could have done a lot more than just threaten some Cyclobots and offer Wes a shoulder to cry on. But I can probably count the number of lines he spoke on the fingers of one hand. No updates on him and Taylor? (We learned more about Katie's personal life than Eric's.) Or even anyone in 3000 remembering that they have two Rangers, not one, still in 2001?
- An unmorphed Jen can punch in a Ranger’s helmet? What are they making helmets out of nowadays? Even better, an unmorphed Jen can withstand simultaneous jump kicks from two morphed Rangers and still be alive?
- A new villain’s name is lame and not intimidating. It sounds like breakfast cereal.
- When did Jen’s two allies come from? How are they still alive?
- Did the “chronal skips” serve any purpose other than providing cool backdrops for fights?

2/5 stars. Would be one star, but I added a star for nice character moments at the beginning. I particularly liked Wes and Jen’s banter about their other three team mates.

[Christian Wermeskerch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last night was my second time reading through this graphic novel...and I’m still not sure I get it, honestly.

Look, I like Time Force almost as much as the next Rangers fan - it’s easily a top ten series. Probably close to top 5, if it’s not top 5. Wes and Jen’s relationship was the best part of TF (if only because Katie, Trip, and Lucas didn’t get a ton to do), so I was excited to see more of them. I was even excited to see more of HyperForce, even though I’m not terribly familiar there.

But I’m not sure this GN scratched any of those itches. The story is hard to follow, maybe because it never gives me a solid enough ground to stand on and catch my footing. I *think* I know what happens, but it uses a lot of paradoxes, so...that automatically makes it really hard to follow. It also relies a lot on reveals, but not necessary substantive ones, but “wouldn’t it be interesting if…” types.

I’m also not entirely sure it got the character beats right. Time Force Black was a great addition, and I’d like to see her again, if Boom! gives us more HyperForce or Time Force material. But there are some truly odd moments for Jen that come out of nowhere, and Wes is written way too much as a himbo to feel like the Wes we love. Other characters appear as...people we don’t really know, because they come from other parts of the time line.

Also, ugh, the Easter eggs. There’s one that just yanked me right out of the story, and I *know* the author was trying to be cute, so I really wish I liked it. (The other related one, his reference to Operation: Overdrive? Great, I am always happy to see an undercooked but underappreciated series get some love.) But I do like that these, and the way that the comic weaves in some dense Time Force lore, show that the author knows PR well enough to craft an interesting story by wringing out as much from the show as possible.

In the end, this is a pretty entertaining, if not somewhat confusing and underwhelming read. I have yet to be blown away by one of the Ranger stand alone graphic novels yet (Soul of the Dragon was good enough, but Psycho Path seems utterly repetitive and OOC on a lot of fronts). Sins of the Future, as a direct sequel to the Time Force/Wild Force crossover, is a step in the right direction in lieu of a regular ongoing. (And, not to mention, a story from outside MMPR!) I’d just love to see this energy turned to smaller stories that fit the medium better, grappling both with the allotted amount of pages (by editing a few elements out) and the existing material (like this one does).

[Rachel Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I missed the boat on Power Rangers Time Force by a few years so when I was introduced to this graphic novel by my spouse, the gorgeous cover and the blurb were enough to pique my curiosity- enough that I finished the novel in one evening.

Despite the seemingly impossible time difference between the two, Time Force Pink Ranger Jen & Time Force Red Ranger Wes find themselves balancing young love & saving the world from time-traveling mutant criminals. At some point along the journey, Time Force Pink gets called up for a command position, and bummer, wouldn't you know that would cut down on their already short dates? Only the command position was a misunderstanding and Jen finds herself faced with the heartbreaking task of breaking up with Wes so she can devote her time to experimental training with the Time Force.

I loved the setup at the beginning of young love before we get to what really kicks off the action of the story. Gosh, to get through fighting & defeating Ransik and finally fall in love only for your job to tell you to call it off so you can work more? Those panels have to be one of the hardest breakups I've had to read across all the comics & sci-fi/fantasy I read; I wanted Jen & Wes to have their happily-ever-after, dangit! And then for the break-up to get interrupted by Time Force Black wanting to delete Jen from existence for mucking up the timeline? The conflict was delicious and I loved every moment of it but I had to know what happened to Wes & Jen!

I think what Erman & Cafaro also did with exploring how Time Force Black Ranger Cyra came into possession of the Black Chrono Morpher. Exploring the consequences of the science behind time travel and what happened to the timelines because of Jen really made me feel for what all Cyra went through with the death of her brother. Cyra learning to accept her past and enjoy her memories of her brother but remembering to keep moving forward really spoke to me and seeing older Cyra and Jen reconcile easily was another of my favorite panels in the novel.

Excellent storytelling, gorgeous artwork, and the action I know & love from Power Rangers... 10/10, will read again!

[Paul Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying these standalone graphic novels BOOM! is putting out that feature rangers from seasons other than Mighty Morphin'. This story focuses on Time Force, and more specifically Jen Scotts. If you're familiar with the original Power Rangers Time Force tv series, that's all you need to know going into this book. If you've seen Hyperforce then you'll get a LOT of great references, though. If you're only familiar with the original series or only the comic books, you won't be too familiar with the characters but I think you'd still enjoy this story.

Seeing the characters post-tv series is a lot of fun. Nadira is featured, in a different role than usual. There's a newly introduced ranger. Aplha-55 makes a cameo!

The time travel logic in this book is confusing, but I feel like it tried to bring logic to a tv show that didn't even try to make sense when it came to time travel. I really like Outpost One and I hope it comes back into play in future comics (or more)!

I'm not as familiar with this season so I wanted more and more Hyperforce references. I'm still hoping for some incarnation of Hyperforce Season 2. I liked the characters in this book, but there's way too much exposition. I hope this story has ramifications for the whole multiverse.

There are some really great panels in this book, but overall I didn't enjoy the art style. It's too sketchy and not full of bold and bright colors that I'm used to the ongoing comics doing so well. I give this book a 4.5/5. I want to see more standalone graphic novels from other popular series or featuring popular characters, but this one wasn't my favorite.

[Stian André · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very confusing. Time Force is one of my top 3 PR series, so I was very excited to return to this universe. However, the story got very confusing and it was hard for me to keep up with what characters came from what timeline and what events occured when. The reveal of the black ranger's identity was kind of disappointing cause it was a character we never met before. The reveal of Frix as well was a bummer as I had hoped a villain from the original timeline would be behind it all. I have lots to say about this, but my main gripe is that it was confusing and the story felt very rushed towards the end. I still don't get the whole thing with Alex dying. Didn't he come back to life in the original series? Why is he suddenly dead again?

It's such a shame cause I REALLY wanted to like this, as Time Force is such an incredible concept and story by itself. Maybe I set myself up for being too hyped. Still, I would love to see more from the Time Force universe. I get what they tried to do here, and I really do appreciate the effort, but to me it really didn't live up to my expectations from the original story.

PROS:
- Nadira and Ransik now working with Time Force/Hyperforce in the future was a nice twist
- The build up in the first half
- Seeing old characters in a new story

CONS:
- Confusing af
- The lack of inclusion of the other rangers and Wes himself
- The reveals felt lackluster
- Rushed story with too many things going on at once
- The ending didn't feel as well planned out as it should've been

[Eqra Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first half, the pacing was good, and it was nice to see how Jen and Wes try to make a relationship with a 900 year time difference work. This plus Jens internal dilemma made the story look really promising. However, as soon as the fight between Jen and the black ranger began, everything became so confusing so fast. I feel like the second half of the story needed to better clarify what exactly was going on.

I know it was Jen’s story, but I wish we got to see the other rangers more. Especially Wes, he doesn’t play a huge role at all other than ‘boyfriend’ for Jen which is a shame since in the show, he and Jen are on equal footing and their both capable leaders. Instead of having him and his team just disappear, it would be nice if he and maybe Eric helped with the final battle.

But I am soo happy about Wes and Jens relationship having a happy ending, the show was so bittersweet and I’ve been upset about it for years. It’s nice to get some closure and see the two be able to make things work.

[Philmore Olazo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now I hesitated to talk about this one because of two things.

First is that I liked all of the worldbuilding of the series, second is that I really didn't like the story from begging to end.

The story was first sold as the problems with time that were caused by the relation between Jen and Wes (which being honest it would cause a catastrophe eventually) but it ended up being a story about Jen and Alex's secret sister whom we never knew of until now.

It has a ton of problems, it has an interesting premise, but the characters are not used enough to make it cool, we spend time with total randos and they are never intriguing.... Just meh at the end.

I mean I like that they make a reference to Hyperforce and all. But really... Not even as a fan I enjoy this.

[Taryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two and a half stars.

Seems more like a set-up for something that has nothing to do with Time Force (Hyperforce, maybe? Not sure).

Jen, Nadira, and a new character who was never mentioned, ever, on the show dominate the pages. Wes and Eric get a tiny amount of page time, the other Rangers even less. The story seems unnecessary and confusing. The art isn't my cup of tea. No one looks how they're supposed to. Jen looks like an old, haggard lady.

Give me Reinforcements from the Future or Time for Lightspeed over this.

[Eadrinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wes and Jen are the PR power couple, but as much as I wanted to love this graphic novel, I didn’t. Time Force is arguably the best Ranger series, but this captured little of that charm. Wes feels a bit dumb and Jen doesn’t recognize the sister of a man she was going to marry? It just feels like the plot was meant to go places it didn’t.

I feel like the story would have been better served going forward in time like Soul of the Dragon. The story was just starting to feel right when I hit the last page.

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

Time Force is one of, if not, the best Power Rangers season there is. It was an honor to come back to this world and see how Jen and Wes's relationship keeps up even through spans of time. I even caught the HyperForce easter egg right in the beginning! It was good to see Jen and the introduction of a new Ranger. Now that the Ranger Universe is being fleshed out, it is so good to see more and more lore being poured out/connected. Good read.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about the Time Force rangers and I do like we focus on Jen after the original series. We see her trying to maintain a impossible relationship with Wes as they continue to date. We get a really cool mystery as we dive into how the Time Force Rangers were created. And while we do not get much more about the other rangers besides Wes and Jen which is a little disappointing. It is still a nice time travel mystery story which does mean it is a little confusing but still pretty good.

[Shea Bartlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit, I read this out of nostalgia. Although I was a MMPR kid, Time Force had a special place in my heart, as did the Jen/Wes ship. How could I pass this comic up?

Overall, I did really enjoy it. It was a nice walk down memory lane and the art was stunning. That said, the story felt a bit weak at times, and I wanted to see more Wes and the other rangers.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will never question how a relationship between Wes and Jen would work with 3000 years of time between them. Because apparently, it leads to all kinds of crazy things. So it works on the show because 'reasons', and we're going to stick with that.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jen from Time Force is one of my favorite Power Ranger characters. I am glad she got a moment to shine in this one.

I also enjoyed how it wrapped up all the loose ends from the Time Force series.

Highly recommended read.

[Baila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing storyline

It was a confusing story line, but overall it was a good comic book . definitely could have used more Wes

[Riomaré · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wes and Jen deserved this from the begining, its sad to know that the franquise couldn't make they a real couple, with a real kiss, but thank you PR comics, it is so awesome to see our favorite caracters with a happy ending.

[Ryan Permison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as close as we’re gonna get to Time Force season 2 and it was really good to see everyone return. Hope to see more TF stories in the future. Check it out if you’re a Power Rangers fan.