Writers Brenden Fletcher and Kelly Thompson have teamed up to bring the adventures of Kimberly Hart, aka the Pink Power Ranger, to BOOM! in a new six-issue mini-series. We chatted with Fletcher before the series debuts on Wednesday, June 1.
NERDSPAN: If the first issue is any indication, this series is going to be a wild ride. What can we expect from Pink?
FLETCHER: You can expect the trappings of the Power Rangers universe in a wholly new type of story focused on one of the most compelling characters in Rangers mythology!
Consider this series Volume 1 of the Further Adventures of Kimberly Hart, the former Pink Ranger of the original Mighty Morphin crew. Kim left the team to pursue her dreams and we find her having, for the most part, succeeded in what she set out to do. She’s a little older and wiser now and suddenly in a situation where she has to save the lives of those she loves without having the benefit of the Ranger powers she left behind in Angel Grove. What kind of hero is Kim when she’s not a part of the Ranger team?
NERDSPAN: Is Pink a series more for new fans, old fans or all fans of the Rangers?
FLETCHER: My co-writer Kelly Thompson and I have tried to put together a story that’s tightly tied to the continuity of the TV series but is also super-accessible to new readers. We both know what it’s like trying to get into a new book and not being able to understand the world or timeline at play. We’ve made every effort to make Pink a fun series for everyone to read. That said, if you know your Mighty Morphin episodes, I think you’re going to find some answers to long-asked questions.
NERDSPAN: Is Kim getting any help from her friends (apart from Zordon) or is she on her own in this one?
FLETCHER: Kim is on her own in the sense that she doesn’t enter into this adventure with a team. Along the way she’ll definitely meet people who will become her allies. She might even be able to convince some familiar faces to lend a hand every now and then. 😉
NERDSPAN: Did you make a conscious effort to give us, for lack of a better term, normal Kim in equal doses as Ranger Kim or did that happen organically?
FLETCHER: I can’t be completely clear in my answer here without spoiling some of the surprises we have in store but what I can tell you is that Kelly and I are always trying to find the perfect balance of action and character-building scenes for every issue. There’s a lot of action in our first issue but in the moments between, I hope you get a feeling for the type of woman Kim has grown into during her time away from the Mighty Morphin team.
NERDSPAN: You’re renowned for your strong female leads. How does Kim compare to characters like Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon?
FLETCHER: Renowned?! Gosh, I’m BLUSHING over here. STOP IT! 😀
What all these ladies have in common is a strong sense of self. As Barbara Gordon forged her own path in Batgirl and Dinah Lance in Black Canary, Kim saw a future for herself that wasn’t defined by the family and friends—and teammates—around her. That’s a tough decision to make, to just walk away from everything that’s certain in your life for an opportunity to create something new. Took a lot of guts for Kim to leave the Rangers. And it takes a lot of guts to be a hero again now, without her Ranger power. But that’s something else she has in common with Batgirl and Black Canary: with or without a spandex costume and despite the adversity she faces, Kim will always rise to be the hero we know her to be.
