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Preface
We interrupt your regularly scheduled mediocre comic reviews to have a quick chat about finales. Now while we have no definite clue on what issue this story arc will actually end on, I’ve been proven wrong the last time I guessed it, this part of the story as well as last gives the familiar feeling of an ending story arc in a tokusatsu series, especially Power Rangers.
It does have all the trade marks. Villains enacted their plan they may have built up since the series began. The rangers in a hopeless situation with the utilization of their zords not in the cards. And all hope seems to be lost in the wake of this oppressive onslaught with stakes raised to the highest it’s been. It’s these familiar aspects that we can all recognize from various seasons.
I doubt that this series is any near close to finishing up but it does evoke the same kind of reaction. While there isn’t an air of finality to the story it does
The Story
We open on a pretty effective series of opening pages that perfectly encapsulate the mood for the issue and shows just how screwed the rangers are. Rita has made no time in making the command center here new throne room. The image of here with a decapitated Alpha head was a pretty intense sight for me. Sure, in the series we’ve seen Rita, with Zedd’s help, destroy the command center but here it has a different weight to it all.
She hasn’t just wrecked the ranger’s base and home, she’s conquered it. Almost every resource they had is now hers. Throughout this series Rita has been especially competent so her having gone this far is more believable to me than Divatox having done so in Turbo. Thinking back on her own the most victorious she’s been was with the Green Ranger and Cyclopses plots and even then they weren’t as completely devastating as this one.
Billy is seen in the dark dimension with Goldar, who’s acting even more ominous than usual. It does make me scared something might happen to Billy given Goldar’s ominous warning. Hopefully it won’t be anything long lasting if at all.
The rangers are trying to recoup from their loss but things aren’t exactly going great for them. The blocking of their powers are still in effect and despite Trini’s attempt only Billy can get around it. I am pretty curious about how this interference was enacted and its connection with the Black Dragon.
Oh Tommy and Kimberly, your interaction was a highlight in this chapter for me, if I do say so. I don’t need them offering declarations of their love, yet, at this time but just having them have a candid talk with each other and being real is more than enough. She doesn’t let him dwell in his pity party and seems to lift him up some, with her trademark wit to boot.
Back with the others having concluded they need Billy they hatch up a plan to get to the moon base and rescue him. How do they plan to do this?
HFS! HFS! The Dragonzord is space bound, it can fly and it can fly in space! This is so freakin’ awesome I can’t even I can only odd!
Now that that outburst is out of the way let’s continue. Jason and Tommy man the zord and lay out an assault on the moon base in order to rescue Billy. Things actually go pretty well for them at the start but when the Black Dragon comes in things are tipped back in the villain’s favor.
Technical Aspects
Oh yeah, now this is a cover I’m really feeling, people. If we’re still going under the idea that someone would look at this without any knowledge of the series (Although with issue 7 that isn’t an excuse) it would totally entice people to take a peak. The imagery of the ranger’s own zords turned against them is a harrowing image. While that doesn’t technically happen, it is still a good visual. Also, the detail of the five core members being de-morphed while Tommy still ranger ready was not unnoticed and very appreciated.
Dear Zordon in the Great Beyond
When were you planning on telling us that the Dragonzord could fly into space?
I have to hand props to Rita for having gun turrets on her castle for defense. Nice!