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Preface
If you’ve been following comic news lately, you’d know that this issue apparently has a “an important, all-new addition to the Power Rangers mythos.” I’m writing this introduction before I read the comic so I have no idea what this new “addition” could be.
“Squadron Rangers” / Dairangers are given a backstory and a proper introduction? Rita’s motivations for taking over the world are actually selfless ones? Zordon’s pregnant?
Who knows? Let’s find out.
The Cover
To be honest, if I were a new comic book reader to the series, I wouldn’t think that this cover had anything to do with the series. I would just think it’s one of the many variant covers this series has. *cough* too many *cough*.
As for the actual cover, it’s just ok. Nothing really that special. It’s just the main eco Rangers posing in midair as they’re about to attack what looks like a Gundam robot from a distance. (Also, this isn’t how it happens in the comic since Billy doesn’t even morph in this issue. He’s just here to make the comic look “prettier”). That said though, the Dragonzord coin and sky in the background is beautiful.
Actually, with this cover, this issue’s the closest thing we have to a Christmas themed comic….. Hm…..
The Story
Twas a couple of minutes before Doomsday as military forces all around the world were racing to open the zords as Rita watches over them like a hawk.
Finally, time ends and the zords are about to strike, but Santa’s little rangers come by to save them and take control of the zords, leaving the soldiers in shock.
Black Dragon grows into a giant problem, but Tommy, still powerless but wielding the Dragon Dagger, uses the Dragonzord along with the others who pilot their zords to attack the Black Dragon. However, things are still looking grim.
Watching from above AKA Goldar’s dimension, Billy notices that there’s a hatch on the Black Dragon and realizes that the Black Dragon is a robot, a machine. A zord. He persuades Goldar to send him back so that the Dark Dragon can be defeated. Goldar then opens up a portal for him.
Finding Tommy and telling him about the situation, they both teleport on the Black Dragon and destroy some stuff inside the zord. This causes “a thing” to happen and the Black Dragon “explodes”. The Rangers check the wreckage for Billy and Tommy, but all Trini found was some Dragonzord parts….
Anyway, Tommy and Billy are transported to the Nightmare before Christmas and see statues of Rita and the Green Ranger above them. The owner of the Black Dragon contacts Rita and tells her that he knows Billy and Tommy landed in his world and he’s ready for them…….
Ending Thoughts
Ok, I’m done with the Christmas stuff for now. You’ll never see that from me again. Where was I? Oh yeah.
This was not good.
I’ll talk about everything else before getting to that ending. The 4 Green Ranger team is a good concept in the sense of what it represents, mainly that Tommy is willing to trust them with the power that made him special in the first place. However, just from this issue, there’s really no sense of anything’s changed with the team in terms of power. We don’t see the Green Rangers in actual combat. A majority of the time they’re in the zord cockpits. So the cover of the issue was wasted on a very small aspect of the issue. I know odds are we’ll see more of them in action in the upcoming issues, but until then, they are basically just wearing cockpit suits.
This was an all action issue, which was to be expected, given the whole final countdown theme. The only actual character moment from this issue is Goldar and Billy’s “alliance”, which seems a bit stupid on Goldar’s part, but I’ll wait for the rest of the issues before making any clear judgment. (He’s no MMPR Pink Goldar. I can tell you that much). However, unlike last issue, which I could believe could be stretched to a whole episode, if this was an actual episode of MMPR, it would take like 5 to 7 minutes. not much actually happened in it. Zords attack Black Dragon, Billy escapes, Billy and Tommy “destroy” Black Dragon from the inside and are teleported to what I’m calling Earth 17. Nothing really important to the overall story other than the ending.
Now let’s talk about that ending. I LOVE alternate realities and universes. It’s cool to see familiar characters in fresh and interesting stories we can’t get because of continuity. And we’ve gotten some damn good ones. (RPM being one the prime examples of Power Rangers). And having our heroes physically see what the stakes are in their fight against Rita is compelling motivation for them to win at all costs. However, the problem I have this is not the actual alternate reality itself.
It’s just….. this is such a weird card to play right now. I mean, we have Rita still in the command center, Zordon floating in oblivion, Alpha with only his head on straight, two Powerless Rangers, and four Rangers who look like they belong on Oa. Now the Rangers have to deal with a threat that’s not even from the same universe at the exact same time? This just seems a bit more complicated than it needed to be, especially since this is still the first storyline from this series.
Also, this development does under value Rita as a villain. I know that Rita’s not the best villain in Power Rangers and the Dragon Coin was the best plan that Rita came up with, but according to the writers, this comic is supposed to be more than just a “filler between the episodes”. The main villain needs to show that she’s a force to be reckoned with, someone who has the power to destroy the team and the world. Rita, ultimately, is the main villain of the Power Rangers and to have someone from another dimension basically do all the work in the first storyline, makes her look not important and not that threatening.
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- If you weren’t humming the Final Countdown at the beginning of this comic, something’s wrong with you.
- I have an idea on who that White Dragon Ranger is and if it’s who I think it is, the writers are brilliant. Let’s (hopefully) find out if I’m right.
- You know what’s going to make this a bit more complicated? We’re going to have ANOTHER comic about the Rangers bouncing around in an another dimension (the Justice League crossover) before we get back to this stuff. Just saying, someone probably should’ve thought this through just a little.
- Billy has such bad luck. First, he was captured and put in Goldar’s Dark Dimension and now he’s in Earth 17. Is that why the next standalone issue is about him?
- Anyone wanna take a guess as to why I’m calling this alternate dimension Earth-17?