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Preface
If you’ve been following my Twitter, you know that I’ve been watching all of the Power Ranger seasons and I started Mighty Morphin back in December and as of this point, I just started Season 2. I finished the Green with Evil saga and while reading some of the older issues, I realized that a lot of the elements in Green with Evil are similar to the elements in this storyline.
Scorpina coming out of nowhere, the bad guys invading the Command Center, Zordon being lost, Alpha’s robotic body sabotaged, a Ranger gets trapped in the Dark Dimension, the Rangers aren’t able to morph initially, the Zords are messed up in some shape or form, and most importantly, new evil Ranger who works with Rita. (which is why I’m calling this storyline “White With Evil.”)
I’m not making any assumptions about this storyline or how it was written. I’m just saying to keep this in mind with the rest of the issues in this storyline.
The Cover
This cover is freakin’ ominous. The megazord defeated, on the ground with the Rangers looking at it in shock as the dark clouds are looming over their heads. This cover is guaranteed to pique a reader’s interest and make them want to find out what is going on.
(P.S. I have no idea why the Golden Gate Bridge is in the background.)
The Story
The Rangers are back home with their parents, giving the usual excuses, confirming they are safe and sound…. with the exception of Tommy and Billy who are still in Lord Drakkon’s world.
They try to find somewhere to lay low, but a Mastodon sentry, one of Lord Drakkon’s militaristic soldiers, confronts them and notices Tommy’s Dragon Dagger. They run and try to get to Angel Grove High, but instead find…..
Glad this is still normal.
More Mastodon Sentries catch up to them, which Tommy and Billy escape by jumping into the ocean and heading towards the Command Center.
Back in the “normal” reality, Rita questions Goldar on how Billy escaped. Goldar says that Billy had another communicator and that Goldar couldn’t stop him because he’s chained to the dungeon. Even though she can tell his answer is BS, she explains that the Black Dragon is now gone and that she has a plan to finish the Rangers while they’re down.
In the wreckage of the Black Dragon, Trini investigates the parts and tells the team that the pieces of the Black Dragon are not a copy. They’re exactly the same, implying that the Black Dragon is actually from the future.
Back with the Dynamic Duo, they find a destroyed Command Center along with the wreckage of the Thunderzords. A voice comes from under the Command Center and Tommy goes to investigate, finding our favorite talking weapon, Saba, in the Power Chamber. Saba knows exactly what’s going on, but before he can say anything, the Mastodon sentries arrive along with Lord Drakkon himself.
Lord Drakkon takes off his helmet and reveals himself to be…….
…….a total letdown.
Ending Thoughts
I just want to apologize. Last review, I jumped the gun a bit and I immediately thought it was an alternate dimension. I didn’t even take on the possibility of time travel. I apologize. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that.
But, I guess I chose alternate dimension immediately because not only does an alternate dimension open up a lot more possibilities in terms of storytelling, but having time travel as a concept instead honestly creates a lot of questions and I’m afraid that this comic won’t be able to answer all of them. But, we’ll see.
There’s not much to really comment on. The art is great as always, the scenes with the Rangers’ parents are touching. I guess I can say that the post-apocalyptic “whatever it is” is bland so far. If you removed just the Power Ranger portions, there’s really not much to distinguish it from other stories who used this scenario. It feels generic at best.
One more thing I can comment on is that we, as a reader, feel the emotional impact of seeing the Thunder Zords absolutely destroyed. But, as for Billy and Tommy, since they don’t know that the Zords are theirs, they don’t feel the same emotions we do so it’s less impactful than the cover itself. (Not to mention the fact that we actually have seen the Thunderzords get destroyed in the show and that was more impactful. Even when all of their powers were combined, it still wasn’t enough.)
All I really have to say now is “I want to see how this story ends.”
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- Adding to the list of similarities in the introduction above, we also have “Ranger who’s identity is revealed very late into the story to the Rangers as Tommy” and “Sword which has significance to the plot.”
- So, the Mammoth Sentry tried to arrest Tommy because of his Dragon Dagger, but not by the fact that he has the same face as his leader?
- The Mammoth Sentry design is good. Though a friend of mine asked me what exactly would be in all of those pockets. Which is a good question. Usually, military soldiers have in those pockets stuff like ammo, first aid kits and stuff like that. I don’t exactly know what would be needed here.
- “Finster Memorial Correctional Facility.” RIP Finster. You were…… not that important.
- Why did Tor, of all zords, was shown defeated when the Lion and Firebird Thunderzords are not in the shot at all?
- I keep forgetting to mention that there’s that silly Bulk and Skull mini story at the end. Just so you know. There is one.
