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Preface
*poking your shoulder* Hey. Hey. Hey. You know it’s the end of the decade, right? You realize that this is the last piece of Power Rangers content for the decade (besides previews and toy releases)? Well, I guess since we’re on the subject, we might as well briefly discuss it.
This past decade, superhero and comic book fiction has become so much more ingrained into mainstream culture and while the Power Rangers franchise hasn’t fully found a way to capitalize on this, it has grown so much from just being a TV show. The comics are just one example of this. Movie reboots, franchise crossovers, video games, an RPG series, you name it. It’s a trend that I would hope continues into the next decade for the franchise.
The Cover
It’s a good evil shot of all of our antagonists for the series now. I love some of the smaller details in it like the Blue Emissary’s cloak and Kiya’s gold necklace from her time as a Omega Ranger standing out with the dark color palette of the cover.
The Story
After the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers fail at one of the Command Center’s Zord hologram sessions, Tommy basically leans back in his Tiger Zord and tells them they should all go home and take it easy. Kim scolds Tommy for his nonchalant behavior, saying that the Stone Canyon trio want to be treated as actual Rangers. Meanwhile, on Safehaven, Xi discovers the Blue Emissary’s dead body and tries to contact the other Omega Rangers before he’s attacked.
While Billy and Kimberly are reflecting on what the future would be like without their Ranger duties, Goldar arrives at downtown Angel Grove and uses Zedd’s staff on everything in sight, including a school bus carrying Bulk, Skull and Candice.
So, Goldar, the best monsters you could come up with are the Magic School Bus and rejected Transformers? No wonder, you’re just the “help”!
With the Omega Rangers, they’re confronted by Garrison Vox. Before they can morph, Kiya sucker punches Jason hard. Zack and Trini manage to morph, but they’re outmatched by the combined forces of Kiya, Garrison Vox and Cavotus and the resulting battle only damages Jason more. Luckily, a damaged Xi teleports them to the ship and takes them to the one place that can give Jason the medical attention he needs: the Command Center.
Ending Thoughts
This issue has everything. Everything.
We got so much in this issue. Zord action, Ranger action, memorable villains scenes, focus for some of our heroes, our allies, and our side characters. This is one of those issues where you can see the same flow and pacing from Go Go Power Rangers. Even though so much happens, the pacing feels steady with everything compacted here.Though, I will say, that even though a lot happens here, it honestly feels more like a transitional piece with the only real development coming from the Omega Rangers’ end and the rest of it being character moments. Now, that’s not to say the character moments are bad, they’re just more padding than anything else.
But, there are moments in here that I personally love, no matter what their purpose is. Xi gets to shine in this issue, both with his brief moment of grieving for the Blue Emissary and his moment of saving the day despite only being one handed. Kim and Billy’s conversation not only acts as clever foreshadowing for their lives past MMPR, but serves greater relevance when you realize it’s a conversation between the only two original Rangers left where everyone else has left. Kiya sucker punching Jason acts as a good contrast to Jason commanding his Zord to stomp on Lord Zedd. Both moments can be considered dishonorable, but to the reader or observer, it’s debatable whether or not either of them were in the right to do it. It reinforces the whole idea of Necessary Evil. And, the art especially helps highlight all of these issues with its beautiful imagery.
MMPR #46, coincidentally, is a great issue to end out both 2019 and this decade because of its bright and colorful artwork and fun and insightful character moments. The curtain has been lifted, sides have been drawn, and now the lives of our Rangers won’t be the same.
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- Now, my only hope for future Go Go Power Rangers issues is for one panel of the Blue Emissary chasing jellyflies.
- Zack: “Are there alien bears or lions or jaguars in these woods?” Eh, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Last year, on TV, I saw an alien keyboard. Nothing surprises me at this point.
- By the way, Kiya, I was on your side a little bit, but the moment you start draping your mentor’s cloak around yourself, that’s when you lose some sympathy. After all, people will start to think you only killed him for his fancy threads.