(Disclaimer: Please buy the comic before reading this review available at your local comic shop!)
They can also be found by visiting findacomicshop.com or comicshoplocator.com
Preface
While Power Month ended last week, we still got plenty of weeks with PR content ahead of us. We have Mighty Morphin #11 this week and then Power Rangers #11 next week. Then, a few days later, “new” episodes of Dino Fury return to Nick starting with Episode 9 which debuted on Netflix earlier this year.
Yeah, say what you want about what was shown off in August, but we’re now back to weekly PR content until at least December. Take it as a win.
The Cover
Honestly don’t care that much about either cover here. I like the style of PR’s cover more because of its detailing, shading, and sharp line work, but the actual content of it is a bit generic. I’m not a fan of MMPR’s realistic 3D-ish style (you can see the weirdness in Zelya especially), but the content of it is more useful to the story and will draw more readers in.
It’s close again, but I’ll give it to Mighty Morphin #11.
The Story
Back to Flashback Land, in an empty cave, Zartus tells the broken Zophram about how the Elders of Eltar think Zartus died in the explosion from the Zeo Crystal. Hearing that Zordon is now next-in-line to be Supreme Guardian, Zophram becomes paranoid and believes that Zordon knew about the Fire of Truth spell and wanted Zophram to use the Zeo Crystal so that the spell would kill him. From that point on, Zophram vows to destroy Eltar with Zartus smiling in the background.
Back in the present, while Billy contemplates his current situation with the Stone Canyon Trio, Kim and Matt get into an argument about whether Zordon will protect humanity no matter the cost. At the Command Center, all of the Power Rangers (sans Billy) meet the Eltarian Guardians who will help them rescue Zelya and defeat Lord Zedd: Sentry Force Four.
As the Guardians return to their ship to prepare for the rescue mission, Zartus tells Tommy that if he wants to, Zartus and the other Guardians can take away Matt’s Power Coin and give it to someone of his choosing instead. Once aboard their ship, the Guardians are surprised by a visitor: Zelya, who already escaped from Lord Zedd’s clutches.
At Promethea, Grace finds out about the Eltarians in orbit and definitely thinks something’s not right with all this. She goes to tell Billy about this, but he’s working on a secret project using some of Lord Zedd’s tech.
Back with our Supreme Bonehead in space, Zelya confronts him about everything Lord Zedd told her and he admits to everything, even “resurrecting” the Empyreals. Zelya attempts to attack him but is stopped short of the other members of Sentry Force showing up. Later, Zartus informs Zordon of Zelya escaping Lord Zedd and claims that she’s being sent straight back to Eltar due to being injured in her escape. Zartus tells Zordon that he’s bringing in the whole Eltarian fleet to Earth to deal with Lord Zedd. He also asks Zordon to give him the Power Coins so that they can be used by real soldiers in the fight against the Empyreals. Zordon agrees to it, but once Zartus ends the transmission, it’s revealed that Zelya managed to send the Rangers a message telling them exactly what Zartus’s real plans are.
Apparently, there’s a war coming soon…
Ending Thoughts
Great issue, a bit more enjoyable than some of the previous issues.
What makes this issue so refreshing to me is how it subverts our expectations. Starting with this idea of saving Zelya from Lord Zedd only for her to show up and immediately try to disrupt the Eltarians’ plans. And, in possibly one of my favorite final pages of any issue of Power Rangers, we get the big cliffhanger of the issue. How we initially think Zordon is going to learn later on about Zartus’s plans and will remain loyal to Eltar for now, but instead, there is zero doubt on his mind that he’s going to defend Earth. Just the best hype you can get for your next event.
Art-wise, there’s not a lot to talk about. The action sequence in this issue was limited to basically a dream sequence so it didn’t get much room to shine. The environments, especially in the Eltarian ships, get their chance to shine with a lot of bright and distinct coloring. The Sentry Force Four’s designs are memorable with good use of armor mixing with unique designs that homages superheroes from various franchises.
Mighty Morphin #11 finally lets our protagonists wise up to the Eltarian plot to take over Earth and warns us all that a war is coming…
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- Zedd in the flashback reminded me of Red Death from Venture Bros.
- Ok, wait, I do want to know why 10 is for the least angry. Give me your algorithm, Billy.
- …Wait Aisha, when did you travel through space and time? You traveled through space. I’m fairly certain you didn’t go time traveling yet.
- Matt is getting on my nerves now. All of his dialogue during his scene with Kim made me want to punch him in the face. Especially with his comments about Zordon. How he was so willing to judge someone solely based on second-hand information and not even bothering to remember their name.
- Since the fight sequence for this issue is basically imaginary, in the panel where Lord Zedd is defeated, Tommy should’ve been doing this pose instead. I dare someone to redraw this now.
- So, Zag thinks Adam is cute… This is good. We need more representation like this (maybe in the main show someday?). Though, I will say, he’s definitely one of the bad guys here so just a heads up, I doubt he’s gonna get a happy ending at the end of this.
- I would question why Grace knows about the Supreme Guardian of Eltar, but remember, she had the Ranger Slayer flying in space for about a couple of months. There’s a lot she could’ve learned then.