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Preface
Oh my god! The Once and Always trailer was so good. It got me hyped! Plenty of references to the whole lore and the Megazord part looks good for CGI. Plus, since it’s the original, it will get more eyes on it, allowing more casuals to enter the fandom. I can’t wait for April 19th! Also, Super 7’s newest wave for Ultimates looks really good. Reducing the waves to three figures will help collectors get all of them at once.
Oh, yeah, this is out too.
The Cover
Fine. But, none of these characters are in this issue.
The Story
In Flashback Land, Zedd flirted with Rita. But, she turned him down. Next.
All of the Rangers figure out that if Rita needs the navigator from the last issue, that means she’ll be heading to Safehaven soon to use their Arch. However, Grace reveals that Earth has one as well. So, Zordon orders the MMPR Rangers that are at Safehaven to return to Earth and help protect it. However, both Tommy and Kim highly disagree with it.
So, Kim and the others stay on Safehaven as Alpha 1 and his goons launch an attack. Where Trini wins. Because she is typically awesome. Tommy has a talk with Jason and explains the situation where they have a “bro” moment about being Rangers. Back in Promethea, Lord Zedd escapes his cell because the place just had to be fancy and use laser jails instead of using actual bars. He takes out all of the guards in a red hallway moment and then… does this.
*sighs* Alright. Ernie, get in here. If we’re making everyone a Ranger, then you’re getting in here! We’re giving a spot to Jason’s dad too because the guy is so lazy nowadays. Maybe wearing spandex will change his mind!
Ending Thoughts
Sadly, my mind is still focused on the Once and Always trailer so comparing that high to what this brings to this table is not fair.
Even in the brief preview, Once and Always shows us that it will be something different yet compelling to the MMPR team. However, with this, most of the dialogue here retreads grounds and territory we’ve seen so far so there’s not a lot that really excites me, including the fight scene. Honestly, it wasn’t even an action sequence. Just Zords shooting toward the ground most of the time. The only interaction I genuinely found interesting in this issue was the conversation between Zordon and Grace. It’s brief, only one page. But, in it, they discuss the possible ramifications the Rangers have fighting this fight. And, Zordon allows himself to admit to Grace that he is absolutely terrified of Rita’s plan here. It’s him trying to be more open and honest with his feelings with someone who can relate to him in a way. It’s a sign of his development in the series that his relationship with Grace is becoming a more open one.
But, yeah, everyone will talk about the big shocker at the end. The Ed Ranger. Which, I mean, yeah, I’ll admit it. I didn’t see it coming. But, that’s not always a good thing. The design itself is basic. Just the Zedd design but more armored and bulky (and that’s saying something because the actual Zedd costume was already big in itself). I think more people would be open to this if it wasn’t actually Zedd himself. If it was someone else that he was trying to mold into the perfect Ranger, his successor, that could be a fun story opportunity. Like not someone brainwashed. Just an absolutely bad seed. A literal teenager with attitude. But, I digress.
MMPR #106 is an average issue as it tries to ramp up the stakes of the situation, but it becomes more of the same this series has offered already.
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- The guy doesn’t have pockets. He’s made of skin. How the heck did no one see that Morpher? Where did he keep it?!
- Zordon: “Kimberly, Aisha, Zack and Adam – You must also return. At once.” I guess screw you, Rocky. You can just stay in Safehaven, being a firefighter and eating your Chinese takeout.
- “You’re just yellow.” What does that even mean?
- The Sultan of Schadenfreude is the best character in recent MMPR comics and I don’t want to hear it.
- Another implication of Zordon’s interaction with Grace is that he knows about her being loaded with Morphin’ Grid energy, which means it’s what he discussed with the Phantom Ranger when they met, making that story more relevant to the comics.
