Preface
This is Sage’s first battle as a Ranger! Let’s see how we do!
The Cover
On top, we got the students gathered around something important. On the bottom, we see Sage fighting the creature from earlier. I like how the darkness easily transitions onto either side. It easily could have been separated without the thunderbolt in the middle.
The Story
We continue immediately where we left off last time with Sage fighting the darkness in the Battle Matrix. Tula and Lindy are shocked to see the morph, but Tula quickly gets over it, morphing herself and hopping into the battle even as the darkness spreads. Lindy manages to call for help to get the door open while Sage and Tula destroy the projectors, killing the simulation. The teachers arrive and Tula swipes Sage’s morpher away, claiming to be the one to break into the Green Campus and inadvertently called Dark Specter as a result. Sage tries to claim responsibility, but Tula denies it, pulling her in and whispering to her that she’s going to make a great Ranger someday.
In the infirmary, Lindy asks Sage why she lied about being able to morph. Sage admits that she’s been scared all along and thought she was evil. Lindy tells her that she’s not evil, but that friends need to be honest with each other through the bad times. As Sage promises her to be a good friend and not lie anymore, both of them are called into the headmaster’s office.
The headmaster gives them the full story. Around a decade ago, Dark Specter possessed a junior Green Ranger on a mission and that cadet brought Dark Specter into Ranger Academy. As a result, the entire green spectrum of the Grid was infected by Dark Specter’s corruption. So, the Green Campus had to be split off from the Grid. For the cadet that was possessed, Sage’s father, Rhianth, the Red Ranger of that team, he killed the corrupted Green Ranger’s body to save everyone else. Sage wants to go talk to Tula about all of this, but since the Headmaster is worried that history is repeating itself and that Tula may be the next vessel for Dark Specter, she is promptly expelled and banished from Ranger Academy.
Ending Thoughts
So… we now know the full truth!
And… eh.
Let’s break this mystery down, shall we?
For starters, they’ve been mentioning a “shuttle accident” as the catalyst for this mystery. However, it’s not given the attention it needed. Sure, it’s important to keep details. But, the accident was not ever mentioned before the last two issues. It was listed that cadets died from the poster in Issue #2, but the incident itself was never fully mentioned. There was no hint that an accident was what caused this to happen so we can’t guess around that.
Then, in Issue #4, Dark Specter was listed as someone who infiltrated Ranger Academy a long time ago. Fine. That seed was planted that he was someone that was a part of what happened here. However! This series was listed as something marketable to kids and newcomers to the franchise. And, as it stands now, the issues before this reveal never indicated who Dark Specter is. Sure, we barely got an explanation on who he is in the main comics, but it’s more understandable for that series as it was integrated slowly over time. Here, he was mentioned once as part of a scary story and then boom, he’s here out of nowhere! Kids and newcomers aren’t going to be scared as to who Dark Specter is. They’re going to be more confused than anything else. Especially the part where he can possess people which is part of the justification for all of the secrecy and everything else happening here!
… sigh …
Ok, now that’s done, let’s talk about the rest of the issue. While the twist with Rhianth was predictable, I do enjoy the actual hints to it and am looking forward to seeing it unfold. Tula lying for Sage is a good moment for the character (even though I will argue that it would hit better if last issue hadn’t screwed the pooch on how that was presented.) Lindy’s interaction with Sage was also enjoyable. She’s not mad for the deceit, she just wants to be a supportive friend. And, hopefully, this leads Sage into becoming much more confident these next few issues.
Ranger Academy #8 tries to shed some light on the mystery of this school with action and friendship, but ultimately leaves us stumbling in the dark.
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- “You can do it, Lindy! You have to do it. Or we’re never getting out of here.” Um, I think that last part was supposed to be a thought bubble because wow, Sage, way to give encouragement and then immediately strike that down!
- Sage, I’m also going to have to dock you another point for noticing too late your Morpher being snatched away.
- Dark Specter being here is apparently not a tie-in to Darkest Hour as he’s just trying to rise up again. Fine. Was this actually a coincidence that the writer chose this villain knowing about the big event or were they just like “hey, sure, why not?”
- I’m not even going to get into the fact that we know what the Grid looks like. It’s not just a regular color grid. It’s literally an entire realm. So how exactly does Dark Specter manage to infect just one single “spectrum” when he doesn’t try to infect the rest of the “colors”? And, even if he could, why doesn’t he do this in Darkest Hour?!
