[DreamSword]

Go Go Power Rangers Volume 8

Endings, beginnings, and one hell of a trip.

This volume is all about expanding on the "White Light" two-parter from the second season of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

And sure, it's a massive retcon, but it's the sort of retcon that I don't think many fans will get upset at. As for the longest time, many agreed that the switch over to Tommy becoming the new leader of the Rangers was rather sudden.

As we've gotten older and have learned more about the production of the show, it's all understandable in a meta context: Austin St. John was leaving, and making Tommy the leader helps to avoid some newbie coming in and taking spotlight from the veterans who're staying.

But it did leave some plot beats feeling rather empty, and as such, it's a welcome change for this comic to add a whole lot more context. With Tommy having to earn the Light of Good, and Jason, Trini, and Zack's' eventually departure being due to their own personal insights and talents being needed elsewhere. And the shake up in everyone's' lives certainly isn't easy.

I'm glad that the entire thing is handled with a level of sensitivity. The replacement of the original cast was a sore spot for many growing up, and adding alot more human elements into the mix certainly helps. The only aspect of the entire situation I didn't like was Billy going to Grace for help, as I know what it's setting up for later on and I really don't like it. Not to mention it undermining Billy's' genius intellect.

However, the major thing that doesn't sit right with me is the final issue of this volume. Drawn by Eduardo Francisco, this issue details the "true" nature of the Space Dumpster that Rita and her minions were trapped in for 10,000 years. And while, as far as I can tell, the intent is to make Zordon's' punishment for Rita less harsh, I'd argue it actually makes her situation even more hellish than it already was. Emotionally destroying someone over and over for years on end is far more cruel than simply putting them into stasis/hibernation in my eyes.

And this despite the great pains the story up to now has gone through in arguing for Rita's' good side, and emphasizing how alot of her actions are due to corruption via her father. But, that's a dicey area for some, so I'll leave it alone.

But, other than that, the core of the story, about how things change over time, is handled well enough, and it's rather poignant in a meta sense, given where Go Go Power Rangers as a comic is headed towards.