[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.

[DreamSword]

Go Go Power Rangers Volume 9

Ha, didn't notice those Cowboy Bebop cameos the first time around.

This marks the final volume of Go Go Power Rangers, and rather than go out on some super huge note, it ends on a signal of what's to come in the future.

Most importantly though, it ends as the final piece to bridging the gap between the first and second seasons of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, and while not perfect, I am overall satisfied.

For example, I will never understand why Grace appears to be Ryan Parrott's' waifu. She was fine as a background character and a piece of a one-off story, as Kyle Higgins wrote her, but now Parrott is going to focusing on her involvement in things alot, and it gets tiring.

I also don't really see why the Emissary kept Zordon and Jason in the dark from one another. They have the same goals, and it just leads to a break in communications that's very unnecessary. So on both a plot and character level, it lends itself to nothing, as it's not like it makes the process of Jason, Trini, and Zack leaving much smoother.

Speaking of which, man, those character designs for Adam, Aisha, and especially Rocky are pretty bad. Adam's' gets slightly better in the last issues thanks to a hairstyle change, but otherwise, I am not a fan. Rocky doesn't even remotely look like Steve Cardenas. Could they not get the rights to his likeness or something? Seems unlikely, given his willingness to show up in projects like Once & Always. The orange hair certainly doesn't help.

But that aside, the biggest draw of these final issues is just how Sina Grace and Ryan Parrott managed to makes the excuses from the original show as to why Jason, Zack, and Trini weren't around into a source of character drama, when they were treated very casually in the source material. It leads to some really good stuff like Tommy calling out Jason for being a hypocrite, given Jason's' own journey towards staying on the team. And Jason just takes it, knowing he can't tell Tommy the truth.

And finally, the Omega Ranger suits. Now, while I love these suits, I can't help but feel a bit sad that BOOM didn't go with the Diaranger suits instead. Would be a very neat way to incorporate those suits into canon while explaining why we never saw them in the show proper(no I don't count Super Mega Force). But in the end, I see the appeal of doing something entirely original, and I come out of it liking it more than not. Especially in hindsight where there are other instances inwhich the Dairanger suits should've been used. But, we'll get there eventually.

In the end, I still consider Go Go to be Ryan Parrott's' best work, and this look back on it was alot of fun. Not perfect, but a great time none the less.

[DreamSword]

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Volume 11

This whole thing feels off, and not in the intended way.

I get the idea: Things have changed ever since the team split. Zedd, the new Rangers, the new settings, etc.

The problem, however, is in the characterization and overall tone of the story. They conflict not just with Go Go, but also past issues of MMPR. Makes me thing that Sina Grace did alot more for GGPR than what it might seem.

There are some cool things though, certainly. The arc takes full use of the power of hindsight; Having cameos from future villains. The new stuff with the Omega Rangers is always cool aesthetically. And having Dayne, a villain of the same alien race as Doggie Cruger, is a neat idea.

But again, the characterizations and tone take a bit of downward turn. The overall tone is alot more in line with Go Go than it is with Mighty Morphin', the the characterizations of everyone is a little off, but especially of Kimberly and the Blue Emissary, whom both have their quirks turned way up to 11, especially in comparison to GGPR.

And while the overall plot in and of itself isn't bad, I actually found myself alot more drawn to a very tiny background subplot wherein Bulk is trying to deal with Skull's' new girlfriend. It gets barely any attention in these four issues, but it's a much more interpersonal story that I really wanted more focus on. Bulk fearing that he might be losing his best friend is a great angle for both characterization and plot.

In the end, it's a somewhat shakey start to MMPR's' "Necessary Evil" arc, but there's still plenty of time to iron things out.

[Androzani84]

One thing I loved about the Necessary Evil arc is that we contrast Billy, Kim and Tommy being paired off with three rookies who hey have a tumultuous relationship to start off with. Whereas Jason, Zack and Trini get a new member who they get along with like a house on fire. I’ll go into more detail when you get further in.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

One thing I loved about the Necessary Evil arc is that we contrast Billy, Kim and Tommy being paired off with three rookies who hey have a tumultuous relationship to start off with. Whereas Jason, Zack and Trini get a new member who they get along with like a house on fire. I?ll go into more detail when you get further in.

I get what you're hinting at, but as for right now, Kiya gets along with everyone else fine.

A shame what happens later on.

[DreamSword]

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Volume 12

We've reached the point where I started following the comics much less actively.

This section of the "Necessary Evil" arc makes alot of very questionable decisions all across the board, and even now, with the power of hindsight, it still doesn't really sit right with me.

Heck, I'd argue that hindsight only really makes it worse. But at the risk of spoiling anything, let's just zero in on why this volume doesn't work out.

In terms of plot, this flies entirely in the face of alot of things established in the story up to now. We had that entire arc about the Rangers sticking by Zordon's' ideals against Alpha-1, only to now have the Omega Rangers fully following in the very ideal that Alpha-1 was talking about.

This is also the part where both MMPR and Go Go fully merge, which in turns makes one question why the comics remain split for a good while going forward. Because let me just say that, plot wise, there really isn't much justification for the split going forward on pretty much any level. Not like the reveal of the Omega's' identities to the rest of the team results in anything positive.

Power scaling is another big issue. The Omega Rangers handled this guy pretty handily before, but now suddenly he can take them on by himself no problem? But even worse than that is Zedd, who gets handled by the Omegas with zero effort, but yet they can't handle this guy? It makes Zedd, who could take on the Rangers no problem in the original show, look like a total chump here in the comics, and can easily be seen as vindictive from the writers.

And last and most importantly, the characterization is really awfully handled here. Why would Dayne have anything personal against the Rangers when he was literally only in it for the money? And even if he did, why wouldn't he just take out Kiya right then and there?

Speaking of Kiya, I never liked the twist with her going crazy and deciding that the universe needs to be purged of Power Rangers. Not only does it come out of nowhere, but it inadvertently makes the villagers who were witch hunting her to actually be totally correct. And I can never stand when the bad guys are made out to be the correct ones in stories(hi, Kamen Rider Build).

But that's not all, because the main team of Rangers back home get hit with it too! Kim especially is really out of character here, with her being way more aggressive than she ever was which stands in stark contrast to not only her personal philosophy but also her arc as seen in GGPR. And when questioned about her gymnastics career, she says she's avoiding going back to it, which is the exact opposite of her arc in the source material.

Oh, and that's a funny thing about all of this on a meta level, by the way. Thanks to a certain internet critic who never knows what he's talking about, the Operation Overdrive team will never live down their actions in "Once A Ranger" and yet, here's this arc of the comics, wherein the Mighty Morphin' team has the same dilemma for even less reason, but yet I've never heard anyone in the fandom bat an eye.

Just... yeah. This volume left a real bad taste in my mouth.

[DreamSword]

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Pink

Written by Brenden Fletcher, Kelly Thompson, and Tini Howard, this was BOOM's' first ever foray into bringing Power Rangers in comic form.

And it makes for an interesting look back on many concepts that would evolve with time.

For example, many forget that Daniele di Niculo was the original artist for this part of the franchise, and alot of what makes her art great in current stuff is here too, and looking back really showcases how her style has evolved over time.

There's also things such as Typhonis up there, which no doubt served as the basis for the Gravezord in the MMPR comics proper, as well as the new design for the Pink Ranger, which I'd be willing to bet money served as the base design for the Ranger Slayer.

But that's not to say that the comic itself is without merit otherwise, as I rather liked the story overall. There's alot to like throughout this run, and it's almost a shame that it doesn't appear to be canon to well, much of anything. Kim's' characterization is great, the pacing of the comic overall is very smooth and movie-like, and it's a scenario that one could fit into canon almost perfectly.

I say almost because if there was one aspect I didn't like in all of this, it was the romantic pairing of Trini and Zack. I just never saw them as a romantic fit for eachother, and it honestly just comes across as random when the comic reveals that they've been together for an extended period of time. Thankfully nowadays we have Once & Always to showcase that no, this ship never set sail. But really, that's a minor gripe in terms of everything.

What will probably be the biggest takeaway most will get out of this comic though(and indeed, it was what most people talked about for a long time in my circles), was the expansion the comic makes to Kim's' infamous break up letter to Tommy. The comic explains that her finding someone else was a lie, and she simply realized that Tommy and her had grown too far apart, and thus decided to find what she felt was the best way to break things off and help Tommy to move on with his life.

Me personally? I was overall fine with it, but it definitely served as a point of contention for others, and I can get why. It's very much an element that is carried entirely via the emotional state of Kim more so than any sort of rock solid logic. And looking at it in that lens, while I personally don't agree with how Kim went about things, I understand her internal logic, and thus I come out supporting more than not.

In the end, this really is a fun little one off, and I recommend it for not just fans of the original Pink Ranger, but Mighty Morphin' fans in general.

[DreamSword]

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Volume 13

It really is the little moments that both make and break this thing.

Because when it comes to the overall plot of the Mighty Morphin' side of Necessary Evil, I really didn't like how everything played out.

Not that these last three issues of the arc introduce anything new, per se. It's just more of the same aspects that made me not really jive with the arc in the first place. And it's the final nail in the coffin for the "original" era of the comics.

It's so unevenly handled too. Because you have bits that are genuinely good, like the brief connection that Zack and Adam make, but then you have other nonsense like Ryan Parrott's' waifu Grace Sterling yet again being a get out of jail free card. And it's like, why not just write a scenario our heroes can handle?

Because really, not only does it overall cheapen any sort of drama if Grace is just going to be the one to solve everything regardless, but the specifics of which her involvement plays out makes Billy look way dumber and meeker than he ever has. And that's way out of character especially since we're not firmly in the times of MMPR season 2.

Double not helping things is that the plot comes across as really pretentious too. With stuff like the villains acting as if they're masterminds(they very much aren't), to Trini and Kiya's' final showdown pointing out off brand the entire scenario is, and that bit with Ranger Slayer there: She was never running from anything. She was literally stranded with no way back to her own timeline until now. Did Ryan Parrott have no notes on what was up with her?

Just... yeah. I like the Go Go half of this arc well enough; Sina Grace did a pretty solid job overall there. But when it comes to the MMPR half, I just can't stand by it. And if memory serves right, I'll only have more to complain about in the upcoming "Aftermath" arc.

Seeing the Solar Rangers come back was nice, atleast.

[Androzani84]

I’ll be honest, I forgot that the Solar Rangers and Alt!Kim were in this storyline, until I re-read it recently. In retrospect, I figure that I should’ve remembered that the latter’s one-shot and subsequent miniseries had to have some lead-in.

And as I hinted at earlier, as the Stone Canyon Trio prove they have what it takes to compare with their predecessors, Kiya goes full on nuts, gets stripped of the Omega Water powers and locked away. This Omega Blue was a bit of a CATastrophe

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

I?ll be honest, I forgot that the Solar Rangers and Alt!Kim were in this storyline, until I re-read it recently. In retrospect, I figure that I should?ve remembered that the latter?s one-shot and subsequent miniseries had to have some lead-in.

Thanks for the reminder that I need to add that to the list of things to cover.

Quote:

And as I hinted at earlier, as the Stone Canyon Trio prove they have what it takes to compare with their predecessors, Kiya goes full on nuts, gets stripped of the Omega Water powers and locked away. This Omega Blue was a bit of a CATastrophe

Yeah, and on paper, the premise is an interesting one. But in execution, things take quite a bit of a leap in order for it to pan out. The Go Go side was alot more focused on character, whereas the Mighty Morphin' side was way more concerned with plot. And it's to the detriment of the combined arc overall.