Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 10 (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 10
Author: Marguerite Bennett
Illustrators: Simone Di Meo & French Carlomagno
Release Date: February 4, 2020

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Vol. 9

Synopsis: BEYOND THE GRID concludes here as the Solar Rangers – an all-new Power Rangers team unlike any other – must face the deadly Praetor for the final time, in a battle that no one will walk away from unscathed!

THE STUNNING CONCLUSION TO BEYOND THE GRID! The Solar Rangers – an all-new Power Rangers team unlike any other – have defied the villainous Praetor and survived. But their victory may be short-lived, as deadly forces move to stop them from regaining their full powers and finding a way home. It’s the final battle between Solar Rangers and their deadliest enemy as the shocking truth behind the Praetor is revealed – and the fates of two galaxies hang in the balance.

The critically-acclaimed team of GLAAD Media Award nominated writer Marguerite Bennett (Batwoman, Animosity) and fan-favorite artists Simone Di Meo, with French Carlomagno, deliver a jaw-dropping conclusion to their Power Rangers epic.

Collects Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #35-39.

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Review: This volume concludes the short lived Beyond the Grid story arc. To be honest, I really loved a lot of the ideas in this story but I just didn't feel like we got to know any of the characters enough. I did really enjoy getting to know Heckyl's story though. I wanted more stories like that. 

Having the focus on rangers from various seasons is so different than the rest of this ongoing comic. This story has felt like a brief pause from the main story to give us a breather after Shattered Grid. I liked seeing all the different rangers interacting. Even the rangers who couldn't morph still doing their thing in the background.

The Solar Rangers are awesome. I wanted much, much more of them! I really hope we see more of the badass Solar Rangers in future stories.

This volume felt really truncated. It seemed like more should have happened. More build-ups to get where this led. But I loved the ending. There was a lot of talking about the themes instead of just showing them through actions and story. I give this book a 4.5/5. It was really good, but I felt like it didn't quite live up to the amazing storytelling that's been happening in this ongoing series. 

The conclusion to the Blue Senturion and Ninjor's story is also in this book. That was a fun story. I liked them working together. They make a great duo. Very humorous dialogue.


--PAUL

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 9: Beyond the Grid (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Vol. 9: Beyond the Grid
Writer: Marguerite Bennett & Ryan Ferrier
Artists: Simone Di Meo, French Carlomagno, Francesco Mortarino, Bachan, Jeremy Lawson, & Walter Baiamonte
Recent Release Date: September 24, 2019


Synopsis: Join the Power Rangers as they’re drawn across time and space to combat a great evil in a place BEYOND THE GRID.

After the stunning conclusion to the hit comic book event Power Rangers: Shattered Grid, an all-new, all-star team of Power Rangers is drawn together from across time and space to combat a never-before-seen evil. As they fight to prove to themselves and each other that they have what it takes to survive in a dangerous new environment, these iconic Power Rangers must defeat the onslaught of an unfamiliar, terrifying new villain. Featuring an all new team of Rangers from across the Power Rangers universe comes an all new adventure! 

Join Marguerite Bennett (DC Bombshells) and artist Simone di Meo (Old Man Logan), along with Francesco Mortarino and French Carlomagno, as the Power Rangers discover what it means to be a team without their powers!

Collects issues #31-34 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

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Review: I have anxiously been awaiting this volume. Shattered Grid is over, but the multiverse must now deal with the repercussions of that. I constantly reconsider waiting until the collected volumes release to read these comics. I get spoiled for major plot points months in advance, but it's fun to finally see them play out. 

This team of rangers is a completely new one comprised of rangers from various seasons of the show. Thankfully, I have watched all the seasons with these characters but I am not as familiar with some of them as I am the original gang. The visuals of these rangers fighting side by side are awesome. I like the different dynamics and friendships that are forming within the group. I'm especially excited to learn more about Heckyl's past.

The art is great in this volume. This different universe without the morphing grid feels so alien. The zords are beautiful! There are a lot of full pages that were difficult to read for me. With the crease in the middle of the book, I felt like I didn't get the full effect. 

There's plenty of new elements that are introduced in this volume that I'm super excited to see where they go. Obviously, the Solar Ranger. Praetor. The Solarix. Zords!!!

I really enjoyed this volume, but I felt like it wasn't as pack full as previous volume. The storytelling felt less tight, but then again most of the characters were newly introduced. In previous volumes, I'm on the edge of my seat every time I turn the page. I had less of that feeling during this volume. I give this book a 4.5/5. I still consider this ongoing series the best comic series out there right now, but I just wanted more from this volume. 

"The New Adventures of Blue Senturion & Ninjor" has another issue at the end of this volume. It's such a fun story. The pair really complement each other well. There's a pretty great zord battle. And great references in the background of some of the panels.


--PAUL

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual (comic) - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual

Writers: Kyle Higgins, Anthony Burch, Caleb Goellner, Adam Cesare, Becca Barnes, & Alwyn Dale
Illustrators: Marcus To, Dylan Burnett, Patrick Mulholland, Hyeonjin Kim, & Simone Di Meo

Recent Release Date: April 25, 2018

Synopsis: Featuring fan-favorite teams from across the Power Rangers universe—Dino Charge, RPM, Time Force, Ninja Steel, Dino Thunder—the entire fabric of reality is under threat as Drakkon invades!

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Review: I have absolutely loved the past two Power Rangers annuals. They have shown little glimpses into stories that take place away from the action or delve into minor characters' backstories. This annual is a little different in that it is part of the Shattered Grid event, but each short story in this issue each follows a different team of rangers. 

The first story was my favorite, probably since it features the Zeo Rangers. I think that was really the last season I watched before falling out of Power Rangers as a kid. I obviously came back into the fandom since then. Kyle Higgins has done such a good job at finding interesting emotional points from the tv show and actually letting them happen. In the show, there isn't much shown about leadership dynamics or tension between characters that can't be resolved in a half hour. The first story takes place right after Jason lost his Gold Ranger powers. 

Lord Drakkon is at the center of all these stories, trying to harness different Ranger powers. The second story shows the SPD team. The third has RPM, with Drakkon trying to persuade Dr.K to join his cause. The fourth story is In Space. This is another example of a great emotional conflict that wasn't accurately shown in the show, in my opinion. TJ goes from being the leader to just another ranger. The last story showcases Ninja Steel, which I am not familiar with, but I still enjoyed the story.

There are different art styles for each of the stories. I liked seeing Drakkon drawn different ways. I'm interested to see how each of these stories fits into the greater Shattered Grid story. I give this issue a 5/5.


--PAUL