This past October, Boom! Studios launched a new story arc for its Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comic book series in Issue #101. The story arc started by doing something never previously done in the Power Rangers universe (that includes in print and on screen) by telling the story of how Rita Repulsa was imprisoned on the moon. As it turns out, it was none other than Zordon who imprisoned her in her interstellar trash can prison, however, she did not go down without a fight, according to writer Melissa Flores, who has led the series’ creative team ever since Issue #101. As that issue revealed, before she was put into the container, Rita ripped Zordon from his body, resulting in his soul or consciousness being imprisoned itself, in a time warp, in which he is first revealed in 1993 in the MMPR TV series. In the stories that followed Issue #101, Zordon’s separation came increasingly into play and that story reaches a new crucial turning point Wednesday in Issue #108.
That story is at the center of what makes this issue well worth reading. It will be discussed shortly. The dialogue incorporated into the story here plays its own important part in the story’s engagement and entertainment. It will be discussed a little later. The artwork presented throughout the story rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Issue #108. All things considered they make this issue just as entertaining and engaging for the comic book series’ established readers as for those who may be more fans of the TV series.
Issue #108 of Boom! Studios’ Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comic book series is a successful entry in the franchise’s current era, which effectively started in October in Issue #101. That is due in large part to its featured story. The story presented in this issue of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers reaches a new climax as Vessel” makes its way through Angel Grove admit ongoing conflict between Mistress Vile’s (Rita Repulsa’s new chosen name) forces to the Command Center and breaks in. The being knocks out Rocky and Adam in a brief battle before confronting Zordon and revealing to him that it is him and vice versa (not to give away too much). Vessel discusses Zordon’s past with him, leading to a turning point that is classic Power Rangers. What happens will not be revealed here, but to give something of a hint, the conflicted villain plot element comes directly into play just like it has for three decades of Power Rangers on television. Zordon is not killed or anything else. That much will be said, but what happens after Vessel confronts him is taken like a cue right from so many of the property’s many TV entries. To that end, the climax makes for a great jumping on point for fans of the TV series who perhaps otherwise might not have read any of the comic book series’ existing issues, especially considering the overall execution of the story in this issue. There is something in how the issue’s story opens that makes it work as its own starting point just as much as a continuation of what started in Issue #101.
As much as the story does to keep readers engaged and entertained in Issue #108, it is just part of what makes this issue worth reading. The dialogue that writer Melissa Flores uses in this issue helps advance the story in a big way. The majority of the dialogue in this issue takes place between Zordon and Vessel. It is classic good versus bad dialogue, too. After “merging” with Zordon on some astral plane of sorts, Vessel offers Zordon untold power if he merges with his old body after telling him, “your inaction has cost far more lives” and that he “had opportunities to kill my mistress and yet you did not.” The mistress in question is of course Rita, now Mistress Vile. Zordon tells Vessel he did not kill Rita because he believed even she had the potential for good and that “No one is beyond redemption, not even you.” This dichotomy of sidings is, again, such an oft-used plot device in stories of good versus evil. Even being so commonplace in so much story writing across the board, it still works well enough here. What’s more, Vessel’s attempt to lure Zordon into merging with him is almost biblical in a sense. It is easy to make a comparison in this moment of dialogue – as Vessel points out that if he dies all his efforts would be for nothing since he would not be able to join the morphin’ grid – to Satan’s attempt to tempt Jesus in the wild. Jesus tells Satan, “Get thee behind me Satan” and much in the same way, Zordon tells Vessel to get thee behind me, too, just in different fashion by telling Vessel he must make his own path after Vessel tries to forcefully merge with Zordon. All of this conversation between Zordon and Vessel is, again, familiar, but even in being so familiar still does much to keep readers engaged since it so successfully keeps the story progressing. To that end, the dialogue used in this chapter of the current Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers story proves just as important to its presentation as the story itself.
The story and its dialogue are unquestionably important aspects of Issue #108’s presentation and are only part of what makes this issue worth reading. The issue’s artwork does just as much to make the story engaging and entertaining, too. The team of illustrator Marco Renna, colorist Francesco Segala and letterer Ed Dukeshire (and assistant to Segala, Gloria Martinelli) makes the visual aspect of the issue pleasant in its own right. Right from the story’s opening page, the contrast of the smoke rising from Angel Grove as Mistress Vile’s ship hover over the city is a powerful opening scene. It shows the extent of the damage that Mistress Vile and her forces have caused to the city. What’s more, there is something about it that throws back to the footage from the old Super Sentai TV shows used for the original MMPR series. Audiences could actually see such a scene in their minds. The scene in which Vessel and Zordon are discussing the situation, with the multiple galaxies and stars behind them is another notable example of the power of the issue’s art. The coloring of the galaxies and the darkness of space around them makes such a great, subtle contrast for this critical moment between Vessel and Zordon. There is something in the coloring and design in this frame as the pair float freely that makes the moment so believable. It helps audiences see the whole thing move as different angles are used throughout the sequence. Between this scene, the classic look of the scene when Vessel locates the command center and so much more, the artwork used throughout this issue does just as much to make the issue engaging and entertaining as the story itself and its dialogue. All things considered Issue #108 proves to be another strong entry in the current Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers story arc.
Boom! Studios’ upcoming chapter of its Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comic book series is a strong entry in the property’s current story arc. It is just as good of a jumping on point as it is a continuation of the current story. It follows Vessel as it finally confronts Zordon at the command center and the two discuss Zordon’s past and present in classic science-fiction and fantasy style. The dialogue used as Vessel and Zordon discuss the events that have transpired throughout Zordon’s quest against evil is familiar in its own right in its style and in turn helps keep the story moving quite well. The story’s artwork offers its own visual appeal to the overall presentation what with the use of the coloring and general design. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Issue #108. All things considered they make this latest issue enjoyable from beginning to end while also leaves readers looking well forward to the next chapter in this ongoing story arc.
Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Issue #108 is scheduled for release Wednesday. More information on this and other titles from Boom! Studios is available at:
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