Comic Book Review - Power Rangers #22

Rob reviews Power Rangers #22...

As the Power Rangers universe heads to that special oversized 100th issue, Ryan Parrott gives us his swansong story for the Omega Rangers. The setup for #100 being set up across Power Rangers for several months now. With the Death Ranger finally making his introduction - and subsequent power play - Power Rangers #22 (Legacy #99) is the issue where everything changes.

Much like with Lord Zedd's origin story way back in Mighty Morphin #10, I'm going to approach this review with as few spoilers as possible. While I won't delve into the bulk of the plot - be warned that some minor details may slip through.

Power Rangers #22 continues to follow the two battles that kicked off during the last issue. On Safehaven, Journey and Kevor are still dealing with Garrison Vox and his followers who have taken Arkon hostage. With all this going on we then have the Omega Rangers who have seemingly fallen straight into Andros' plan and now come face-to-face with this arc's "big bad".

As you can probably guess, the bulk of this issue deals with the new Ranger who Andros rescued from the Astro-Megaship. The mystery around "Zhane" deepens as he talks to Jason about meeting his recently deceased mother, and then his plans to wipe out the Xurix, and resurrect those who've been lost to injustice. It's all very poetic (and a little heroic) and certainly shows just how manipulated Andros has been by his own need for revenge and grief.

Anyway, in true Jason fashion - he's having none of it, and as such the two tribes go to war. And the rest...well that's for you to find out...

...And if like me - you'll be shouting "holy s***!" come the issue's conclusion!

Away from the Omega Rangers, the duel storyline of Safehaven is also given more time to develop. While it's certainly a decent narrative, it all feels like a way to move Journey to the next phase of her life - which is exactly what happens. There's no doubt that the character is going to play a crucial part in things to come, and I'm hoping she sticks around for the aftermath of #100.

As set-up's go, Ryan Parrott has played a blinder with Power Rangers #22. Everything has been building up to this point for a few months now. Ever since Jason decided to broadcast the message of hope across the galaxy - the wheels of fate have been in motion. And now...well the Omega Rangers are staring death in the face. IF issue #100 truly is the writer's final outing with these characters, then he's making it unforgettable.

We're also treated to some wonderfully sad - and shocking - scenes which defiantly show how much of an understanding Parrott has of these characters. Jason's plea to Andros over Zhane is particularly poignant as he confronts his grief as a way to open up to Andros. It's all written with a degree of empathy as Jason admits that even if his mom could be brought back - she won't be the person he knew. It's a touching moment, that makes what comes next even more shocking.

Marco Renna and Walter Baiamonte (with Sara Antonellini and Sharon Marino) continue to work with great synergy to build upon Parrott's script. There's a lot to get distracted by, as Renna packs each scene with plenty of detail and emotion. Action scenes also flow well with plenty of viewpoint variation which captures the ferocity, whilst allowing the fight to play out organically. Baiamonte and his assistants then compliment this with a vibrant colour scheme that jumps straight from the page.

All in all, Power Rangers #22 is a great example of good people doing bad things. It's a literal tour dé force that not only closes out the Parrott/Groom arc with a bang! It's going to be an event that will no doubt have its force felt for years to come.

Death Ranger variant cover with no signage

Rating: 9.5/10

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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev

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