Rob reviews Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #100
It's been almost six years since BOOM! Studios launched Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. From its humble beginnings under Kyle Higgins, the series ultimately owes its success to resident scribe Ryan Parrott.
Throughout Parrott's tenure, we've seen plenty of epic confrontations and storylines that have not only become instant classics - they've also changed the shape of the Power Rangers Universe for no doubt years to come. From the Eltarian War to Lord Drakkon (who continues to be a threat), the Power Rangers and their Omega Rangers counterparts have had the whole library of pain thrown at them.
However, with the series now having reached its milestone 100th issue, Ryan Parrott is calling time and handing over the wheel to Missy Flores. But before that, he's still got one more tale to tell...
And boy! Is there a lot to cover?
After the last issue which saw the Death Ranger not only resurrect the fallen souls of KO-35. He's also possessed Jason, Trini, Zack, Yale, and the Silver Space Ranger. With nowhere else to turn, Andros heads to Earth in search of help. Tommy however is sceptical of Andros' sudden change of heart. After all, his thirst for revenge did get him in this position and it's this hubris that's allowed the Death Ranger to possess the Omega Rangers. With assurances that Andros is ready to sacrifice himself if it means stopping the Death Ranger, Tommy signals the team with the classic "It's Morphin! Time!" and with a potential new weapon from Billy in hand, they head off to KO-35.
Upon arriving at KO-35, the Rangers are greeted by the Death Ranger possessed by Jason who attempts to turn the team against Andros. Kimberly meanwhile pleads with Jason to break free from the Death Ranger's control, but with the DR firmly in control - it falls on deaf ears. With no option left to fight the team split up to tackle the Omega Rangers and Zhane, whilst Tommy takes on the DR.
As the fight starts to tip into the Power Ranger's favour, the Death Ranger ups the steaks by calling in the Ultra Omega Zord and combining it with his own Gold Omega Zord to create the Ultra Gold Megazord. With Tommy declaring that this was part of his plan, the rest of the crew call in the Thunder Mega Zord and the Dragon Zord, whilst Arkon, Kevor, and Journey join the fray.
Having these three join the fight is somewhat poignant as each chooses to go toe-to-toe with the one Omega that they were close to - Arkon/Yale, Kevor/Zack, and Journey/Trini. Journey and Trini get the most page time as the "youngster" attempts to plead with her adoptive Mother. It's quite a tender moment as Journey breaks down what Trini and Zack have done for her and the morals she has learnt from them in her short life.
Meanwhile, the Thunder Mega Zord and Dragonzord soon find themselves at a disadvantage to the more advanced Ultra Gold Megazord. While I fully expected the White Tiger Zord to show up, Tommy instead offers his own body in return for saving his friends. With the Death Ranger seemingly about to accept Tommy's offer, Andros aims with the Tricera-Cannon, which catches the Death Ranger's attention.
With nothing left to lose, Andros morphs into the Red Astro Ranger which releases a mass amount of energy that it sends himself, Jason, and the Death Ranger into the Morphing Grid. It's here that we see the idyllic life that the Death Ranger proclaims that Jason is living - his friends are here, and more importantly his late Mother is still alive. Andros soon shatters this illusion as he manages to drag Jason's subconscious through his memories of being a Power Ranger. While it seems to be working, the Death Ranger attempts to use Jason's Mother as a way of keeping control.
What then follows is Jason having a heart-to-heart with the illusion as he tells her about being a Power Ranger, which also allows him to deal with his grief. Now seemingly free from the illusion all that's left to deal with is the Death Ranger (who's now the Gold Omega Ranger). With one almighty uppercut, Jason channels each of his Ranger forms and smashes the Gold Omega Morpher which seems to destroy the Death Ranger...or does it?
With his body destroyed, the Death Ranger is still utilising the Omega's connection to their Zords and as such he's still in control of the powerful weapon. With the Thunder Mega Zord and Dragonzord on their last legs, Matt comes up with a plan to merge the two to create the equally impressive Dragon Thunderzord. With one almighty swing, this new Zord cuts down the Gold Omega Zord, which ends the threat once and for all.
But in true Power Rangers fashion, it doesn't kill off the Death Ranger - who swears revenge.
Flash forwards to one week later and things are relatively back to normal. With the Astro-Megaship repaired, and Zhane back in cryo-sleep, Andros heads off into the sunset. Tommy and Jason share a fleeting moment, while Trini and Zack say an emotional farewell.
Due to expending her energy during the battle, Journey's ageing has been accelerated two-fold. Now an elderly woman, the alien is on her deathbed and surrounded by her loved ones. It's a heartwarming scene which sees Journey call Trini and Zack Mom and Dad, whilst the Rangers wished they had more time with her, they promise to stay to the very end.
(Wipes away the tears)
The tears don't stop there as Jason also has news of his own. Due to his battle with the Death Ranger, Jason has lost his connection to the Morphing Grid. As such he is unable to utilise his powers as the Red Omega Ranger. Not one to back down from a fight, Jason promises Trini and Zack that he will continue to do what he can from Safehaven. This suggestion is rebuffed by Trini who suggests that he instead returns home and spends time with his father.
The milestone issue then comes to a close as Jason finally listens to the voicemail his mother left him. Again, it's quite touching as she explains that Jason's father needs his son and that she wishes that she could thank the Power Rangers for the danger that they put themselves in each day. This is all shown over a gorgeous 3-page montage as new and old teams form, and Jason walks off into the sunset.
As both a celebration of reaching 100-issues and a goodbye from Ryan Parrott, MMPR is a must-read. The pacing is spot-on throughout with a great mixture of dialogue and action. Nothing is too overwhelming either with each section of the narrative getting its amount of time to develop. The switching between the various guest artists was also handled well, with each artist producing some incredible standout pages.
Journey's ageing plot hole was also handled well with an ending that I didn't see coming. I fully expected to see Journey become the new Gold Omega Ranger, but the ending she did get was a perfect send-off to the character.
The overall finale of Jason walking off into the sunset is a bit of a mixed bag. While Jason's involvement is done in a very sensitive manner, with the character listening to the final voicemail of his deceased parent, everything else feels a little rushed. No doubt Missy Flores will delve into the workings of the new Omega Rangers dynamic, but it would have been nice to see Trini become the Red Omega Ranger, to then see Kevor's recruitment as the new Yellow Omega Ranger.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #100 is the perfect goodbye from Ryan Parrott, whose work on these characters has been nothing short of phenomenal. With Missy Flores ushering a new era with #101, it's the perfect time to be a fan of Angel Grove's finest...
Rating: 10/10
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