Rob reviews Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #102...
Reunited and Recharged, the new era of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers got off to a fantastic start. Now under the tenureship of Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice, the Rangers have been thrown straight back into the thick of things.
With machinations of the past now reaching their fruition, this era has already blown all expectations out of the figurative water. And with Rita Repulsa - or should that be Mistress Vile - back on the scene, things are heating up nicely!
There's quite a lot to unpack here, so let's jump straight in!
We're back once again on the Moon as Rita reacquaints herself with the Rangers. In a show of might - and along with their new companion Vessel, she wastes no time in taking Tommy, Matt, and Kimberley out of the fight. Elsewhere, Rocky and Aisha manage to thwart Finnster and the Throne monster and then head to back up the rest of the team.
As Tommy holds off Mistress Vile and Vessel, a badly beaten Lord Zedd crawls his way over to Matt and begs the Green Ranger to take him to Zordon. Seeing how outmatched they are, Tommy then orders the rest of the team to leave whilst he and Kimberly cause a distraction.
With the rest of the team (along with Lord Zedd, Goldar, and Baboo) heading to the Serpentera, it's over to Tommy and Kimberly as they face off against Mistress Vile and Vessel. It's not particularly a fair fight as the duo soon overpower - and even manage to de-morph Kimberly. As the battle looks lost, Matt arrives and with the power of Lord Zedd's staff, manages to cause enough of a distraction to allow Tommy and Kimberly to escape.
Come to the conclusion of the issue and the figurative ball is in the bad guy's court. The Rangers have suffered quite a substantial loss, and Matt is now the captive of Mistress Vile and Vessel. As Lord Zedd manages to brief Zordon on the situation, we then see the evil duo claiming what they came to the Moon for - the Zeo Crystal.
If you had any doubts about the direction Melissa Flores would take Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, they have well and truly been squashed. The story that's being built here has been breathtaking to read so far. Across the whole series there have been times that the Rangers have suffered defeat, but this time it does feel like a defeat. This whole issue is essentially Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice showing just how much of a threat Rita is under her Mistress Vile guise. And that's quite an accomplishment considering that the Rangers have seen off threats such as Lord Drakkon, The Emperyals, and even the Death Ranger.
This resurgent power is greatly enhanced by having Lord Zedd reduced to a mess. The fact that Zedd has been the "big bad" for so long, seeing him easily beaten into submission is quite a sight. And while Zedd and Zordon have a past (see The Eltarian War arc), it's surprising to see the former Eltarian Supreme Guardian seek sanctuary with his bitter rival.
Vessel is also a curiosity. While I'm not up to scratch on the intricacies of Power Ranger lore, a quick search on Vessel shows up zero results - so I'm guessing they're a new character? Even so, the fact that they can interact with the Zeo Crystal without being turned inside out shows just how powerful this new being is. There's also a possible hint to the character's history as he seems to recognize Tommy as the White Ranger. Could this be someone we've seen before?
While Flores gives her characters equal time in the spotlight, it does seem that this arc could be centering around Matt and his relationship with the group. Across the BOOM! Studios' MMPR comics, we've seen the group's dynamic change towards Matt. Up until his reveal as the Green Ranger, Matt has essentially been a shadow in the group. He wasn't chosen as a Ranger during the initial run, and even though Billy once touted Matt as his replacement, it never came to fruition.
The opening flashback to three years prior is both a nice callback to simpler times, and shows how much the dynamic has changed. What starts as Trini and Zack convincing Matt to give "newcomer" Kimberly a second date, soon ends with Matt on the outside looking in as the trio wanders off without him. It's something that's going to play off in the future, as it's how things are now. Even though he's the Green Ranger, it still does feel like Matt is the outsider. It also feels that Mistress Vile knows this too and that she's going to use Matt's connection to the Dragon Coin to possibly corrupt the youngster - much like she did with Tommy.
And, to further add fuel to this argument. The Dragon Zord is also still on the Moon. Could the Zord and its Ranger soon be treated to a Zeo upgrade?
All in all, Melissa Flores, Simona Di Gianfelice, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire have pulled out all the stops - yet again - to make this issue an incredible read. The re-introduction of Rita Repulsa as Mistress Vile has allowed new depth to be given to the fan-favorite. While she was never a "pushover", this new guise feels like she's going to do some destructive damage to the Power Ranger ethos. The return of the Zeo Crystal also makes for an interesting premise, and have we also forgotten that the Dark Spectre is also out there in the dark?
Whether you're a Power Ranger fan, or not, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a comic that needs to be experienced!
Rating: 10/10
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