Tommy finds the darkest timeline.
The future is here, and it's not looking good for the time-lost teens with attitude. The latest from Kyle Higgins and Hendry Prasetya further taps into the vast mythology at their disposal, making for a uniquely exciting and visually immersive installment.
Given the dramatic nature of last month's reveal, it wouldn't have been at all unexpected had Higgins decided to let the mystery linger. He instead opts to do the exact opposite, quickly confirming that Tommy and Billy have in fact been transferred to an alternate reality. Of course, the actual nature of that reality goes quite a bit further, as its revealed that Lord Drakkon, aka Tommy 2.0, once walked a very similar path to our own Green Ranger. Good versus evil can be an all too simple concept if handled incorrectly, and Higgins does a nice job of differentiating the two Tommy's beyond their seemingly obvious inclinations. At this point Tommy is largely viewed as a "good guy", but he's also conflicted, knowing full well the origins of his massive power. In Lord Drakkon, we don't get a character who succumbs to the evil energy, but rather submits to it, and it's that dichotomy that provides the book's strongest character moments.
The key word there is character, however, as the strongest part of the issue is undoubtedly the sheer wealth of Ranger lore Higgins plumbs from its history. If the introduction of the tiger saber, Saba, was the trickle, issue #12 is the dam burst, Higgins' alternate reality one rife with Ranger references. Even better, they're spread across a wide variety of incarnations, with a slew of familiar Zords and different Ranger eras gracing the page. It's a bit disappointing that it all plays out via flashbacks--though limited in length, the sense of drama and heightened stakes hits harder than most anything we've seen up to this point--but it also proves that Higgins knows how to turn on the juice. The numerous callbacks do run the risk of alienating those not familiar with the series' many different teams, but extended knowledge isn't required to enjoy the sheer scope of the tale.
That scope is expertly provided by artist Prasetya. He's drawn some big issues before, but here he really delivers some excellent spreads, ably using scale and perspective to fully convey the enormity of the various situations. The recent Justice League/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers crossover proved that it takes more than just accurate costume designs to deliver an exciting Power Rangers tale, and it's Prasetya's kinetic sense of movement that makes his level of detail so inviting. This truly feels like an episode come to life, everything from the fluid action choreography to the massive Megazords leaping off the page. If there's any nitpick it's that Prasetya's civilian characters still feel weirdly undercooked when compared to the hyper detail of his costumes and settings, but at this point it's likely just a matter of preference.
Kyle Higgins and Hendry Prasetya spent the first few arcs playing it safe, and now they finally seem ready to test the vast potential their series presents. Issue #12 continues to move the needle in the right direction, and while it will be a test to see if they can maintain that same level of immersion sans reference heavy flashbacks, the plotting set up here makes it a pretty safe bet.
The Verdict
Kyle Higgins and Hendry Prasetya open up the toy chest, making great initial use of their alternate reality setup. Higgins uses the extended flashback sequence to shine a different light on the Tommy character, as well as to highlight the many different eras of Ranger lore. Prasetya's epic action and strong sense of tone make for an especially exciting chapter that calls to mind the best aspects of the original source material.
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