The Power Rangers let a little darkness into their world.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers presents a much more difficult challenge than your average licensed comic. It can be a real juggling act to capture that sense of childlike wonder that came with watching the original TV series back in the '90s while also crafting a more complex and narrative-driven comic. It's no longer enough to simply pit the Rangers against one Rita Repulsa-spawned monster after another and call it a day. Fortunately, writer Kyle Higgins and artist Hendry Prasetya have been up to the challenge, and that hasn't changed as they move deeper into their next major conflict.
This new storyline is developing into a surprisingly dark affair, both in terms of tone and literally in terms of lighting. This issue drags the Rangers into a new mission in a remote village in Eastern Europe, one that holds a few fantastical secrets. The result is a nicely action-oriented counterpoint to issue #17, and one that gives pretty much every Ranger a brief moment or two to shine during the course of battle. You have to appreciate Zach's sense of humor, even if none of his teammates do.
But the real fun with this issue comes in seeing a familiar villain from the TV series undergo a significant transformation. Finster has never seemed a terribly imposing character in the past, but here Higgins is able to inject a newfound sense of danger and menace to this outwardly goofy villain. Best of all, he does so in a way that still feels true to the character and avoids skewing dark for the sake of darkness. Also intriguing is the growing focus on the uneasy relationship between the Rangers and their newfound ally, Grace. Grace makes for a suitably ambiguous X-factor in the plot. She doesn't seem entirely trustworthy or selfless, but can the Ranegrs afford to rebuff her help when they're clearly struggling without Zordon's guidance? That dilemma alone is giving the series plenty of forward momentum right now.
Prasetya's art continues to shine even in the darker, moodier setting in this issue. Prasetya captures the power and spectacle fans have come to expect from their Power Ranger battles, but with an added level of grit and texture that gives the issue a vague horror movie quality. And while Prasetya is joined by Daniel Bayliss in the latter half of the issue, the general level of consistency remains high throughout.
The Verdict
The new Power Rangers story arc is off to a strong start. This issue brings a little added darkness to the series, but in a way that enhances the fun rather than distracts from it. This issue plays out as much like an '80s horror movie as a traditional Ranger romp, and the darker, more unsettling take on Finster is already paying off for Higgins and Prasetya. 18 issues in, this series continues to serve as just the sort of modernized update the original Power Rangers deserve.
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