Having escaped Lord Drakkon’s grip, the Ranger Slayer now acts on her own. But what does she have to gain from attacking Billy?
Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #12
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Dan Mora
Cover Artist: Dan Mora
Cover Artist (Ranger Variant): Miguel Mercado
Cover Artist (Subscription Variant): Audrey Mok
Cover Artist (Movie Variant): Natacha Bustos
Cover Colors: Raúl Angulo
Publisher: Boom! Studios
What You Need to Know:
The Morphing Grid is under attack. Lord Drakkon, an alternate timeline Tommy Oliver who remained by the side of Rita Repulsa, has begun a war against the Power Rangers. His efforts to tap into the Morphing Grid and become an all-powerful being has fractured the Grid, splintering the once continuous timeline into their own self-contained universes. After killing the original Tommy Oliver, Lord Drakken has attacked Ranger after Ranger Team. Gaining access to their portion of the Morphing Grid and increasing his and his armies powers. But even with his army, he can’t be everywhere at once nor has he succeeded on all fronts.
In the timeline with the original Mighty Morphing Power Rangers, before they met Tommy Oliver, they’ve encountered the mysterious Ranger Slayer. Lord Drakkon’s right hand and former Pink Ranger, Kimberly Hart. After her skirmishes with the original Ranger team, she has broken free of Lord Drakkon’s control and is working on her own. But to what ends remains to be seen…
What You’ll Find Out:
We open up with a flashback of Alternate Kimberly’s past as she battles Lord Drakkons Tyrannosaurus Sentries. A feat that impresses Lord Drakkon but ultimately, proves futile as he easily catches the arrow meant to end his life. Lord Drakkon wonders why after all the years of him and Alternate Kimberly fighting, neither has taken the others life. Alternate Kimberly isn’t feeling sentimental and suggests it’s just because she never had a clear shot on him. This amuses Lord Drakkon who offers her a spot by his side. But she’s ever the defiant one and unleashes her arrows once more after saying she lost her chance to save him long ago. This enrages Lord Drakkon who uses magic he learned from the now deceased Rita Repulsa to bend her to his will. Giving birth to the Ranger Slayer.
In her past but our present; we return to the Mighty Morphing Red Ranger, Jason Lee Scott, and his family. Several issues ago Jason has discovered that his father was sick with a currently undisclosed illness, and is now forcing the family to deal with it. That even though his father wants to deal with it on his own privately, with it being a matter of life and death, he should share with them. His father angrily counters that he’s surely an expert at fifteen years old. Unaware of him being a Power Ranger and facing down life & death situations on a daily basis. Jason stands his grounds and eventually gets the family to talk about whatever was going on directly. Prompting the scene to switch back to the Command Center. There we pick up right where the last issue left off. Ranger Slayer has just rendered Billy, the Blue Ranger, unconscious. She apologizes for having to do this to Billy and prepares to leave but is discovered by Kimberly. Kimberly Morphs as Ranger Slayer tries to explain the situation when Alpha’s alert triggers. Having to choose between helping Billy and the civilians or stopping Ranger Slayer, Kimberly chooses the former.
A pair of monsters have been sent to attack the city and the Zords are already in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, so is Matt who insists on discovering why he was so important to Rita. Unable to wait for his friends, who are actually the Power Rangers, he leaves to the scene on his own. But this battlefield is a particularly dangerous one. The Megazord is unable to handle the pair of monsters as it’s still undergoing repairs from its previous fight with the Gravezord. As the battle rages, Matt stumbles upon the Ranger Slayer as she carries an eerily familiar green crystal and prepares to reenter her abandoned Gravezord. Matt tries to text the Rangers once more but there is no signal. The Gravezord frees itself from the rubble which forces Matt out of hiding and face to face with the helmetless Ranger Slayer…Matt now discovering Kimberly, even if a different Kimberly, is a Power Ranger before she apologizes for keeping it a secret. Elsewhere, the battle against the two monsters continues to spiral downward as systems continue to fail the Megazord. But they are saved by the Gravezord who arrives and merges with them to form the Mega-Gravezord.
With the Gravezord aiding the Power Rangers as the Mega-Gravezord remotely, Ranger Slayer leaves on her own to complete a different mission. Locating the Tommy Oliver of this timeline as he trains alone in a closed gym. She attacks the future Green Ranger and admits she couldn’t take him in a fair fight to his confusion. He asks why she’s trying to kill him before she fires the green tipped arrow into his chest. Giving him a surge of future memories as the Green Ranger including his death at the hands of Lord Drakkon and his possible future as the White Ranger.
With the newly powered Mega-Gravezord, the Power Rangers are easily able to dispatch the two monsters before the Gravezord disappears without warning. We then discover the weakened Ranger Slayer being discovered by Grace Sterling, Zordon’s original Red Ranger and leader of Promethea. Future creators of Lost Galaxy’s Terra Venture Colony. We also get a brief update on Rita who is infuriated at losing once again and admitting she’d have to do something she swore she’d never do. Finally, we jump scenes once more to Matt as he confronts the group about being Power Rangers. Never directly saying the word Power Rangers but heavily implying it and that he’d keep their secret safe. He does, however, chew them out for how painful it is to be lied to his face by them time and time again. Eventually giving them an ultimatum; stop lying and admit it face-to-face or watch him leave and never talk to any of them again. The Rangers are visually pained by this but all remain silent as Matt walks out of there lives once and for all…
What Just Happened?
The Power Rangers Shattered Grid event continues to be a resounding hit. We’ve got the final piece of Ranger Slayers origin story, a setup for the return of Tommy and the creation of the White Ranger, and the explanation for why Matt isn’t seen with the team in the future. While the story itself is somewhat self-contained within the greater context of Shattered Grid, it didn’t feel like a filler issue. We now know the full tale of Ranger Slayer and now wonder what her fate will be with Promethea. Not only that; but a possible loophole to Tommy’s death at Lord Drakkon’s hands. Rita Repulsa is also scheming something and given how we’ve been seeing references and cameos from future characters like Psycho Green (Power Rangers in Space), Dark Specter (Power Rangers in Space), & Terra Venture (Power Rangers Lost Galaxy) before Shattered Grid one can only imagine what’s in store. Given its past Rita, does this mean we’re getting the first direct appearance of Lord Zedd beyond a flashback?
While it may seem odd to jump so frequently between scenes, it’s actually what helps set Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers from Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. Go Go being more focused on the emotional growth of the Rangers into the team they would become in Mighty Morphing. So even if it’s just for a single page or only several panels, we get brief glimpses into their lives or emotional state. Though the great expressive art, even while wearing helmets, serves this same purpose.
The art across the board is amazing. Fittingly, as a Power Rangers series, they use colors to great effect. Mixing the bright vibrant colors equally dramatic but still visually standout coloring. This is especially noticeable in the dramatic group shots and poses of the Zords. The Zords continue to have a great sense of scale to fit their unintentionally destructive nature but maintain the vibrant heroic colors they’re known for. The stylized art when the Mega-Gravezord was formed showing both the Gravezord and Megazord on the sides was a really nice touch. It was used to even better effect when Tommy had his surge of Green memory. Having both the background and different surfaces on his helmet and armored vest to reference a different memory.
Rating: 10/10
Final Thought: This issue is a latest in my favorite Event Comic of 2018. It continues to add depth to the Rangers we knew while adding new things with the story they’ve created. It felt like an outright superhero story without any unnecessary politics or overbearing messages that could drag it down. It’s well written, well drawn, and all around just a treat to read. Even if you didn’t grow up with the Power Rangers, there are things for you that you can enjoy. But for those who do, this makes for a proper anniversary event instead of the previous one that fell rather short of expectations and hopes.
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