Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #104: Am I Not Cruel?

The Power Rangers brand has such an amazing roster of villains, but nobody beats out the original big bad — Rita Repulsa. This issue is entirely devoted to the empress of evil and what she’s been up to since we last saw her in the comic book series. And it’s spectacular.

Melissa Flores knows her Power Rangers lore, and it shows right from the first few pages recapping Rita’s comic book history. The comics have emphasized Rita’s loyalties to her outcast henchmen brilliantly, and she’s able to win over a new one here. So rarely do you see a big villain who truly cares about their minions, but Rita does. It’s a captivating trait that makes Rita Repulsa the iconic villainess that she is, and sets her apart from villains like Lord Zedd or Lord Drakkon.

The issue doesn’t just spotlight Rita, however. We see a number of villains from the show such as Divatox and her crew, Master Vile, Darkonda, and Dark Specter. Each of them feel completely true to the source material, further proving how great a fit Flores is for the series. Personally, I really loved seeing Divatox in the issue. Flores even throws in a moment where the pirate queen calls Rita “Frida”, just as the character did in the show.

The art by Kath Lobo (along with Simona di Gianfelice) is fantastic, but that’s not unusual for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series. It’s really amazing how the artists are able to capture such outlandish designs like Master Vile’s. There’s also a shot of Master Vile’s base which reminded me of how dark and nightmarish some aspects of the show tended to be. I live for this stuff.