Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 Review

 

Writer: Melissa Flores

Artist: Simona Di Gianfelice

Colorist: Raúl Angulo & Jose Enrique Fernández

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artist: Taurin Clarke; Björn Barends; Goñi Montes; Trevor Hairsine & Jordan Boyd; Santa Fung; Dan Mora; Mateus Manhanini

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $7.99

Release Date: July 31, 2024

 

Billy violated his fellow Rangers’ trust and shattered the Morphin Grid. Mr Ashford led an attack on the Rangers at Angel Grove. The last power egg is cracking. And Earth relies on Lord Zedd's Serpentera Zord for protection. Can the Power Rangers cure Dark Specter’s infection, restore their corrupted friends, and rebuild the Morphin Grid? Let’s leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 and find out!

 

Story

Zordon can’t stop Dark Specter’s unloving feeling. Chloe Ashford fights her evil dad in Angel Grove. Tommy watches Kimberly march off to war. Rocky and Adam wonder if they have one last fight in them. Melissa Flores gets Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 off with a bang, weaving numerous plotlines into this double-length finale in Boom's 8-year saga.

 

Amid the leave-taking, fighting, and drama, the big story is the assault on the Void. Ari reopened that area of space to the Morphin Grid. Now, the Zeo Crystal planet is up for grabs. The Good, the Bad, and the Infected all want to get their hands on this immense power source, so they forge paths through the Shattered Grid to reach it. The planet the Morphin Masters didn't want people to visit becomes the battleground for the health of everyone everywhere.

 

While friends and lovers depart for the Void, those left behind protect the homefront. Not all who fight are Rangers. Some wish to become Power Rangers. Others were Rangers but lost their superpowers. Lord Zedd protects Earth against the man who took Rita away from him. While Ari mourns her lover’s loss, Remi fights for Dark Specter. She realizes her partner loves her and remembers her feelings for Ari. In Remi's corrupted state, it's just a fact, nothing more.

 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 hums with power as Rangers and their friends battle their foes on many fronts. Yet, at its core, Melissa Flores' story is about generational change. Angel Ashford fights against the Rangers. His daughter Chloe became one. Billy ignored the advice of his friends and elders and shattered the Morphin Grid. Children will forge different paths than their parents. Teachers impart the wisdom of their years, but students embrace different beliefs, values, and outlooks than their mentors. Flores' story reminds us that conflict is inevitable and love is eternal.

 

Art

Like Godzilla and Kong, Serpentera leaps atop Rita’s former Space Skull, but the spaceship escapes Lord Zedd’s zord and hits back with laser fire. Angel Ashford transforms raging thralls into stretchy claws, but his daughter Chloe sprouts wings and dives toward his chest. As Power Rangers battle their corrupted kin, thralls surround aspiring and former Rangers. Rocky and Adam stand before a window, watching Kimberly and Tommy embrace. The wood frame of the paneled window evokes the bars of their cell in Safehaven.

 

Raúl Angulo & Jose Enrique Fernández ground bright, attractive colors with grays and browns on Simona Di Gianfelice’s art in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1. Ari blazes a white zigzag through the purple Void. Blue unites Billy, Zordon, and a holographic globe in a purple control room. Gray soldiers guard gray buildings amid soft green trees in the Bermuda Triangle. A green and purple kaleidoscope bathes Billy, Phantom Ranger, and Dr Kendall Morgan in its Spirographic light. While Billy watches morphed Rangers run into a swirling blue and purple vortex, a cracked white egg rests on a gray pedestal in a similarly colored room surrounded by brown pyramidal pillars.

 

Black and colored uppercase lettering inhabits white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Lowercase black letters on parchment scraps reveal journal entries. Ed Dukeshire’s enlarged colored dialogue accompanies morphing, while sound effects enhance the battle for Earth and Ari’s attack on her corrupted lover’s spaceship. Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 reminds us that healing may leave complications, things and people shattered can be rebuilt but not necessarily restored, and children often forge different paths than their elders.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For more cover art see my reviews at Comic Book Dispatch.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #119 Review

 

Writer: Melissa Flores

Artist: Simona Di Gianfelice & Marco Renna

Colorist: Raúl Angulo & Jose Enrique Fernández

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artist: Taurin Clarke; Björn Barends; Goñi Montes; Michael Walsh; Mateus Manhanini; John Giang; Mark Spears; Madison Goyette

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: April 24, 2024

 

Kiya tried to steal a Power Egg, but Dr. Kendall Morgan and Billy prevented her escape. Will Kiya's actions weaken the shield protecting Earth from Dark Specter? Let’s leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #119 and find out!

 

Story

While Matthew and Aisha train on Promethea, and Trini and Zach battle thralls on the Moon, Kim and Tommy catch up in Angel Grove. Tommy is thankful he escaped Dark Specter and can be with Kim again. Yet, all three couples lean on each other for support.

 

Billy shares their exhaustion. He and Kendall have worked round the clock to protect Earth from Dark Specter. But their shield wouldn’t last forever, and Kiya’s actions have shortened its life.

 

Kiya shares her plans for the Power Egg in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #119. While all the Rangers wonder if they can defeat Dark Specter, Kiya’s solution seems extreme. But every idea helps. Soon, Billy and Kendall suggest an alternative solution. But whether it succeeds or fails, one Ranger must sacrifice for the good of all.

 

There’s a lot to like in Melissa Flores’ story. Despite the odds stacked against them, neither Zordon nor the other Rangers pressure the affected party to make this sacrifice. After the losses they’ve taken, Ranger Slayer reminds them that they are stronger together than apart. Most intriguing is Rita Repulsa’s seeming change of heart. Did Lord Zedd’s disappointment cause it? Or did Dark Specter's attack fundamentally change her?

 

Art

Simona Di Gianfelice and Marco Renna bring electrifying action to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #119 as Billy and Kendall take down Kiya, Trini and Zach battle thralls, and the Rangers defend the Master Arch. Gianfelice and Renna breathe drama into an intertwined three-part dialogue, Trini's conversation with Kiya, and a midbattle act of faith. Rita's henchmen try to help her escape Bandora Palace. The way Rita hangs her head amid her isolation and her expression when she looks up reveals a loss of hope that is painful to behold.

 

Raúl Angulo & Jose Enrique Fernández bring appealing colors and variances in lighting to this issue. The lighting streams up from the ground beneath the moon palace as Lord Zedd walks away carrying Rita's staff. A galaxy of stars surrounds Rita in her isolation. Dappled sunlight brings a cheery glow to Angel Grove Park, artificial overhead lighting cools colors on Promethea, and the illumination in Kiya’s cell comes from the energy beams that bar her exit.

 

Black uppercase lettering inhabits white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Ed Dukeshire’s letter size, line spacing, and contrast between print and backgrounds make Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #119 easy to read. Colorful dialogue and sound effects amp up Billy and Kendall’s battle with Kiya and Dark Specter’s assault on the Master Arch. Yet Dukeshire leaves you heartbroken with the glowing white letters To Be Continued.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Hope battles with despair as the shield protecting Earth weakens before Dark Specter’s invasive infection. Radical plans forge new alliances among heroes and villains, and Rita Repulsa has a change of heart in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #119.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Sarah Myer

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Jack Lawrence & Raúl Angulo; Sarah Myer; Jon Lankry; Paulina Ganucheau

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 29, 2023

 

What? City Hall canceled this year's St. Nick-Con? How will revelers party it up if the NYPD arrests anyone dressed as Santa Claus? Let's order a pizza, tune into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7, and find out!

 

Story

Eddiku Yuri once crafted a magical sword from meteorite ore. Shredder has secured more ore and wants Kai Eddiku to make another. The famed artisan is intrigued by Shedder’s proposition. If only his ancestor had passed down his secret methods of recreating the Tsuba, or hand guard!

 

Luckily for Shredder, an authentic hand guard will be displayed at the Mid-Manhattan Museum of Asian Art next week. Too bad the City Council banned St. Nick-Con! Holiday hooligans in Santa attire would have kept the police force busy! 

 

 

At least Krang still has his duplication beam. Like Rudy Russo in Used Cars, Shredder takes over the airwaves. City Hall can outlaw Santa suits, but they haven't banned other costumes! Forget St. Nick-Con. Shreddercon will be even better!

 

Leonardo suspects Shredder is planning something. But they can't arrest Rocksteady and Bebop for giving away costumes, even if the fabric is itchy and scratchy. (No wonder Shredder is always so irritable!) So, the turtles need to observe the festivities and try to spot the real Shredder amid so many imitations. And no, Mikey, you can't wear the helmet!

 

Erik Burnham’s story shows how easily holiday fun can get out of hand. It reminds us that the turtles may be superheroes, but they're weaker in some ways than humans. As for Krang and Shredder, both villains share the same goal in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7 but choose different ways to accomplish it.  

 

 

Art

Sarah Myer opens Burnham's story in the greenhouse of a rooftop garden. Shredder may be a villain, but it's easier to identify with the lithe, good-looking villain than brainy Krang inside his avian cybernetic suit. Dressed like the hoodlums who get their clothes stolen by the Terminator, Rocksteady and Bebop's fear is palpable when facing their master's wrath. Yet their glee shows when they don their costumes and execute his wishes. Backgrounds may vanish in closeups, but Sarah Myer delivers action and people-packed panels in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7.

 

While gray and purple invade pages, Luis Antonio Delgado’s vibrant colors prevent a hostile takeover. Contrasting color combinations may lessen readers’ ability to observe and report turtle identities, but our heroes in a half shell stand out amid the surging Shredder Sea. Even if Bebop, Rocksteady, and the Shredder lookalikes can't match the artistry of Miles Morales, Delgado gives their efforts potency in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7. (Don’t look at your back, Mikey!)

 

 

 

Uppercase italicized black lettering fills white dialogue balloons. Words darken for emphasis and occasionally shrink for lowered voices. Ed Dukeshire’s appealing sound effects help us hear water spraying, swords swishing through slushies, and the annoying honking of air horns. Give those a rest, Shredder Clones, please!

 

Thanks to IDW for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While returning readers to the era of rabbit-ear TVs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #7 reminds us that everyone celebrates the holidays differently, benefactors may use and discard you, and artistry is better encouraged than demanded.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #114 Review

 

Writer: Melissa Flores

Artist: Simona Di Gianfelice

Colorist: Raúl Angulo & Jose Enrique Fernández

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artist: Taurin Clarke; Björn Barends; Goñi Montes; Francesco Mattina; Carlos Dattoli; John Giang; Erica D’Urso & Igor Monti

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 22, 2023

 

Adam and Rocky are prisoners in Safehaven. To pass the time, the Earthlings call out to other cells. Rangers from other planets, times, and dimensions answer. Who put them behind bars and why? Let’s leap into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #114 and find out!

 

Story

Mistress Vile summoned Dark Specter and infected the Morphin Grid. The villains control interstellar travel via the master arch on Safehaven. On Earth, Billy tried to use Power Eggs to repair the arch in the Bermuda Triangle and mount a mission to Safehaven. Instead, he summoned the Phantom Ranger, who sought to warn the Emissaries before the infection trapped him.

 

Kim, Zack, and other rangers battle Finster’s horde at the Angel Grove Quarry. Their furry adversary has more than thralls up his sleeves. As he transforms a crane into a mechanical monster, Kim worries. With half their ranger gone, they can’t form a Megazord to defeat it.

 

Melissa Flores delivers a complex, multilayered story in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #114. Franchise newbies may have trouble following the epic storyline and long-form drama. Yet it’s easy to understand that Mistress Vile and Dark Specter intend to conquer the universe. In spreading their infection through the Morphin Grid, they can turn every ranger who uses it over to their side. Can Adam, Rocky, and the other captive rangers on Safehaven resist joining Dark Specter’s army?

 

Art

Simona Di Gianfelice’s characters leap into battle in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #114. They fight hand-to-hand and wield razor-sharp weapons. The thralls slash with fearsome claws, and spikes protrude from their heads and bodies. Despite his beguiling appearance, Finster’s poise and eyes radiate power and wisdom. An immense beast in the Distant Breach tantalizes. Will we see it again?

 

Raúl Angulo & Jose Enrique Fernández load their palettes with appealing colors. Red lasers bar occupants’ cells on Safehaven. Light streams through the dark cave in the Bermuda Triangle, illuminating the gray Phantom Ranger. Bright backgrounds enhance the action in closeups while the rangers battle thralls and Finster’s creation beneath an azure sky. An intense explosion in the quarry evokes a space traveler’s view from inside a storm-wracked nebula.

 

Black uppercase lettering inhabits white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Melissa Flores doesn’t stint on the dialogue. But thanks to letter size, line spacing, and contrast between print and backgrounds, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #114 is easy to read. Ed Dukeshire’s beautiful sound effects enhance the action. While some rangers get black dialogue balloons, Dark Specter’s words appear as red letters in puffy white clouds. Does that mean he's a thoughtful and contemplative guy?

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While the Power Rangers defend Earth against Finster’s thralls, and Mistress Vile and Dark Specter conscript heroes into their army, Zordon finds comfort in reuniting with an old friend.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6 Review

 

Writer: Erik Burnham

Artist: Sarah Myer

Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Cover Artists: Jack Lawrence & Raúl Angulo; Dan Schoening & Raúl Angulo; Travis Hymel; Jon Sommariva & Jean-Francois Beaulieu

Publisher: IDW

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 25, 2023

 

The Turtles want to watch wrestling, but April's covering the mayoral debate. Master Splinter says they should be politically aware. So the Turtles remain on the couch. What issues will the candidates address? And what's their position on pizza? Let's tune into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6 and find out!

 

Story

With the candidates running neck and neck, great answers are crucial. Mr. Polk downplays the New York Hamburger Association's fears over the rise in pizzerias. As he points out, New York is the Pizza Capital Of The World. Before Polk’s opponent can reply, another candidate takes the stage. Chrome Dome announces his candidacy on behalf of the Foot Party. But will voters accept a third-party candidate? And who would vote for an evil robot?

 

 

 

While the Turtles thought Chrome Dome was dead, they've no objections to dismantling him again. But as Donatello points out, Chrome Dome is playing by the rules. If they attack him, they'll be the villains. So the gang must sit on their green thumbs as the robot campaigns in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6. Chrome Dome will slip up sooner or later, right? When he does, they'll be ready to take him down!

 

Erik Burnham infuses his story with cheeky humor and pop culture references. The Turtles occasionally break the fourth wall and address their TV series creators. Twists and turns accompany reflections on the democratic process and voters' concerns. As relevant today as when the original animated TV series aired, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6 satisfies.

 

If only the movie mentioned on the final page was real! 

 

 

 

Art

Thanks to Sarah Myer, the turtles look good from any angle. They’re expressive and move well, whether leaping into battle, relaxing on the couch, or wearing disguises at April’s TV station. Chrome Dome resembles a Cylon Centurian wearing a Colonial Warrior’s helmet.

 

Luis Antonio Delgado’s vibrant colors enhance Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6’s all-ages appeal. While gray invades panels and pages, it never overwhelms.

 

Uppercase black lettering inhabits white dialogue balloons, while white letters glow amid Chrome Dome's black fields. All are easy to read thanks to letterer Ed Dukeshire. Sound effects enhance the action when the Party Wagon hits the streets, swords clang against metal arms, and Chrome Dome activates his weaponry in this pleasurable plot involving politics, pandering, and (What else?) pizza!  

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

An idealist discovers what paves the road to hell in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #6.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Radiant Black #25 Review

 

Radiant Black #25 Review

Writers: Kyle Higgins & Joe Clark

Pencillers: Marcelo Costa & Eduardo Ferigato

Inkers: Marcelo Costa & Paulo Daniel Santos

Colorist: Rod Fernandes & Raúl Angulo

Letterer: Becca Carey

Covers: Marcelo Costa

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 19, 2023

 

Stopping the giant robots from space came with a price: Nathan and Marshall broke Radiant Black. Recovering their superpowers meant jumping into a black hole, enduring more threats to their existence, and facing one terrible fact: Radiant Black isn't a timeshare. Which man will take sole ownership of Radiant Black, and how will it impact their lifelong friendship? Let's leap into Radiant Black #25 and find out!

 

Story

Nathan and Marshall are closer than many married couples. After the robots destroyed Marshall's home, Nathan left Illinois to keep his friend company at Marshall's uncle's house in Wisconsin. Their friend Wendall uses his powers as Radiant Yellow to perceive potential futures but struggles to see the best—or only—way forward. Thus, the dilemma remains: the friends must choose. One will become Radiant Black, and the other must become The Man In The Chair. Either that or these lifelong friends must split up.

 

Okay, well and good. Up to that, I understand. In preparing for this review, I read Radiant Black #1 online, available for free on the Image website. I also read the previous six issues collected in the thoroughly enjoyable Radiant Black Volume 4 trade paperback, which also comes out today. I figured I was good to go with Radiant Black #25.

 

Then the alien called .001 whisks Wendall, Nathan, and Marshall off to a corporate dreamscape: likely the one the guys visited in the previous issue. Their colleagues Radiant Pink and Red are there, and .001 tells them the history of the Radiant suits. Suddenly he’s using terminology I don’t understand, and much of what he says goes over my head. It likely speaks to long-time readers, but he lost me.

 

I'm uncertain if Red and Pink participated in dreamscape events, and fuzzy on what happened to Wendall later. Perhaps I shouldn’t have reviewed Radiant Black #25, but I was curious about the Massive universe and thought I'd done my homework. Still, I enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing what happens next.

 

Art

The font style is pleasing and easy to read. I like the way different speakers get colored lettering. I love the energizing sound effects. As neither Nathan nor Marshall is good at making important decisions or sharing their feelings, the font shrinks when either makes a difficult admonition.

 

The coloring reflects all the nuance and variety of our world. Characters have depth and vitality. Panels shine when the Radiants use their powers. When the characters visit the cosmic dreamscape, the bright hues invoke awe.

 

Characters inhabit lifelike scenes in Radiant Black #25. You relate to them and feel as if they belong. People and objects never feel superimposed or pasted in. Even if you don't understand what's happening, you'll believe in what you see.

 

 

 

CRUCIAL INFORMATION but also a SPOILER ALERT

 

Radiant Black #25 comes with two cover options. Events play out identically in each until the friends make a decision. Then their paths diverge. In Cover A, Marshall takes ownership of Radiant Black. In Cover B, Nathan assumes the role. As with Marshall and Nathan, you must choose which cover to buy and which path to follow. Either that or buy both. The two covers look like they form an interlocking scene. Just don't get into debt like Nathan, okay?

 

Curious? Reach the first issue on the Image website. It's free!

 

Final Thoughts

Dilemmas and revelations dominate Radiant Black #25, an exhilarating cosmic romp grounded in human foibles.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

 

Read Radiant Black #1 free on the Image website.