Review: A Massive Battle Setting Up What’s Next In ‘MMPR’ #55

Lord Zedd has pulled out all the stops, turning his minions into new twisted Dark Rangers armed with the Terrorzords. They are going toe-to-toe with the Power Rangers in a way that none of the other monster-of-the-week creations ever have. Zordon’s forces are on the ropes. The Omega Rangers are far out in space. Help is needed and it comes from an unlikely place.

There’s a lot to sift through in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #55, however most of it is a huge action scene. It’s Zord against Zord as Angel Grove is rocked by this epic encounter. What struck me was the difference between the two sides. The Thunderzords have always looked a little blocky, like they can’t move all that much. That contrasts well with the slick flexibility of the Terrorzords. They appear almost like specters dancing around the good guys.
Artist Moises Hidalgo uses a varied layout for these pages adding to the intensity of this showdown. The comic moves at a brisk pace and it’s aided by the dynamic structure of the artwork. I’m still not entirely sold on his artwork as it’s a little rougher for my tastes and the overall aesthetic that has comes to define the Power Rangers, however you can’t deny the excitement of scenes like these.

The Terrorzords, while frightening on their own, don’t really come together with any synergy when they form the Mega Terrorzord. It looks more like you took different pieces from action figures, an army here, a leg there, and mashed them together. The styles don’t mesh in the way the Thunderzords do. They are rather monstrous though, like something out of a horror movie. Letterer Ed Dukeshire matches up the Dark Rangers’ dialogue to their unsettling nature.
There’s a dark cloud hanging over the Power Rangers in this issue as their hope of surviving this battle starts to dwindle. Colorist Igor Monti, aided by Sabrina Del Grosso, captured this feeling well. When salvation does come, in the form of a new Green Ranger, the palette changes to a brighter tone. It’s the dawn of a new day, however there’s still an air of mystery about this. Is this friend or foe?

We can talk about this because it’s been teased for some time. The obvious bet is that Lord Drakkon, the villain and the cause of so much death and destruction, is the man behind the mask, however I did notice how you don’t actually see him in the suit. Sure, it’s strongly implied, but you never see him there, nor does he speak. This leads me to believe that writer Ryan Parrott is pulling a fast one on us, but that could just be my suspicious nature. We’ll find out in the upcoming series, Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #55 serves as the end of this chapter of this saga while also setting up what comes next. While some parts feel a little rushed, it ultimately got us to the next step in this journey. New plot threads are started with lots of potential for interesting stories. I’m still pretty pumped about this franchise and where it’s going.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #55 from BOOM! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.