The Most Perfect Ending — Reviewing ‘MMPR: Darkest Hour’ #1

No matter how dark things might get, there is always that brightly burning spark ready to push back the darkness. As Dark Specter looms large, the spark that is the Power Rangers is exploding in bright colorful hope.

After eight years, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers saga has come to a satisfactory and emotionally heavy ending at BOOM! Studios. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 closes out this chapter under the stewardship of Melissa Flores, Simona Di Gianfelice, Raúl Angulo, Jose Enrique Fernández, and Ed Dukeshire.

Spoiler Warning:

Spoilers are going to follow, this is the finale after all, so turn back now if you haven’t read the issue yet.

And if you haven’t…go do that!

Rangers on Rangers, this is the battle for the very fate of all known timelines and universes that feature those that call themselves Power Rangers. Darkness versus light has been at the core of the series, even in it’s goofiest cheesiest delicious moments, since it first graced our television screens over thirty years ago. Throughout this entire year-long event, plus the many issues before it, Flores has never lost the endearing heart and soul of the series.

We saw Billy pushed to the edge and do something that was harmful to the grid and others. It’s felt even more here as he realizes just how much he screwed up, and what must be done to rectify that. Seeing the characters work together and triumph in the end was so powerful right. Yet, there are consequences from the choices made, and those are just as powerful. A reminder that this series has been able to do a lot of things are more serious “grown up” than often could be accomplished in the original format.

Seeing Billy older, repentant, and still fighting the good fight…what a damn fine way to end this all.

A lot of franchises are very enamored with nostalgia and easter eggs these days. More often than not, just soullessly blasting them at us with a boisterous “HEY, REMEMBER THIS!” every single time. Every so often though, there are those who use the nostalgia and easter eggs in the most careful and correct way. Flores happens to be one of those writers.

Numerous plotlines, characters, story beats, and references are scattered throughout this massive finale (and the previous issues). Never do they feel like just cash grab style easter eggs, but instead ways to remind us of the reach and power of this story. Integrated into the story, informing the emotional and developmental growth of the characters and story alike. Becoming extra sails to help the ship move smoothly rather than extra anchors holding everything back.

Behind all the colorful costumes, weapons, zords, alien beings, and dimensional hijinks is the human element. Keeping that as the core means this series was always destined to succeed, even as the final hour dawns.

Embodying that so well is Di Gianfelice, who brings the whimsical energy and the deeply human emotional and serious energies in tandem. Letting them all exist and flourish, as they give the characters true weight and depth before our eyes. Even as the darkness encroaches there are still readily funny and lighthearted moments that we can see and feel instantly. Keeping that series heart intact.

I love the way that things move thanks to the creative and eccentric paneling choices. Sharp slices of panels with fluid movement, hovering over each other and blending into one another. Keeping things at a rapid pace, as they should be. Our eyes never stop because there is just so much to take in and so much more to follow, we’re bouncing along with the Rangers the whole way.  Being such an action heavy issue, we need this type of energy so that everything has great weight and purpose. Not a moment of space goes unused or wasted.

As usual, Angulo and Fernández pull out all the stops, bringing the brightest, most colorful, and darkest color palettes to play. Multiple spaces have more toned down, neutral style, colors that allow the surroundings to have a familiar feeling to them. It builds a baseline of sorts so that the things beyond it therefore feel accurately outlandish. It’s the villains, Rangers, and magical/supernatural elements that carry the tonal shifts.

We expect things with the Rangers to be all these big loud colorful bursts, and boy to they deliver here. Darkness looms large in the opening and as things progress, it begins to recede. By the time of the final move with Zordon and the final mega morph, the colors and light are so bright there is no feeling other than joy to be felt. It’s almost transcendent in the levels, because this is the moment we’ve been waiting so long for.

All of that waiting and anticipation feels validated when the moment arrives, and the creative team nails it beyond belief. Firing on all cylinders, they all made it sing, so much so I almost leapt out of my seat with my fist pumping.

All this without even mentioning the work of Dukeshire yet, which fully plays a massive role in all I said above. That morphing scene alone loses something without the big giant colorful morphing callout dialogues and symbols. Making me feel and believe every word, giddily cheering as all the familiar eras of Rangers used their iconic morphing calls. Gimmie that good stuff.

Along the way, there is so much of this in the lettering choices that Dukesire always makes. Letting voices have true heft to them, making sure that we really hear every single emotion that the page is meant to evoke. Characters we know, the actors’ voices might be ringing in our minds, but the words being delivered have power even beyond that voice. Light, bright, colorful, and very human in their every appearance.

What a ride it has been, and what a fantastic ending to this saga. Everyone involved very much “understood the assignment” as the Internet likes to say (I sure don’t sound old there). While I’m sad to see the adventures end in a sense, the way that they ended was so tonally perfect that I can’t be sad for long. In fact, I’m kind of keen to go back to the beginning and take the journey again, to appreciate it even more.

Until the next adventure (already teased at SDCC), may the power protect us, always.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 is now available from BOOM! Studios.