MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (2016-) #118 Review

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #118 is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Melissa Flores, illustrated by Simona Di Gianfelice with Marco Renna, coloured by Raúl Angulo with Jose Enrique Fernández and lettered by Ed Dukeshire. Main cover art (left) is by Taurin Clarke.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #118 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.

Synopsis

Reality hits Mistress Vile hard and she does the unthinkable, which puts her in dire straits, to the point where her survival is on the line!  As Dark Specter’s relentless assault continues, Mistress Vile finds refuge in a familiar place, but finds unexpected company.  But most importantly, where will fate lead a trapped Tommy, desperate to reunite with the other Rangers?

Review

With last month’s issue, BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers latest arc reached a huge turning point. One there is very little coming back from. Mistress Vile appeared to make a choice that will have far reaching consequences on the battle with Master Vile but also her future as the Empress of Evil. With the “Darkest Hour” arc beginning a new trajectory, Melissa Flores and the creative team aren’t shying away from pushing these characters to their limits.

Holed up under the rainbow barrier around Rita and Zedd’s moon base, Ranger Zedd and the two Trinis are as close to catching a breath as this story arc will allow. It doesn’t feel like we’ve had much time to collect our thoughts since Master Vile returned but here it is. A stolen moment to reflect on recent losses and unrequited feelings. There’s absolutely no denying that “Darkest Hour” will have far reaching consequences for any of the Rangers (who survive) but that’s a story for another day. For now this is purely about catching a rest when and where able. Both for the characters and for us as readers.

Flores’ sense of pacing is really quite exquisite. There’s a rhythm that runs across this whole arc which flows incredibly naturally. Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture there are so many elements at play, from multiversal characters to Morphin Masters, that it could easily become overwhelming. But the way the story is constructed means that never happens. Even in issue #118 there are multiple storylines but each is so distinct that they work as pieces of the overall puzzle. There’s also significant development for several key characters from the main timeline.

I don’t know how many issues are left in this arc. But there is a definite sense of plot threads beginning to coalesce, particularly with Ranger Slayer Kimberly returning from her recent Power Rangers Unlimited adventure. Key emotional points within the plot also feel like they’re reaching resolution in order for our heroes to regroup in time for a final push. It’s particularly satisfying to see the relationships between Trini, Zack and Jason renewed. Since the dual Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers books have reunited we’ve spent less time with the Omega Rangers are they have become supporting players. Their scenes in issue #118 play out like a neat coda to their own series.

Meanwhile all eyes will be fixed on developments between Rita and Zedd. Of course fans of the TV show know what happens to these two in the long run. But we’re now so far from TV series cannon that it’s exciting to watch them treading a new path. With Rita entirely alienated from Master Vile it seems, for one brief moment, like she may reconcile with her former flame. But towards the end of issue #118 we get a bone chilling sequence between the two which features some of Flores’ most ominous dialogue. Going in to the next stretch of the storyline it will be interesting to see where each of the villainous characters places themselves.

Once again Simona Di Gianfelice, Marco Renna, Raúl Angulo and Jose Enrique Fernández do an incredible job bringing Flores’ story to life. All of those characters and elements I’ve mentioned are all alive on the page. Each is able to keep up with the pacing of Flores’ script, pivoting to each new location and moving fluidly between each group of characters as if it were scenes in the TV show.

Verdict

Another blockbuster chapter in the “Darkest Hour” arc. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an unstoppable juggernaut with Flores captaining the ship as our characters face what appears to be certain doom once again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐