Review: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 43

Comic Credits

  • Writer: Ryan Parrot
  • Illustrator: Daniele Di Nicuolo
  • Colors: Walter Baiamonte
  • Color Assistance: Katia Ranalli
  • Letters: Ed Dukeshire
  • Cover: Jamal Campbell
  • Editor: Dafna Pleban

 

Warning: This review will contain spoilers for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers issue 43.

 

We are morphing straight into Issue 43, as we start off with Billy recapping the fight with Dayne. Now, to say the Rangers took a lost is an understatement, given Billy’s recap of events. Dayne started the battle targeting Kimberly and broke her thumb, taking the long range fighter out. Dayne proceeded to then blind Rocky, use psychological warfare on Adam, and nearly booted Aiesha out of the issue. Okay, maybe Dayne did not boot Aiesha of the issue, but he did live up to his own hype. We then discover what Dayne’s true intentions were, to single-out Tommy and battle him one-on-one. However, Dayne’s intent for the entire battle was not to kill the Rangers, but defeat them and assert his dominance.

 

Now as the recap occurs, Zordon admits to knowing of Dayne being Lord Zedd’s assassin, which caused even me to question Zordon. Like if someone knows a threat like Dayne can potentially come to challenge the Power Rangers, as a mentor Zordon should be preparing the Rangers for the inevitable. Dayne’s expertise as an assassin should immediately place him under the “must know” category for any Ranger to prep for. Also, I consider Dayne to be a tier over Goldar or Rito in the power-rankings of Mighty Morphin in general, especially with what occurs at the end of the issue. However, Zordon’s negligence in regards to Dayne does fit his character though, as in the television series he left the Rangers on a need to know basis.

 

As Zordon continues on describing Dayne and his methods, he deduces that Dayne leaving them alive is apart of a greater plan. In addition, Zordon explains how Tommy is trying to discover the extent of the White Ranger powers which allowed him to be defeated. Now, the accompanying panels to the explanation are incredible! The panels show moments in Tommy and Dayne’s fight which ultimately lead to Tommy’s defeat, as well as the Rangers currently treating him in the Command Center. The battle is great as it is nice to see Tommy get knocked down a peg; especially when in the television series he was “protected” by production, as Tommy Oliver/ Jason David Frank was the poster child of the series. Also, Wheelz reminded me that normally if Tommy lost in show it was due to the Dairanger footage of season 2 versus the American produced footage. Nevertheless, Tommy’s loss here will build the drama and hype for the Rangers to ultimately prevail against Dayne. Yet, I do not see that victory occurring anytime soon.

 

Following the Mighty Morphin team’s defeat, the story transitions to the Omega Rangers on Breel. Here we immediately pick up where issue 42 left off, as Queen Adriyel ousts the Omega Rangers in attendance at her ball. However, the Rangers discover they can hear each other’s thoughts again, but thanks to their connection with the Morphing Grid their powers remain intact. This allows the team to better prep into the immediate they are thrown into. Jason attempts to fight Adriyel one-on-one, where she realizes Jason is not the same red as before. For those unaware, the last time the Rangers fought Adriyel it was during the color transfer in Go Go Power Rangers, where Trini was the Red Ranger. During the battle, Adriyel attempts to take out the Rangers ship, but the attack is not launched. Adriyel then retreats to find the person in charge of the attack, Cavotus.

 

We then transition to the moon, there Lord Zedd confronts Dayne on why he did not kill the Rangers when he had the chance. Dayne’s explanation regarding his first battle with the Rangers and his plans moving forward are solid! Dayne wants to break the leader, Tommy, first and foremost. It will then pressure the remaining Rangers to fight as if they are wounded, and then he will proceed with destroying the Zords. Eventually, Dayne will continue until either one Ranger or they all crack, so they will surrender Zordon over to Lord Zedd. This entire interaction shows readers that Dayne has thought everything through, and expects to bank on obtaining those exact results. Dayne then proceeds to take one of Zedd’s Growth Bombs and returns to Earth.

 

Returning to the b-plot with the Omega Rangers on Planet Breel, readers get introduced to Cavotus. Now, Cavotus is an alien strapped to a throne that uses him as a battery to power Adriyel’s super-weapon. Readers easily sympathize with Cavotus because he clearly does not want to be used as a source to kill. The Omega Rangers realize that their mission is to save Cavotus, and break him out of his prison. The Omega Rangers battle with Adriyel makes it to Cavotus’ chamber, there Adriyel vows she will lay siege to the universe. However, Cavotus manages to get free of the throne and murders Adriyel, using the chains that held him to snap her neck. Then Cavotus willingly turns himself over to the Omega Rangers, pleading to have the power be taken from him. Through this issue readers easily get to see how someone can come to hate the power they now wield, and seek to be free from it.

With the mission successful, the Omega Rangers along with Cavotus rejoin Xi to return to Safehaven. However, when they arrive the team discovers Blue Emissary intends to confine Cavotus to the vault. The Emissary’s belief is that Cavotus is a danger to the team not just because of his power, but how he chose to bend to Adriyel to kill with it. In addition, the Blue Emissary focuses on how Cavotus killed Adriyel when the Ranger had her defeated. Yet, the Rangers see fault in the Blue Emissary’s reasoning, since Cavotus was corrupted through torture. Whereas, the Blue Emissary rebuttals that Rangers must place the future in his judgement, as he placed his trust in them. The actual line in the comic even highlights the words ‘future’ and ‘trust,’ as this is an obvious foreshadowing of events to come. One theory floating around currently, is that Necessary Evil is going to be how the Blue Emissary is taking the course of the future into his hand. With the Blue Emissary’s actions showcasing the TV trope of “Light is Not Good.”

 

Disgruntled by the Blue Emissary’s decision, Trini leaves the base on Safehaven to listen to a voicemail from Kimberly. In the message, Kim explains how she really feels about Jason, Zack, and Trini leaving the team to go to Switzerland. A part of Kimberly thinks our Omega Rangers lost their edge, especially with how things began to get rough with Lord Zedd. Kim then quickly changes the subject to how things currently are with Tommy being injured, and Dayne scaring her. The message makes me happy to see a Ranger be genuinely afraid for once, and it not being a spell! It really humanizes the Rangers, and it makes me the reader want them to overcome this fear, this obstacle that is Dayne. Yet, the message is overlaid the current event transpiring, as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers head out to face an enlarged Dayne with their Thuderzords. However, as the messages plays out and the Thunder Megazord is formed, Dayne strikes it down with a direct attack to the cockpit; only for the issue to end with “To Be Continued…”

 

Overall, this is another great issue within our current arc, Necessary Evil! The ending makes me wonder what will happen in the next issue, as Dayne feels utterly unstoppable. Also, with the theory mentioned early on how the Blue Emissary being the ‘necessary evil,’ I hope that it does not entirely end that way. However, I would not be too surprised if that theory is good hypothesis to help predict possible future events. Nevertheless, A huge credit to Ryan, Daniele, Walter, Katia, Ed, Jamal, and Dafna, as they consistently ‘kill it’ with each issue. The team leaves me always looking forward to each new issue, and whatever the next chapter holds for the Power Rangers.

 

Final Grade: 5 out of 5 Power Coins

 

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