by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
The epic “Beyond the Grid” storyline continues with the release of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #35. Having fought off the first onslaught from the Praetor, the newest team of heroes decide to take advantage of a moment of downtime to learn the secret origin of The Dark Ranger! How did Heckyl gain access to this new power? What happened after the events of Power Rangers: Dino Super Charge? All will finally be revealed!
Minor spoilers ahead. May the power protect you.
When the “Beyond the Grid” line-up was announced, the mystery of The Dark Ranger was one of the more interesting elements, as the Sentai character did not actually make an appearance in the Power Rangers universe during the Dino Charge iteration of the series. Boom! Studios has a proven track record at using the Power Rangers mythology to its fullest, and the introduction of Heckyl as a Ranger in search of redemption is no exception. Without getting into full spoilers, Heckyl reveals his past to Kimberly and Cam in a moment of confidence. Following the events of PR:DSC, Zenowing became his mentor and he was entrusted as the Keeper of the Dark Energem. Returning to his Home-World (interestingly named “Sentai 6”), Heckyl struggles with the idea of losing all he loves again and decides to take action. Using Zenowing’s morpher as a template, he creates his own morpher for the Dark Energem as a worst case scenario. When Lord Arcanon returns to destroy his planet, Heckyl soon realizes that his actions and his own weakness have actually caused his worst fears to come true. Can he step up to become the hero that his world deserves?
Writer Marguerite Bennett continues to take our beloved characters in new and exciting directions, and this standalone adventure helps to fill in the gaps in a very creative way. Beyond the Grid has provided Boom! Studios with the opportunity to explore areas of the Power Rangers Universe that have previously been left untouched, and the continuing adventures of this assortment of characters from 25 years of cannon has proven to be thrilling to say the lest. This story also stands apart thanks to the artistic team of French Carlomagno (Illustrator), Francesco Mortarino (Illustrator), Eleonora Bruni (Colors), and Walter Baiamonte (Colors), who continue to create iconic landscapes, characters, and settings for the ongoing PR saga.
Overall
If you were looking at this issue from the standpoint of a television show, MMPR #35 might be looked at as being a “bottle episode” (see Community for reference). While it does step away from the immediate threats from The Void, it also adds to the larger tapestry of the franchise. Fans of Power Rangers: Dino Charge will definitely want to add this to their pull list.
Rating: [5/5]
ComicsOnline gives Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #35 – 5 out of 5 Dark Energems.
ComicsOnline gives Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #35 – 5 out of 5 Dark Energems.
