The Empyreal has arrived. Cancel Christmas. Your Major Spoilers review of Power Rangers #8 from BOOM! Studios awaits!
POWER RANGERS #8
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Francesco Mortarino with Gilbey Ibarra
Colorist: Raul Angulo
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Editor: Dafna Pleban
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 23, 2021
Previously in Power Rangers: There is nowhere left to run and no more time to prepare as the new Power Rangers must stand off against one of the Empyreal… with the fate of an entire planet at stake. And when the Omega Rangers discover the true nature of the threat to Earth, will they be able to warn their former teammates in time?
THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLUE
On the distant planet Hartunia, the Omega Rangers (and Drakkon) have arrived just before The Empyreal, in the hopes of saving the people. Unfortunately, the emperor is an idiot who insists on sending his troops into battle against the powerful cosmic being out of sheer ego, while Zack and his Empress try to save at least some of their people. While Jason and Trini engage the Empyreal with their Omega Zords, Zack and the Empress end up fighting her husband’s troops to escape, and by the time the Black Omega Ranger gets to their ship, less than forty people make it with him. Worse still, Omega Yellow’s last-ditch attack fails to stop the Empyreal, and the Omega Rangers are forced to watch the entire planet destroyed by their enemy, who then contacts his commander…
…whose identity serves as a HUGE surprise for readers of BOOM!’s Power Ranger books.
TIME’S DISCIPLE, HERE TO RESET THE CLOCK
If you only know Power Rangers from the brightly colored series of your childhood, Power Rangers #8 is likely going to be a shocker for you. I’ve been reading BOOM!’s Power Rangers books almost since the beginning, and even I was taken aback by this one. The story is well-handled, though, and Zack’s despair at losing a planet while only saving a few random aliens is understandable and very strong characterization. Add in Drakkon’s enjoyment of seeing the Hartunian emperor get his just desserts and the noble sacrifice of the Empress and you’ve got a well-written story. But a moment between Zack and Drakkon, as well as the surprise ending, make it stand out. Mortarino maintains his usual artistic excellence, especially when it comes to building tension and drama, as seen in the aforementioned dialogue Zack/Drakkon dialogue, but the battle between the Red and Yellow Omega Zords and the giant godlike Empyrean is impressive as well.
BOTTOM LINE: MAN, THAT GOT DARK
All in all, Power Rangers #8 is a very good issue that somehow manages to finish off a perfect buildup and also surprise me, with very good art and a complex story that has more moral ambiguity than your average Ranger tale, earning a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars overall. This issue’s cliffhanger (which I’m not going to spoil for you) ties this story and the ongoing Mighty Morphin’ title together in a very surprising way, making me really excited to see where we go from here.
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POWER RANGERS #8
It's not an easy story to read, but it is a good one, with the usual excellent art and a twist ending that is both unexpected and perfectly set up.
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Writing8
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Art8
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Coloring8
