The war is over, but which side is still standing? Your Major Spoilers review of Power Rangers #16 from BOOM! Studios awaits!

POWER RANGERS #16

Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Francesco Mortarino and Christian Prunesti
Colorist: Raul Angulo
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Editor: Dafna Pleban
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 16, 2022

Previously in Power Rangers: The Omega Rangers travel back to Safehaven to keep an eye on the rest of the galaxy, while Eternity Point falls under the supervision of a new assistant. As the Blue Emissary departs and the remains of three Emissaries are laid to rest, the universe seems relatively safe for now, but how long can that last?

THE BATTLE IS WON…

Having defeated their former mentor, Zartus, Zordon, and Lord Zedd now have to come to terms with one another. As his android form malfunctions, Zordon is left at the mercy of his former friend, while Zedd demands to know why the Rangers’ mentor thinks that his precious power will still protect him. Zordon’s answer is simple: The Power is in their actions. It’s what sentient beings do when they think no one is watching. With that, Zedd returns his former friend to his color-coded charges with a warning for Zordon, a warning that he was never the man that Zordon thought him to be. The Power Rangers manage to get their boss to Grace Sterling, who is able to build a new containment field for him, with the caveat that he will never again be able to put his energy into such a body, leaving him forever a floating head. The Omega Rangers meet with the Blue Emissary, wondering if the other two have been reborn with the death of the Empyreals, only for the confused cosmic entity to tell them it doesn’t know. Even more chilling, though, Lord Drakkon has a personal message just for Yellow Omega Ranger Trini, a vow to destroy her team as soon as he gets the chance.

…BUT THE REAL WAR IS FAR FROM OVER

The moment that cements this as a truly fave-rave story for me, though, is Skull reuniting with “Candace,” his girlfriend who happened to be an undercover alien. She offers him a happy life of Eltar, living with her, but Eugene sadly realizes that he has to take care of Bulk, his oldest and dearest friend. As the couple parts with a somber kiss, I realize that Parrott can make even the most ridiculous cartoon characters into someone we care about. The expressive art is a big part of that, and this issue’s use of the biggest villains to date as part of the heroic force works both thematically and as a reminder that every being has a little good in them. That makes it even more tragic when Rita’s goon squad is given a choice between redemption and Lord Zedd, giving us a tiny bit of hope that maybe some of the face-turns aren’t just temporary. Even though there are not a lot of fighting or athletic action sequences this time around, it’s still an engaging and exciting issue.

BOTTOM LINE: A GREAT WRAP-UP

Rather than feeling like a coda or an anticlimax, Power Rangers #16 sets the entire cast out with a new status quo, shaking up the world of the Rangers in ways that make me wonder where in the world we go from here, with impressive art and coloring combining with an impressive script to make a satisfactory wrap-up, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. It’s still Eugene Skullovitch’s show, though.

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POWER RANGERS #16

90%

90%

Awesome

This issue would be worth it for any one of the big moments, but it's really Skull's moment in the sun that puts this issue over the top.

• Writing

  9
• Art

  9
• Coloring

  9
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
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