Comics Corner: MMPR #24 & SHATTERED GRID Primer

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #24 is out and with it SHATTERED GRID has begun. Saban’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers may never be the same.

Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artist: Jonas Scharf

POWER RANGERS: SHATTERED GRID is here, the event two years in the making will see BOOM! Studios having Rangers from across all 25 years of the show crossing over in an event spanning both Saban’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Go Go Power Rangers, and this year’s annuals and a one-shot Finale issue. The event will see the Rangers going against Lord Drakkon the evil alternate Tommy Oliver and a mysterious new Power Ranger who is attacking the Rangers through time when they had only just begun. 

The new Power Ranger’s lore that BOOM! Studios has been creating for two years has been leading to this point from dark timelines to secret earlier Ranger teams, and exceptionally well-written character developments. It’s all been leading here and SHATTERED GRID looks to be everything great about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Shattered Grid begins with the Prelude issue reviewed below and will run until August to align with the 25th anniversary of Power Rangers.

MMPR #24 opens with a scene of Rita Repulsa and Finster discussing what is honestly one of the most terrifying villain plans in  Power Ranger’s, Finstar has seeded into human populations sleeper agents disguised as humans. These agents can become monsters when he gives the command, a bit darker plan than getting a Ranger obsessed with an arcade game. Rita sees this as an opportunity to launch a surprise attack by activating all the secret monsters at once. Finster, of course, tries to propose a more thought out tactical plan but is as usual ignored.

The issue continues into the scene that brought the last issue to a shocking conclusion. Billy Cranston has discovered that the Ranger’s new benefactors, Grace Sterling and PROMETHEA, have had Lord Drakkon imprisoned since he was trapped on their earth following the end of the last major arc. Drakkon gives some good imprisoned villain threats and the question is raised what other secrets are being kept from the Rangers? Of course, before Billy can get any more answers he’s called away by the other Rangers.

These scenes set up the conflicts that run through the rest of the issue. As the Ranger’s first have to fight the sudden appearance of monsters worldwide and confront Sterling. The designs of the monster and of PROMETHEA’s own Megazord piloted by Sterling are awesome and imaginative. The action is kinetic and continues to showcase one of BOOM! Studios strongest aspects really making the fights really come to life in the comic medium, and these scenes are some of the best yet in the comic.

You really need to read the final scene for yourself as it really is probably the biggest moment of the series. The issue ends with the first blows of SHATTERED GRID being delivered to the Rangers, and the promise of more to come. SHATTERED GRID will continue in March with MMPR #25 and Go Go Power Rangers #8