In this review of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Darkest Hour #1, we get the finale to the huge event and series. The Power Rangers unite to beat back Dark Specter but this crisis does not end as the last. Allies are lost and forever changed and the Grid also suffers losses.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Darkest Hour #1
Writer: Melissa Flores
Artist: Simona Di Gianfelice
Color Artist: Raul Angulo with assistance by Jose Enrique Fernandez
Cover: Taurin Clarke
Variant Covers: Taurin Clarke, Bjorn Brends, Goni Montes, Trevor Hairsine,
Release Date: July 31, 2024
This review contains spoilers
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Darkest Hour #1 — The Story
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Darkest Hour #1 begins as the battle in Angel Grove ramps up. Zedd and Goldar in Serpentera continue their battle against Dark Specter’s ship while on the ground the Rangers face off with their corrupted friends and putties. Hyperforce Pink concentrates her attack on her father, even calling on her battlizer. The civilians, Hason, Bulk and Skull join the fight and together they all get the upper hand on the attackers. Dark Specter’s forces retreat. The battle is not over.
The Rangers now prepare to take the battle to the Void. Rocky and Adam decide to join their comrades in leaving. The Purple Solar Ranger opens the grid in hopes of allowing the other Rangers in but for now this leaves the four Solar Rangers and Ranger Slayer alone to fight off the impending attack.
In the Command Center, Billy realizes that not only Grace’s existence was affected but Kiya and Trini from the coinless also vanished as if they never existed. Billy believes this is th result of the shattering of the Grid, he vows to fix it.
In the Bermuda Triangle the Rangers prepare to leave for the grid. Jason and Tommy will stay behind as both of them are without powers to defend Earth while the other Rangers will attack. Friends say their goodbyes and alternate versions of characters converse with each other.
Kyndall and Phantom Ranger fight to keep the final egg intact. Kyndall gets Ranger Slayer’s signal and she and Billy prepare to leave for the void. Ranger Slayer stays behind. Zedd and Zordon call on the power of the Death Ranger and Billy starts his diary entry. The Rangers enter the portal and Phantom Ranger gives Billy his morpher back and he joins the others to the void.
The Soar Rangers prepare their defense. Dark Specter attacks, the Solar Rangers morph and call their zords. Ranger Slayer is confronted by Dark Specter and the corrupted Rangers. Earth is also attacked and the defenders enter the fight. Soon Candice leads the Eltarians to attack while skull and Candice have a heartfelt reunion.
Ranger Slayer is beaten and she demorphs but just then Serpentera and the Power Rangers arrive and counter attack. Kimberly joins her counterpart and together they move to the magnetic north pole. Billy also arrives carrying Zordon to the north pole. Dark Specter moves on the North Pole. Dark Specter confronts a team of Rangers who morph. Their energy mixes with Zordon and Dark Spectr lies defeated. In other parts of the battle the other Rangers all morph and Dark Specter’s body rebels against him as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers morph.
The Rangers are victorious and the corrupted Rangers are all freed. Partners are reunited but there are casualties. Some of the Rangers are full of remorse for their actions and some Rangers are dead. The missing Rangers however fail to return.
Many years later we find Billy alone writing in his diary. The Grid has not been repaired. There are still Power Rangers.
Analysis
The art in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Darkest Hour #1 is its usual quality for this story. The colors and action sequences are vibrant and exciting.
The story however falls flat for me. The battle sequences are well written and there are character moments but Rangers are killed. Unfortunately it does not have the effect as ithe Rangers killed were not well known to readers. For example the most notable was the death of the Blue Solar Ranger, the story does not show her fall it just her unmorphed body with two of her teammates over her body.
There really is more story to tell with these Rangers unfortunately. But at the same time some Rangers are unaffected, Rocky and Adam who are now miraculously fine after four issues of them not being fine and others like Alyssa from Wild Force who now must face their actions as well as the consequences to their friends and loved ones. Of course characters like Coinless Trini and Kiya are forever gone.
The ending has the feel of an apocalypse but with Power Rangers still somehow having power despite the loss of the grid?
Final Thoughts
Beautifully illustrated but the story falls completely flat. This epic just fizzled out in the middle and never recovered for the bombastic ending that was expected. This could be the reason why this issue came out exactly one week after the last. A largely forgettable story and a lackluster ending does not lead to a good comic.
BOOM! Studios provided The Comic Book Spot with an advance copy of this comic for review purposes. Find more reviews here.
