Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn #2 is written by Anthony Burch, illustrated by Simone Ragazzoni, colored by Raul Angulo, and lettered by Ed Dukeshire. It is published by BOOM! Studios. After the events of the first issue, Kimberly discovers the surprising identity of the mysterious armored Ranger from Drakkon’s prison. Meanwhile, Drakkon’s final gambit is launched, drawing the forces of the malevolent Dark Spector to Earth. The Coinless and Ranger Sentries find themselves in the biggest battle of their lives, further complicated by their massive enmity toward one another.
This issue contains several twists, including the return of a beloved Power Rangers character. This revelation fundamentally alters the already unstable balance of power within Kimberly’s reign, as the armored Ranger has his own agenda that strains the already tense relationship between the Sentries and the Coinless. Burch’s script slowly ratchets up the tension, culminating in a fight between Dark Spector and Kimberly’s forces.
Burch is also careful to showcase how this tension affects Kimberly and everyone around her. Zack and Trini are trying to keep the Coinless working with the Sentries, Scorpina is outright defying her orders, and she’s come face to face with a force, unlike anything she’s seen. It takes a toll on everyone and leads to a jaw-dropper of a finale.
Ragazzoni gets to illustrate a massive battle scene toward the issue’s end, and he doesn’t disappoint. Energy blasts, arrows, and punches fly through the air. The villainous Eclipta looks outright menacing, as she seems to be made of nothing but edges. But Ragazzoni also shows the toll this war is taking on our heroes. When Zack, Trini, and Kimberly became the Power Rangers they were teenagers. Ragazzoni draws them with weary looks and in Zack’s case, a hefty stubble. They’re not kids anymore, and it shows.
Another way that the tone of the franchise has changed is through color. Power Rangers is a franchise known for its bright, vibrant colors; in keeping with the apocalyptic tone of this world, Angulo chooses to go with a muted palette. This also applies to the final battle as the sky is a dark, sickly green. While the main Power Rangers comic has applied a fairly realistic and modern approach to the series, this comic takes it to the extreme.
If there’s one problem with the book, it’s that this story feels far too big for a three-issue miniseries. Judging from the information in this issue alone, the series would work far better as an ongoing. There’s a lot of interesting ideas here that could really work if they were fleshed out, including how this series incorporates other Ranger series.
Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn #2 considerably ups the stakes for its heroes as they face a threat that could spell the end of their existence. With one more issue to go, readers will see if the Ranger Slayer’s reign either continues or ends.
Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn #2 is available wherever comics are sold.
Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn #2
TL;DR
Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn #2 considerably ups the stakes for its heroes as they face a threat that could spell the end of their existence. With one more issue to go, readers will see if the Ranger Slayer’s reign either continues or ends.
