Mighty Morphin #9 is written by Ryan Parrott, illustrated by Marco Renna, colored by Walter Baiamonte (with assistance from Katia Ranalli and Sara Antonellini), and lettered by Ed Dukeshire. It is published by BOOM! Studios. Following the end of Lord Zedd’s occupation of Angel Grove in Mighty Morphin #8, the Power Rangers must deal with a return to normal life-as normal as teenagers who secretly defend the Earth using karate and giant robots can have- as well as Billy going behind their backs to empower the new Green Ranger. They are soon approached by Zartus, the Supreme Guardian of Eltar, who wants to form an alliance between Earth and Eltar. Meanwhile, Eltarian warrior Zelya is being held captive by Lord Zedd.
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Not only does this issue continue to connect Zordon’s past as a Guardian of Eltar to the present-day storyline, but it also shows how the dynamic between the Rangers has changed. The fallout from Billy’s decision to help recreate the Green Ranger powers is explored, as Zordon won’t even let him teleport to the Command Center. The friction between Matt and the other Rangers is palpable, particularly Tommy who grows increasingly adversarial-readers are left to wonder whether Tommy is wary about the Green Ranger powers being reborn as he was mind-controlled or insecure about Matt and Kimberly’s past relationship. (Or both.) Even Bulk and Skull have a surprisingly emotional moment as Skull is searching for his lost girlfriend Candice-who happens to be Zelya’s secret identity. Parrott’s script manages to handle all of these plotlines with ease and weaves them together for a satisfying story.
Renna and the colorists continue to deliver top-notch Ranger artwork, drawing the Rangers in action against a new Chaos Putty who takes the form of a massive doglike beast. What makes said Putty terrifying is not its feral snarling or blood-red eyes, but the four arms it wields in battle. And the Rangers utilize their Power Blaster for the first time in a long time, summoning a massive blast of energy. The color art varies based on the different settings; Angel Grove itself is bright and sunny, befitting its California location, while Zedd’s palace is a dark and menacing environment full of shadows. The shifting colors even translate to characters’ various caption boxes, especially the Rangers as they all have different color coordination.
The biggest revelation in the issue comes from the fact that Zartus, Zordon’s best friend, is willing to work with the Rangers-and Zedd hinting that Eltar is not all it seems. The Power Rangers Unlimited one-shots have done a great job of revealing various facts about other characters in the Power Rangers mythos including Astronema and the Phantom Ranger, and I’m glad the ongoing series will continue to pull on those threads.
Mighty Morphin #9 throws new challenges at the Rangers, continuing to upend the status quo that fans have come to associate with the mythos. I’m thankful for these comics, as they manage to capture everything I love about Power Rangers while presenting it in a new light. And next issue looks to do the same with Zordon’s homeworld & Lord Zedd.
Mighty Morphin #9 is available wherever comics are sold.
Mighty Morphin #9
TL;DR
Mighty Morphin #9 throws new challenges at the Rangers, continuing to upend the status quo that fans have come to associate with the mythos. I’m thankful for these comics, as they manage to capture everything I love about Power Rangers while presenting it in a new light. And next issue looks to do the same with Zordon’s homeworld & Lord Zedd.
