Mighty Morphin #13 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. The first part of “The Eltarian War” begins Zartus’ campaign to invade Earth, as the Power Rangers are divided and fighting Zartus’ Sentry Force Four. To make matters worse, Zartus apparently dealt a fatal blow to the Rangers’ mentor Zordon.
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“The Eltarian War” spins out of events in previous issues of Mighty Morphin and Power Rangers, as well as the Power Rangers Unlimited one-shots. One could even argue that Parrott has been building up to this since his previous run on Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. And while this isn’t the first large-scale crossover event for the Power Rangers comics, it nonetheless feels like a story we haven’t seen before. Power Rangers fans will tell you that Zordon is one of the most revered mentors in the franchise, so for another member of his race to be the complete opposite is a major curveball storywise.
Parrott’s script slowly escalates the sense of danger, as the Rangers are divided and facing insurmountable odds. Billy and Alpha 5 are trapped in the Command Center, attempting to hide from Zartus’ forces. Rocky, Kimberly, and Adam battle Sentry Force Four. And Tommy and Aisha are fruitlessly attempting to contact the Omega Rangers. The Power Rangers work best as a team, so seeing them separated only adds to the gravity of the situation. Even Lord Zedd is roped into the action, as Zartus warns him not to get in his way.
Renna has turned in some great work during his tenure on Mighty Morphin, but he definitely takes it up a notch in this issue. The fight against Sentry Force Four is the highlight of the issue, as their abilities allow them to stay one step ahead of the Rangers. The walls of the Command Center seem to close in on Billy as he runs from the Eltarian forces, with his Ranger suit literally wrapping around him as he morphs. And the end of the issue only drives home how dire the fight is, as Eltarian warriors descend from the sky.
Rounding out the artistic team is Baiamonte and his assistants, who drench the art in vibrant and fluorescent colors. A prologue features the Eltarians encountering a race of lizard people with bright red scaly skin-even their word captions are a bright red thanks to Dukeshire. The fight between Sentry Force Four and the Rangers feels like it takes place at a rave since the background is entirely neon-colored. And the sunny skies of Angel Grove are clouded with the Eltarian army’s presence, making for an ominous image.
Mighty Morphin #13 launches a new crossover event in the form of the Eltarian War, as the Power Rangers face one of the greatest threats they’ve ever known. If you’ve been looking to get into the Power Rangers comics or enjoyed the Shattered Grid storyline, this is the perfect hopping on point.
Mighty Morphin #13 is available wherever comics are sold.
Rating: 5/5
