Kyle Higgins (1) (1985–)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Shattered Grid Deluxe Edition collects Mighty Morphin Power Rangers nos. 24-30, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Free Comic Book Day Special 2018, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual no. 1, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Shattered Grid no. 1, and Go Go Power Rangers nos. 9-12 written by Kyle Higgins and Ryan Parrott with art by Jonas Scharf, Daniele di Nicuolo, Dan Mora, and Diego Galindo and colors by Joana Lafuente, Walter Baiamonte, Raúl Angulo, and Marcelo show more Costa.

The story begins shortly after the events of the preceding volume, with the Rangers fighting Finster’s sleeper monsters and discovering Lord Drakkon, a version of Tommy from an alternate timeline, hidden in Grace Sterling’s Promethea compound. Drakkon escapes and the Rangers must decide what to do next. When they least expect it, Drakkon kills Tommy, thereby beginning the shattering of the timeline and creating several parallel universes for each Ranger team, even those that chronologically follow each other. For example, Tommy is still alive and leading the Zeo Rangers in their bubble of the timeline, even though that takes place chronologically after Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Meanwhile, Drakkon leads his armies across the morphin grid, capturing morphers from each Ranger team in order to increase his powers.

In an earlier timeline, Kimberly fights an alternate version of herself, the Ranger Slayer. Flashbacks reveal the Ranger Slayer’s connection to Lord Drakkon while further developing Kimberly’s character, with her parents’ divorce and troubles with her former boyfriend, Matt. Similar secondary plots explore other characters, like Billy’s drive to improve himself and become worthy of his power or Jason’s struggles both with leadership and his father’s illness. As the situation grows darker, Zordon must decide to make a deal with the lesser of two evils in order to save reality.

Kyle Higgins continues to demonstrate why he’s one of the best comics writers in this volume, taking everything fans love from the Power Rangers franchise and adding some real pathos. The Rangers struggle and suffer, face nearly insurmountable odds, and fight on because they know it’s right. He uses the alternate timelines to examine characters in a way that the main story wouldn’t allow, such as time travel enabling Andros, the Red Space Ranger, to meet his sister, Karone, after she became the Pink Galaxy Ranger, thereby offering him hope that he found and saved her from her life as Astronema. A future Bulk can tell a future Kimberly how much he looked up to the Power Rangers and demonstrate the more well-rounded character he became in the seasons after Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. And Lord Drakkon can use a holo-projector to assume the place of Tommy Oliver on the Zeo Rangers in an effort to learn more about his place in the grand scheme of the universe through a version of himself that rejected Rita, setting up part of the conflict that will drive him through this narrative. While the core parts of the story exist during the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Higgins’ manages to write in such a way that there’s genuine suspense and readers can’t just count on things working out so that these comics will align with the franchise canon. Finally, like the other Deluxe Editions, this volume concludes with a cover gallery showcasing the amazing artwork that went into each issue and the gorgeous variant covers that readers may not have seen at their local comic shop. show less

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Year Two collects Boom! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers nos. 13-24 and both the 2016 and 2017 Annuals, written by Kyle Higgins with art by Hendry Prasetya, Daniel Bayliss, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Jonas Scharf, and Jagdish Kumar. The story picks up where year one left off, with Tommy and Billy trapped in a parallel universe ruled by a version of Tommy who remained with Rita Repulsa and became Lord Drakkon. Meanwhile, in the main universe, Jason, Trini, Zack, show more and Kimberly work to get their powers back after their encounter with the Black Dragon.

After appearing to defeat both Rita in our universe and Lord Drakkon in the other one, the Rangers return home, where, with the help of Saba from the parallel universe, they must rebuild the Command Center and restore Zordon, who is floating untethered through time. Grace Sterling, the owner of tech company Promethea, offers to help the Rangers and they take her up on her offer. When Zordon is restored, he reveals that Grace was the Red Ranger in 1969 and led her team in defeating the Green Psycho Ranger on the Moon, though three of her team members died on the mission. Her decisions with Promethea, while coming from a desire to protect, lead the Rangers to question if they go too far as she escalates battles, something Zordon explicitly forbade the Rangers from doing.

When it’s discovered that Grace captured Lord Drakkon, who was pulled into our universe with the others upon their return, the Rangers must decide what to do. Saba decides to kill Lord Drakkon, but Drakkon escapes, thus setting the stage for the “Shattered Grid” storyline.

Kyle Higgins continues to demonstrate why he’s one of the best comics writers in this volume, taking everything fans love of Power Rangers and adding some real pathos. He shows the Rangers grappling with the loyalty to Zordon as they question his withholding of information. Zack says, “Not to be cynical here… but it’s starting to feel like a pattern, Zordon. You want us to trust you, but it doesn’t feel like you trust us.” Higgins shows the lifelong consequences of Grace losing her team in a battle in which they were unprepared. He also shows how Jason struggles with the mantle of leadership, wanting to look out for his team and set the right example, even as it begins to physically wear on him. In his foreword, Austin St. John writes of his portrayal of the character on screen, “I wanted to make sure it was clear that, even in his darkest moments, Jason was fighting an internal battle too. One of the heart. He is and will always be a Herculean figure that is happy to take zero credit, wanting to empower his team to do what is right and just, but he is also a master and commander of the battle field, ready and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater cause.”

The secondary stories that follow the main storyline help reinforce the themes Higgins explores. In “Only the Strong,” Trey and Terry Moore give Goldar a backstory, explaining how far he’ll go while also offering insight into Lord Zedd. Trey Moore and Frazer Irving’s “Perfect” shows the twisted mind of Finster and how he views all the evil things he’s done as in service to his art. Trey Moore and French Carlomagno’s “Psychotic” shows the origin of Psycho Green and helps explain the later Psycho Rangers as a result. Finally, “Forever Mighty Morphin Black” by Jamal Campbell shows Zack helping the Adam Park of a different parallel universe when he needs help. Various Zacks and Adams from across the multiverse work together to defeat a crystal monster in a story that both reaffirms what it means to be a Ranger and allows Campbell to experiment with the costume design.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Year Two is a fantastic collection that proves why the franchise continues to entertain 25 years after it began. Higgins’ work is easily some of the best in comics and he’s working with top-notch artists and others to bring it to life. A must-read for anyone who has ever or currently does watch Power Rangers! show less

Everything about Boom's Power Rangers is a testament to a series of smart choices.

It recognises the audience of a comic book revival of a 25 year old franchise is going to be self-selecting and leverages the knowledge that audience can be expected to have retained from childhood; there are no explanations of what zords are or who Rita Repulsa is, and it takes as its starting point the Green Ranger's defection to the side of light – not just the only storyline casual fans are likely to show more remember but also a moment ripe with storytelling potential.

The updates that are made are subtle and intelligent; people have got smartphones but there are no cringeworthy attempts to update the format so the zords are summoned via an app or anything like that. Teenagers have changed less than you'd think.

The whole thing is gloriously unapologetic. The costumes are the ones you remember and they're gorgeous; the artwork smoothing out the edges of the sometimes, um, early 90s production values of the original while remaining true to it.

There's a little less development in this second volume than in the first and it's a bit mean we only get four issues a volume. That holds it off a five star rating, but if you're disappointed the ending comes too soon it means you're still enjoying it. And this series really is glorious.

This is the platonic ideal of the show you remember. Go go Power Rangers! show less

Being a middle book of three, this review is mostly discussing specific plot points and characters that continue from the first volume, assuming that anyone considering whether or not to read the series would be looking mainly at reviews of the first part in any case. Overall, this is a strong continuation that feels planned, filled with drive and direction, but perhaps a bit less impactful for me as a reader than the emotional storytelling the Jim Gordon plotline brought to the first show more third.

I don't care for Hush's simplified origin for the New 52 (I'm fine with the Bruce emulation, but not the lack of his mother's continued existence plaguing him his entire life), but this is an effective book. I still don't like the supernatural elements that feel out of place (even though it's at least starting to become clear that's the whole point, a major clue in itself), but they feel less shoehorned here than in the first volume. Julia Pennyworth, against all odds, is an effective and emotional introduction to the cast that allows for poignant and powerful moments and interactions which wouldn't otherwise be happening. Jason Bard is a bit sidelined here compared to volume one, which is a shame, but hopefully he'll get to shine more as he re-takes centre stage in the final third.
Changing Catwoman's parentage seems a bit pointless, as they could do the exact same plotline with her with her old Falcone connection as they do with her new background, but her inner conflict at it is nevertheless intriguing. Too bad she apparently spins off into her own book after this, I'd have liked to see the final third explore her new (unusually selflessly motivated) bid for underworld power. show less