The “Power Rangers” comic book universe is growing bigger, as it expands to focus on characters that might not have gotten enough focus during the show. At long last, we get to learn about the Phantom Ranger, a mysterious character from Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers in Space whose story was originally left on the cutting room floor.
Oh, and there will be a spoiler or two.
Written by Frank Gogol
Illustrated by Simone Ragazzoni
Colored by Igor Monti and Sabrina Del Grosso
Lettered by Ed DukeshireAnswering Zordon’s call, the Phantom Ranger investigates the aftermath of an Empyreal attack.
Only to discover their connection to an ancient evil he encountered long ago… which may have finally returned to threaten the entire universe.
Rising star Frank Gogol (Dead End Kids) and artist Simone Ragazzoni (Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn) present the first full appearance of the Phantom Ranger in a story that will ripple through the Power Rangers franchise.
The Phantom Ranger holds an interesting place in Power Rangers history. In the original Japanese show Gekisou Sentai Carranger, he was known as “VRV Master,” and was not a ranger at all. When Carranger was adapted into Power Rangers Turbo, he was brought in as a mysterious ranger with an unknown identity and mysterious connection to Zordon. Unfortunately, his true identity and backstory were never revealed, as the scene had to be cut for time. So the truth behind the Phantom Ranger was never revealed.
Which is great for the comics, as it gives them plenty of free space to work with in devising new backstories!
That’s where “Edge of Darkness” comes in. This issue follows the Phantom Ranger as he follows up on plot points introduced in the current “Power Rangers” comic storyline, while revealing a backstory more closely connected to the mythos of the series than previously shown.
While the comic begins in current continuity, the majority of the story is shown in flashback, before bringing it all back to the present and tying in elements from the TV show. This helps establish greater continuity between the comics and show, connecting everything into a greater overarching “Power Rangers” mythos.
But of course, while that’s all well and good, what really matters in this case is the story itself. The flashback story focuses on a Phantom Ranger mission involving none other than a young Rita Repulsa and her mother.
Yes, while the “Power Rangers” comics can create backstory for characters like the Phantom Ranger, they can also build on that of existing characters. We’ve seen a little of Rita’s mother in previous comics, but now we can see more of her, learn about Rita’s childhood and her connection to Dark Specter, and even tying her to the Morphin’ Grid.
This also builds on Rita’s mother, Fienna, and what she’s like as a character. Readers of the comic will recognize her from a past arc, where we can see her relation to the green power coin, and “Edge of Darkness” takes a moment to explain how she’s connected to the Morphin’ Grid as well.
And of course, we get to see the Phantom Ranger in action, learn what makes him tick (literally), and learn more about his personality and determination. It gives more depth to a character that didn’t get nearly enough screentime in Power Rangers.
All the while, we get to see some nice action sequences with the Phantom Ranger, making full use of the power sets (and weaknesses) established in the Power Rangers TV series. Simone Ragazzoni’s artwork nicely captures the martial arts and monsters that the series is known for, with fluid action scenes and impact that comes through in the key strikes.
Frank Gogol also uses characters telling stories to add an additional layer to each scene. While each scene could stand alone with the action and tension, the stories characters tell add another layer on to the scene. They serve as a way to keep a young Rita brave, to give the Phantom Ranger something to focus on, and reinforce the overarching theme of the story, while each one is either filled with symbolism or helps build on the characters’ stories.
Continued belowGoing back to Simone’s artwork, she has a very clean style that helps with the characters along with the action scenes. Each character is has a solid design about them, bringing their personalities through via body language and expressions. In the case of the Phantom Ranger, we can’t actually see his face, so the contrast between his non-expressive mask and the more emotional looks on the characters around him helps build on both characters.
Similarly, the scenery and backgrounds are also nicely done. We get to explore new environments, like the Masterforge, a space station designed to help connect to the Morphin’ Grid. The designs here combine science fiction space stations with an almost mystical aesthetic, while remaining consistent with the world we’ve seen in the “Power Rangers” comics.
Another noteworthy aspect of the artwork is the panel layouts and positioning. While we do often get typical layouts designed to draw the reader’s eye from moment to moment and emphasize the important scenes, there are also some particularly creative moments. A particularly key page built around Rita’s backstory breaks the panels through sparks of Morphin’ Energy dividing the page into sections, until they form the face of Dark Specter looming ominously over the scene. That moment is emphasized even further with the use of colors by Igor Monti and Sabrina Del Grosso, as the uplifting blue light slowly turns red as we go down the page.
The color work, in turn, complements each image nicely. There’s plenty of blue/orange contrast throughout the comic, used to visually indicate the flow of the battle and where each character stands, although the frequent use of green also helps cement Fienna’s connection to the green power coin.
The color work is especially notable when we’re introduced to the Masterforge, adding beautiful coloration to outer space. Sometimes the scenes can get over-filled with their color theme of choice, but it still works well for setting each scene’s atmosphere.
All in all, “Power Rangers: Edge of Darkness” works nicely as a story for building the characters of the Phantom Ranger, Rita, and Fienna, while tying together multiple elements from the franchise into the comic books. If you’ve been enjoying the wider world of rangers that the comics have presented, or always wanted to learn more about the Phantom Ranger, you’ll want to check this issue out.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – A solid issue for expanding the “Power Rangers” comic book universe and adding well-needed backstory to the Phantom Ranger, supported by all-around solid art and color work.
