Review: The Road To Redemption Continues In ‘Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1’

We know that the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers defeated Lord Drakkon during “Shattered Grid,” but what happened to his world? The people there were ruled by his iron fist. Now that it’s gone, there’s a power vacuum as various factions vie for control, including one face from the past. The Ranger Slayer, the Kimberly Hart of this world, has returned. Can she restore power and gain some redemption for her past sins?

The Ranger Slayer is a fascinating character in the Power Rangers universe. She was brainwashed by Lord Drakkon and forced to fight and even kill some of her former friends. Freed from the villain’s control, she’s popped around the multiverse avoiding any real responsibility while doing good where she could. Now that she’s back home, she’s forced to face all of her past mistakes, whether she was in her right mind at the time or not.
Writer Ryan Parrott really gets at the heart of this character and what’s going through her head. We understand the emotions she’s experiencing, especially the doubt and trepidation. What makes her a hero is that she is able to push those feelings down and do what’s right, even if that means struggling to earn the trust of those she’s wronged in the past.

Much of this emotion comes through in Dan Mora’s incredible artwork. He can say so much with a single facial expression. There’s a great sequence where Kimberly meets up with what’s left of the Power Rangers. Although the dialogue is brief and direct, much is implied by how they look at each other. All of these feelings of pain, regret, and anguish come to the forefront.
This world is full of interesting ideas. I would totally read an entire series set in this universe as I’d love to explore what else happened here under Drakkon’s rule and where it goes next. We get some glimpses as to this potential throughout this one-shot. Honestly, there is a ton of information in this book. It’s definitely worth the price of admission.

There’s a new and unsettling villain lurking in this world with a pretty cool connection to everything that came before. I won’t spoil the surprise, but I will say that it’s a dark and sinister approach to a key character. Mora’s design for this is as breathtaking as it is terrifying. It’s a horror version in the best possible way.
Colorist Raul Angulo amplifies this tone a thousand fold with an eerie green glow that speaks to the raw power and the villainous nature of this form. This creates an undead feeling that works incredibly well. Letterer Ed Dukeshire adds to this tone as well with some great work with the word balloons.

With the setting of Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1 being Lord Drakkon’s universe (or what’s left of it), Angulo distinguishes it by a unique palette. Instead of brightly colored costumes and robots, there’s a dose of reality mixed with the costumes and robots. They don’t shine like they once did. Instead, they’re tarnished by the raw evil power that nearly consumed this world.
This book is packed with great character development and some emotional moments between key players. It’s mixed with some jaw-dropping action sequences that will leave you begging for more. I sincerely hope we get more from this world soon as this one-shot is proof of the sheer potential stories set here have.
Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1 from BOOM! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.