Review: Space Vampires Attack In ‘Power Rangers’ #2

The Omega Rangers have betrayed Zordon and whisked Lord Drakkon out to space to face the powerful new threat of the Empyreals. It’s one thing to deal with these strange new enemies and a homicidal tyrant, but there’s a whole new obstacle standing in their way as they travel through the stars. There are space vampires in these parts.

Power Rangers #2 flows like a great sci-fi / horror movie. The Rangers are stuck in their spaceship as these mysterious creatures hunt them through its dark corridors, wreaking havoc along the way. Writer Ryan Parrott pens a tense tale as our heroes try and figure out not only how to stop this attack, but how to survive.

Although the bulk of the issue deals with these monsters, there’s still time for some solid character development. This comes first with a conversation between Jason and the robot Xi as the former continues to wrestle with the burden of leadership. This is followed by a terse chat between Trini and Drakkon, showing how strong and intelligent the Yellow Ranger is.

The space vampires are pretty creepy. Artist Francesco Mortarino gives them a frightening look. The scariest part comes in how they attack the Rangers, literally burning away parts of their helmets with a single touch. This is unprecedented as the Rangers’ uniforms are often seen as practically indestructible. It’s not natural to see them torn or broken like this. Seeing terrified eyes through a hole in the helmet really drives home that feeling of horror.

When the action heats up, Mortarino blurs some of the forms in the panel, focusing on the Rangers in clearer detail. This adds to the intensity of the scene and gives more power to their attacks.

Colorist Raul Angulo is the real star of Power Rangers #2, blending the ominous shadows of the dark spaceship with the bright colorful costumes of the Omega Rangers. The uniforms are a little more muted here, with no light around them, but they represent the one shining beacon of hope for these folks to get out alive.

The space vampires’ eyes glow with an eerie red light, adding to their intimidating nature. Although they don’t speak much, letterer Ed Dukeshire gives them a powerful and unsettling tone with black word balloons and a white font.

Of course, the Omega Rangers weren’t just going to waltz up to the Empyreals and take them out. There had to be some obstacles along the way and not just the villainous Drakkon who will undoubtedly betray them the first chance he gets. The real adventure starts here and this is shaping up to be a fun blend of genres mixing action, drama, and horror.

Power Rangers #2 from BOOM! Studios is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.