(Mighty Morphin Power Rangers = MMPR; Go Go Power Rangers = GGPR) This is probably one of the best trade paperbacks Boom ever made for its Power Rangers line. I have a few quibbles, but they’re not enough to detract from how awesome this book is, collecting the...
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(Mighty Morphin Power Rangers = MMPR; Go Go Power Rangers = GGPR)
This is probably one of the best trade paperbacks Boom ever made for its Power Rangers line. I have a few quibbles, but they’re not enough to detract from how awesome this book is, collecting the entire MMPR Shattered Grid storyline (MMPR issues #25-30, plus the Shattered Grid finale issue and the 2018 Free Comic Book Day issue).
For starters is, of course, the story inside. It’s the Ranger melee we fans wish could be done on TV or a movie. That said, the actual fight only takes up a small part of the book (maybe a little too short, but enough to be satisfying). Where Shattered Grid (and, really, the MMPR and ESPECIALLY the GGPR comic series) really shines is the lead up to the fight, with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers facing a tough crisis with Lord Drakkon amid a harsh event that affects both their normal and Ranger lives. I won’t say what, to avoid spoilers in case you’re just getting into the series, but it’s something I doubt you’d expect (I didn’t). I wasn’t a fan of the last issue at first, but it grew on me as a decent ending that wasn’t expected and gave our villain a fitting, if delayed, motivation.
All of it is supported by great art from Daniele Di Nicuolo, Diego Galindo, Marcelo Costa, and Walter Baiamonte (with covers by Jamal Campbell and Deron Bennett among others). It clearly told the story, as any good comic should do, with great compositions, panel layouts, and color. One of my favorite pieces of art comes from this storyline, of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Alpha watching the night sky and watching other Rangers teleporting like shooting stars across the night sky. Just typing about that double-page spread gives me chills and almost worth the price of the book by itself. In context of the whole story, it’s even better and the rest of the art’s no slouch either.
Now, all this I knew a year ago. I prefer trade paperbacks to single issues due to ease (easier to keep track of, say, ten trade paperbacks over forty individual issues) but more importantly because I’m a fast reader and want the entire story in one piece. I made an exception and got each issue as it came out because, well, this was the biggest thing for Power Rangers in a while. I did not regret it but I was excited when Boom announced their planned trade paperbacks for Shattered Grid. In addition to the normal Volumes 7 & 8, I saw this edition and held off buying those to get this volume.
It was worth the wait. This book starts with a two-page recap of the previous arc with Lord Drakkon and the Shattered Grid storyline of GGPR. While I think it slightly spoils the ending, it’s still a nice touch if someone stumbled on this before reading the others (that said, I recommend reading MMPR Volumes 1-6 before diving into this volume, then skip to Volume 9 afterwards). The book treats each issue as a chapter, which I thought was a nice touch. Each chapter is started with a picture of Lord Drakkon holding a broken MMPR helmet tinted with pink instead of the issue’s original cover. Do not panic, as every issue’s main cover is included in a gallery at the end, along with most of the available variants. Not all the variants are included, whether because of contractual reasons or space, but it’s hard to be disappointed. Above all else, all eight of the issue #25 variants of Lord Drakkon holding a damaged helmet or other item is there, plus some cool wrap-around variants from the various issues.
Now, I know some will grumble about the lack of the GGPR Shattered Grid issues (#9-12) and the 2018 Annual. As nice as they’d be, they are available in GGPR Volume 3 and MMPR: Lost Chronicles Volume 2 (which also includes a great 25th anniversary issue). In addition, there will be a hardcover volume that’ll have all the MMPR and GGPR issues (plus MMPR issue #24), the 2018 Annual, the Free Comic Day issue, and an exclusive comic coming/came out in November. Granted, if you prefer digital or softcover comics you’ll have to hop between books to read the story in (what I think is the best) order, but at least every issue is available except for the exclusive story (and I have faith it’ll be available soon, as MMPR: Lost Chronicles Volume 2 has the previously exclusive story from the Year 1 MMPR hardcover).
That said, I do have two things I’m disappointed in about this collection. I still love it but that doesn’t mean it’s flawless:
- several of the wraparound covers that should’ve been presented as double-page spreads on both Kindle and Comixology are presented in two halves, each on a normal separate page. They’re still cool to have but viewing them half by half is clearly not how they were meant to be shown. (To be clear, this only affects the cover gallery; the appropriate comic pages are presented as they should be and I would’ve been furious if they weren’t)
- in addition, the two-page back-up comics starring the Blue Senturion and Ninjor from issues #25-30 aren’t included. It doesn’t affect the Shattered Grid story and they’re kind of goofy, but it still would’ve been nice to slip in after the cover gallery for budget-conscious fans who bought this volume in place of Volumes 7 & 8 of MMPR and will get an incomplete story when they dive into Volume 9.
That said, the two things above are not enough to make me regret getting this. This is Shattered Grid as it should be read. It’s the all-Rangers-on-deck fight any Power Rangers fan would kill for to appear on TV with a suspenseful, heartfelt thriller that would’ve been great even with just one set of Rangers.
Reading order: the following is what I believe is the best reading order. It’s mostly the order the issues were released and details how you should switch between the volumes to get to each issue. If it seems like too much work, I say “read this/the MMPR issues before the GGPR issues”. It’ll slightly spoil the GGPR issues but not as much as reading the GGPR issues before the MMPR issues.
MMPR Issue 25/MMPR Shattered Grid
*If you follow/like live-streamed tabletop role-playing game web series, episodes 19 & 20 of Power Rangers HyperForce should be watched now; if not, I understood the comics fine without watching it. To each their own*
MMPR Issue 26/MMPR Shattered Grid
MMPR 2018 Annual/MMPR Shattered Grid MMPR Free Comic Book Day 2018/MMPR Shattered Grid
GGPR Issue 9/GGPR Volume 3
MMPR Issue 27/MMPR Shattered Grid
GGPR Issue 10/GGPR Volume 3
MMPR Issue 28/MMPR Shattered Grid
GGPR Issue 11/GGPR Volume 3
MMPR Issue 29/MMPR Shattered Grid
GGPR Issue 12/GGPR Volume 3
MMPR Issue 30/MMPR Shattered Grid
MMPR Shattered Grid #1/MMPR Shattered Grid
