
Boom! Studios 2020
Written by Anthony Burch
Illustrated by Simone Ragazzoni
Coloured by Raúl Angulo
Lettered by Ed Dukeshire
After the shocking events of Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer, Kimberly is determined to purge the world of Drakkon's legacy, starting with Deadlock; the prison tower where Drakkon held all those who opposed him. But even the Ranger Slayer has no clue of the true power kept in Deadlock -- and what unlocking the doors will set into motion. As Kimberly investigates the worst of Drakkon's secrets, she sets in motion Drakkon's final plan -- one that will pit her against a fan-favorite Power Rangers villain.
Yes this takes place after another ark but trust me when I say you can totally read this on it’s own and understand it perfectly well. What you need to know is addressed along the way so there really isn’t a true need to read it, though if this does pique your curiosity then by all means please go and get it. This is a pretty amazing story and that it deals with a post apocalyptic style story set on a world where there were Power Rangers to know more than that you really need to read the story. Suffice it to say that a non Power Rangers fan like myself is so engrossed by this that I want to see more!
The way that this is being told is utterly sensational! How we see the story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well. I love how everything works to not only move the story forward but it also keeps the past relevant to what’s going on. The character development is phenomenal and to see how the banter between characters occurs is not only entertaining but telling as well. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the world these characters live and the new trials and tribulations they face. How we see the book being structured and how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is utterly fantastic.
I am also a big fan of the interiors here. The linework is beautifully laid down and how we see the varying weights being utilised to bring about the attention to detail is extremely nice to see. I wouldn’t mind seeing a few more techniques being utilised rather than relying solely on straight line work but I do very much enjoy what I am seeing. I do also wish that we would see more backgrounds but I do appreciate that at least they aren’t blank but have smoke or movement within the colours utilised. The utilisation of the page layout and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a superb eye for storytelling. The colour work is fantastic as well. How the various hues and tones within the colours are being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is extremely well rendered.
I am not really surprised by how well this is being done here. Boom! Studios knows how to get the most out of the franchises under their watchful eye. The creative team here is sensational and to see how the various layers that are in play throughout the book and what is, what may be and what could be are all variables that we won’t truly know and understand until they happen. It is this kind of storytelling that brings people back time and time again and it separates itself from fans of or not fans of and creates this place where everyone can come just to read a strong and interesting story.