by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

The Darkest Hour is looming high over the Power Rangers, and now one of their worst enemies has returned as well. What does Lord Drakkon have in mind this time, and why is he so anxious to return to his home dimension? Get ready, because the fate of the world now rests in the hands of…The Drakkon Rangers?!? And if that wasn’t enough to get your attention, the Hyperforce Rangers make their comic book debut! Continuing the story that started in the Hyper RPG tabletop roleplaying game, the future heroes from the far off year of 3016 are back in action. How will these Rangers play into Mistress Vile’s plans? Power Rangers Unlimited: Call to Darkness (TPB) comes home this week, collecting the recent Power Rangers Unlimited: The Coinless #1 & Hyperforce #1 releases from BOOM! Studios.

Official Synopsis:
The prelude to the next monumental Power Rangers event DARKEST HOUR! AN UNEXPECTED NEW TEAM OF POWER RANGERS ARRIVES! As if the medium-spanning, fan-favorite villain Drakkon wasn’t enough of a threat, Mistress Vile has special plans, ones that will bring the Rangers’ greatest foe into our world! But this scheming isn’t without consequences for Drakkon, and he’ll have to take a page from the book of Zordon if he wants the world of the Coinless to survive. But who would be unhinged enough to join his team? As if they have a choice… Acclaimed Dead Mall and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance writer Adam Cesare teams up with Mighty Morphin artist Moisés Hidalgo, along with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers writer Melissa Flores and acclaimed writer, media personality, and voice of the HyperForce Pink Ranger in the HyperForce RPG, Meghan Camarena (Radiant Pink), bring the fan-favorite HyperForce Rangers from the screen to the page–for the very first time since their morphinominal first season! Collects Power Rangers Unlimited: The Coinless #1 and Power Rangers Unlimited: HyperForce #1.

Creative Team – Power Rangers Unlimited: The Coinless
Writer: Adam Cesare
Artist: Moises Hidalgo
Colorist: Arthur Hesli
Lettering: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Following the events of MMPR #109, Drakkon and Kiya have traveled through the Morphin Arch to the world of The Coinless. To the former dictator’s surprise, his home dimension has fallen to the forces of Dark Spector (as teased at the end of Drakkon New Dawn). When the duo come under attack, they are found by Trini and Scorpina who take them back to the last remaining stronghold on Earth. Reunited with the remaining forces of The Coinless (Kimberly, Bulk, and Finster-5), the group decides that it was time to bring the Power Rangers back to this world. With some help from Finster-5, a plan is crafted to use the remaining power coins in conjunction with Drakkon’s powers to fight off the forces of evil and hopefully save their transformed friends. They will have to act fast, because thanks to someone’s irrational decision, Dark Specter is on to the Rangers plan and decides to launch his final assault! 

Cesare and team have created a fantastic follow-up to Drakkon New Dawn, demonstrating just how desperate the situation in Drakkon’s home dimension has become. This is the first time that Drakkon has interacted with this group in awhile, and it was great to see how far each of The Coinless iterations of our favorite heroes and villains have come. Adding Kiya to the mix was an interesting choice as well, as her disdain for Drakkon puts her in good company with her new friends. The pairing of Trini and Scorpina continues to be a highlight, as was the evolution of this version of Bulk. The mystery/tragedy surrounding their missing allies adds even more depth to this issue, driving home just how dire the situation truly is. 

Hidalgo’s art and Hesli’s coloring perfectly complement this engaging tale, elevating this one-shot talk to its fullest potential. The dystopian world of The Coinless looks stunning yet depressing as we learn more about the horrific developments brought on by Dark Specter’s herald. Mora’s designs for the latest Power Rangers team are pretty damn cool. Each of the suits retain distinct elements of the original MMPR Power Coins, but with a twisted variation well suited for the Rangers of this tragic world.

The Darkest Hour is coming, and we know that this isn’t the last we will see of the Drakkon Rangers. The creative team for Power Rangers Unlimited: The Coinless #1 did a fantastic job setting up a larger story for these characters, and I can say that I am eager for more. Cue the music, Go Go Drakkon Rangers! 

Creative Team – Power Rangers Unlimited: Hyperforce #1
Writers: Melissa Flores & Meghan Camarena
Artist: Federico Sabbatini
Colorist: Bryan Valenza
Lettering: Ed Dukeshire

I had the opportunity to check out an advance copy of this release a few months ago, and it is an absolute love letter to the series. The comic medium allows for a shocking continuation of the web-series, & sets up big things in The Darkest Hour. If you aren’t familiar with the Hyperforce team from their previous online adventures, you can rest assured that there is a bit of a recap and backstory so that you can easily follow along, but I do recommend watching the series on Youtube as it will give you a greater sense of the characters and their unique history. Chloe (Hyperforce Pink, originally portrayed by Meghan Camarena) takes center stage throughout this adventure, as her family issues continue to create challenges for the Rangers in this story. Melissa played such a key role in the creation and execution of the Hyperforce series, and this story was the perfect tribute to these characters and their interesting journey. 

Federico Sabbatini beautifully illustrated this special story, bringing the characters of Hyperforce to life in this new format. There are numerous callbacks and easter eggs scattered throughout the issue, as the art expertly captures the rich world that was created as part of the tabletop adventure. Sabbatini’s aesthetic is perfectly complemented by Bryan Valenza’s coloring, creating a very vivid world for this team from the future.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Power Rangers Unlimited: Call to Darkness (TPB) – 4.5 out of 5 Hyperforce and Drakkon Rangers adventures!

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