Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #26 has plenty of surprises, and who better to talk to about all of them than the team behind the story?
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ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Power Rangers writer Kyle Higgins, BOOM! Studios editor Dafna Pleban, and Director of Power Rangers Content at Saban Brands Melissa Flores all about the next chapter of Shattered Grid.
Spoilers are incoming, so if you haven’t read the issue yet you can check out our spoiler-free review of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #26 here.
First up is a scene from early on in the issue, which shows Lord Drakkon being much less formal with Finster-5. In fact, Finster-5 even hugs Drakkon, and Drakkon chides him for calling him by his title after all they’ve been through. This is a much different side of Drakkon than the one fans have seen so far, so will we learn all about that history in future issues?
‘Yeah, we’ll learn a little bit more about their history, but it really comes from a place of few villains think they’re the villain,” Higgins said. “I think I’m much more interested in characters who have a unique point of view, no matter how heinous it might be. And in the case of Drakkon, even with all the things he has done, he does have people that love him and people that he had been through the fire with.”
“Finster 5 is one of those people. And you can … Even just looking at Finster 5’s design, the idea of … the idea that he has been augmented by Alpha 5 parts suggests the backstory that … Let me put it this way. I don’t know that it was necessarily by choice that Finster-5 decided to wear Alpha.”
The next part of the issue deals directly with the events of issue #25, specifically shooting down most obvious methods of reviving or bringing Tommy back to life. Killing Tommy definitely inspired visceral reactions amongst the community, but overall the reception has been more positive than you might assume.
“I think it’s … Actually, I’ve been pleasantly surprised because it speaks to not only the fans’ engagement with the book but also their level of trust in us as storytellers,” Higgins said. “The reaction that I’ve seen anyway has been, mostly it’s been very positive, and ones filled with intrigue. And like I said, we … The level of trust that is there, or it feels like anyway, considering we’ve done over two years of stories now, is something that feels unique to me.”
“I think the sentiments and the trust of the fans, also, is mirrored by the sentiment and the trust behind the art,” Flores said. “Not only Saban Brands, but our BOOM! partners and Kyle himself. Had Kyle … I think, had Kyle come to us with this story right from the very beginning, I think we’d be a little more hesitant to tell it than him doing this now. I mean, we’ve had two years to really watch him just absolutely deepen and enrich this Power Rangers mythology, and build up Lord Drakkon as a character. Not just the character, but the world that he comes from is so deep and moving and filling. And so these feel like real characters and real people.”
“And I think having the story go to this place feels natural,” Flores continued. “I don’t think it feels shocking to anybody. And I think that is a lot of the reason why our fans are trusting Kyle to take the story there. Just like us with Saban, when we work with him we know he’ll get the story told because he’s that guy. And it’s gonna be the most awesome place that we can take it.”
Even with that trust, there was some apprehension on doing a live reading of the issue at the WonderCon panel.
“So I have to admit, when we were doing WonderCon, I was like a little worried about letting everybody read the comic,” Flores said. “I’m like, “They have people that are gonna be there in case somebody decides to rush the stage.” But it’s clear that we are in very good hands.”
“There was a moment that felt a little touch and go at WonderCon where Joshua, our wonderful moderator, threw it to the crowd after they had read the issue and said, “So you guys have just went through a lot of, and experienced here a lot of feelings. What are you … Where are you at emotionally? How do you feel?” And people started yelling, “Why?” But it’s … Everyone calms down and we got to talk about what this means for the book going forward. And also I’d like to point out that there is still a Tommy in the series, he just happens to be old and evil,” Higgins said.
“Well, and I also love that you also killed off like four out of the five Time Force Rangers in the first few pages. But people are just so shocked by Tommy that almost nobody speaks to that,” Flores said, though according to Pleban that was part of the plan, saying “We needed distraction Melissa!”
Shattered Grid has expanded to not just the comics but also live-action thanks to Power Rangers HyperForce, something that was much easier to make into reality thanks to the smaller core group involved. Those episodes were not just one-offs either, and have affected Shattered Grid in some unexpected ways.
“I’ve been part of events at other companies where they just get a bit unwieldy because there are so many issues, and so many writers and they’re trying to square so many different voices that often you pick up the issue … I do, and you’re like, “What is this? How did this … How did this fit?” But that wasn’t the case here,” Higgins said. “And I think, actually, when you go back and watch those HyperForce episodes … And I actually, I can take a look at the episodes that Jason did after me, and some of that has informed as I’m writing Shattered Grid. Like little things that I’ve just clocked, things from improv and things like that.”
“Yeah. And I think from the perspective of Saban Brands, something that is really important to us as we take these anniversary initiatives and really celebrate the franchise’s synergy, we really wanted to take everything that happens, and not just our comic books or HyperForce or even our series, and have it matter overall,” Flores said. “And I think it was executed to the almost perfection in how Kyle helps us with the HyperForce episodes because there are things that will still play out. “
HyperForce had the chance to flesh out what’s going on in Drakkon’s world in his absence, and only serves the story of Shattered Grid with greater context.
“It’s just we’re so excited that Kyle was open to coming on the show with us and helping us with those stories,” Flores said. “And it’s just so cool the way we can actually … Because there are things that we can’t do in the comic books because we’re focused on our original Rangers. But you’re able to focus two whole episodes on the Coinless World for HyperForce, and actually take it to that darker place because it’s been forged by such a dystopian setting was very cool. And to have Kyle help us with it, and then have JDF bring Drakkon to life that way, was just so magical, and I hope this isn’t the last time we can do something like that.”
“For me to experience this world and the fans … to they work so closely with Kyle and Melissa,” Pleban said. “I tend to get spoiled really easily. And so it’s fun to watch the HyperForce stuff and be taken along with the story.”
Pleban explained she got a rough outline of the episodes, but “because they’re also kinda making it up on the fly, it was just … It was my really my only candid experience in this world we play in as almost as a new reader. It was really cool.”
So of course, we have to talk about that final page, which shows Drakkon obtaining the power of a Samurai Ranger. Mind you, that’s on top of his already impressive power set of Green and White Ranger powers, and it is all part of his Great Campaign.
“Well, The Great Campaign is something that’s been on Drakkon’s mind for quite a while and has been … Actually, it pre-dates our series and it’s something that we’re going to learn,” Higgins said. “What exactly that entails and what he is trying to achieve will play out over the next several issues, including the Free Comic Book Day issue. Including The Annual, which takes a look at different eras of Power Rangers teams across the Shattered Grid. Or I guess at this point, Fractured Grid. And also in issue 27 as Drakkon begins his campaign, his assaults, his broader assault on these different teams of Rangers. He’s looking to amass power and consolidate … He’s looking to consolidate and amass power, as well as control influence on these worlds. “
“As we start to learn more about him and where his plans for The Great Campaign come from, I think we’ll start to understand more of the why,” Higgins said. “And I don’t really wanna say much more than that because we’ve got some pretty cool twists and turns coming up that I think fans are gonna get a kick out of.”
With the new powers comes a new costume, and it’s pretty sweet.
“We’ve got a new look for Drakkon here at the end of issue 27 that Daniele Di Nicuolo, our fantastic series artist came up with,” Higgins said. “And it’s heavily inspired by the Samurai Ranger look that he is now added to his own Green and White Ranger power set.”
“We’re thrilled with Drakkon’s new look,” Flores said. “It’s something very sinister about the fact that Power Rangers take these powers so seriously, and they’re usually given to people who earn them. Our Samurai Rangers, these powers are ancient, right? Over centuries. So the fact that somebody like Drakkon would take these powers and distort them and use them for his own good. I mean, he’s done that already with the White Ranger power. We see it with our Samurai Rangers, is something that’s almost a little bit of a gut punch, but in a really cool way.
“And it really takes you to a place that’s more expecting, right? Because how much more dangerous can this guy get? And those questions will be answered in the later issues, and I can’t wait for you to read them,” Flores said.
Fans can check out the issue for themselves, as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #26 is in stores now.
