Boom! Studios Ends 8 Years Of 'Power Rangers' Comics With 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour' #1
Everything is truly changing for the beloved 30-year-old toku franchise
Well Power Rangers fans, if you were looking for the beloved Boom! Studios comics to carry you through the franchise’s transitional hiatus from Cosmic Fury to what’s likely a brand new continuity, it seems that it might not be the case. Like “Shattered Grid” before it, the yearlong “Darkest Hour” intrafranchise anniversary crisis crossover storyline, this being for the 30th, will conclude with one-off Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 this July, capping 8 years of a wonderful run of comics for the Hasbro-owned franchise.
The final issue of the main series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #122, releases on July 24, 2024, with the Darkest Hour #1 finale releasing a week later on July 31. They are available for pre-order at comic shops and digitally on Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play. The given synopsis goes “It all ends here! With the Morphin Grid in peril, the people of Earth are left without the Power Rangers to protect them. The ultimate battle against Dark Specter will play out with unexpected consequences, while an unlikely group of rogues, villains, and Rangers make strange company… But even if they win… can they rebuild everything they’ve lost?” In the latest stages of the “Darkest Hour” saga, Dark Specter, one of the most destructive forces in the universe's history, has been unleashed by Mistress Vile, the current title Rita Repulsa has given herself. Together, they have been infecting the Morphin Grid and corrupting Rangers in their quest to permanently destroy it. Rangers from across space and time have been banding together to stop the impending destruction, bringing together not just Rangers from every television season, but the Coinless Rangers, Drakkon Rangers, Omega Rangers, the Hyperforce Rangers, and even the villainous Lord Zedd. Issue #118 saw Dark Specter betray Mistress Vile, complicating the situation even further.
The current creative crew consisting of writer Melissa Flores, artist Simona Di Gianfelice, and colorist Raúl Angulo finish weaving the story nearly a decade in the making to deliver a very memorable finale to pay everything off. Flores reflected “After nearly two years, the Darkest Hour comes to a close. This event has been one of the biggest tasks of my career, but I’ve enjoyed every single, heart-wrenching minute. Although I put our poor Rangers through the wringer, I hope the ending is as satisfying for the reader as it was for me to write it!”, adding on Twitter that those two years ago she was specifically “brought on board to specifically finish [Boom! Studios’s] epic MMPR run with the Darkest Hour. To say it's been an honor is an understatement. While that comic may be ending, Power Rangers will forever live on. Let's wait and see what the future holds.”
Longtime series artist Di Gianfelice chimed in saying “I’m really excited to tell this incredible adventure together with Melissa. So far she has kept us in suspense and now she’s ready to surprise us again! Get ready to dive into this final chapter of Darkest Hour! GO GO!”. The epic finale will be of oversized length, featuring a main cover by Taurin Clarke, where the Rangers fist bump collectively. Variant covers, namely Clarke’s corrupted version of the main, a new Dark Grid variant by Björn Barends, a Helmet variant by Goñi Montes where a dark version of the Red Tyrannosaurus helmet is held by the corrupted hero, Trevor Hairsine and Jordan Boyd's variant featuring the Mighty Morphin team on the attack against Dark Specter, with Matt the Green Ranger facing him head-on, and a top secret Spoiler variant by Santa Fung, are just 6 of 12 total that will be available.
More Power Rangers-related announcements from BOOM! Studios will be made in the coming months, including plans for San Diego Comic-Con, which is being held the weekend between issue #122 and Darkest Hour #1, so whether this is truly the end remains to be seen. Issue #119 is available Wednesday, April 24, and #120 (by Flores, Valeria Favoccia, and Valentina Pinto) spotlights the Solar Rangers as they fight the corruption on their turf. On TV, the 30th anniversary was celebrated with reunion special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once and Always, and season 30 of the main series, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, both streaming on Netflix.
Sources: Boom! Studios, Looper