By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

ARTIST: Jamal Campbell

THE ISSUE: Part 2 of the “Shattered Grid” story arc, celebrating 25 years of Power Rangers. The cover harkens back to the finale of issue #25. Kimberly holds the body of Tommy Oliver, who has just been murdered by his evil doppleganger, Lord Drakkon. Meanwhile Jen Scotts, the Pink Time Force Ranger, has just arrived in their timeline.

WHY IT’S EPIC: While this cover is pretty awesome on its own merits, it’s really only epic if you’re a Power Rangers geek like me. Tommy and Kimberly are both characters from the original version of the show, which hit the airwaves in 1993. Jen, however, is a character from the show’s 2001 incarnation, Power Rangers Time Force. While we’ve seen different Rangers from different seasons cross paths before (see “Forever Red,” “Once a Ranger,” “Legendary Battle,” etc), this interaction promises more depth, and much more personal stakes.

Jen’s pose is very Power Rangers-esque, with the smoke added for effect. The different shades and intensities of pink really catch the eye. The way Tommy and Kim are positioned feels very natural, which isn’t always the case when you talk about these “grieving” poses. This one is somewhat evocative of the famous image from A Death in the Family of Batman cradling Jason Todd’s dead body. But MMPR #26 does enough to stand on its own in that regard.

Campbell has done the majority of the covers for this series. They’re all very good. But this one has a special place among the bunch.

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