The idea of a dark and edgy Power Rangers is not new or unique idea. Fans have been enamored by the concept since the show's infancy, pondering what the series might be like if it were grittier and darker. Plenty of fan trailers, fan art and fan fiction has depicted the central story of Power Rangers in a darker light.
When Boom! Studios released its Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic, fans rejoiced at more mature writing that treated the Power Rangers with the same seriousness as any other superhero franchise. That seriousness all was amped up to eleven, however, with the "Shattered Grid" crossover event story, an arc that changed Power Rangers forevermore by taking it down dark paths fans had only speculated about previously.
WHAT IS POWER RANGERS: SHATTERED GRID?
"Shattered Grid" features an alternate reality where Tommy didn't join the Power Rangers, and instead became the weapon that Rita Repulsa intended him to be from the start. This alternate Green Ranger, now dubbed Lord Drakkon, conquered his world, usurped Rita's armies,and all but destroyed the Power Rangers and their Power Coins.
However, he now intends on amassing more power, which requires him to travel to other dimensions to harness the power coins of countless other Rangers. This puts him on a confrontation with the main universe Power Rangers, including the version of Tommy who would one day become the White Ranger.
This storyline brings a darkness and seriousness to the Power Rangers in an organic way, since it's a byproduct of a more intense story. With the stakes raised, drawing from already pre-established continuity, this story reaches heights that it might not have reached otherwise.
By offering fans a chance to see just how close the Rangers came to destruction, it enriches the franchise's previous arcs, returning to the Green Ranger story from the original television series that fans to this day herald as one of the high points of the franchise.
THE ULTIMATE RANGERS CROSSOVER
"Shattered Grid" was originally a crossover between Boom! Studios 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Go Go Power Rangers. With a massive creative team including Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott, Jonas Scharf, Dan Mora, Diego Galindo and Daniele Di Nicuolo, the story packed in numerous incarnations of the Rangers. It included the Time Rangers, Samurai Rangers and the alternate team of the Mighty Morphin' team from Lord Drakkon's demolished universe, known as the Coinless.
Furthermore, the story existed as a 25th anniversary celebration for the Power Rangers, celebrating the history of the team while also teasing the future of the franchise.
However, it's impossible to talk about Shattered Grid without also discussing how it pushed the Power Rangers comic into the mainstream fan culture. This is thanks to a single trailer released on YouTube that many at first believed to be a promotion for either a live-action movie or television event. And it's easy to see why, since it actually starred Jason David Frank, the actor who portrayed the original Green Ranger himself as Lord Drakkon.
Furthermore, following the release of the comic, a video game, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, was released, offering fans a digital adaptation of the epic story. The game was written by Shattered Grid writer Kyle Higgins, who ensured the game adapted his vision to the digital medium.
HOW SHATTERED GRID CHANGED THE RANGERS
While "Shattered Grid" dramatically changed the status quo of Boom!'s Power Rangers universe, it remains to be seen whether or not this story will become a fixed point in the wider Power Rangers canon.
With "Shattered Grid," fans finally have a dark Power Ranger story that's respected by fans and critics alike. The story validated the fans who believed that the Power Rangers franchise could feature mature, adult storytelling. It also cemented Boom!'s comic as a central part of the Power Rangers franchise.
Ultimately it shows that the Power Rangers franchise is capable of telling mature, powerful stories. One can only hope the next 25 years of Ranger stories reach this level of storytelling excellence.