Ranger Academy #12 sees our heroes unite to try and put an end to Dark Specter! The final concluding issue from BOOM! Studios brings it all together for the future of Ranger Academy.
Good day, Ranger fans! We’re finally here with another review of BOOM! Studios’ latest series, Ranger Academy. The last few issues have been doing well in carrying an engaging final act towards the concluding chapter. Can issue #12 end things on a positive note? Read on to find out!
Ranger Academy #12 is the latest in the BOOM! Studios Rangerverse. Written by Maria Ingrande Mora with illustrations by Jo Mi-Gyeong and colouring by Joana Lafuente. Their skills combined together to bring a much larger world to the ever expanding comic Rangerverse. Today, I will be giving you my personal pros and cons of the latest issue.
RELATED: Review: Our Heroes Take Flight with the Aim to Fight in Ranger Academy #11
WARNING: Potential story spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk!
The Pros
Ranger Academy #12 finally brings it all full circle with Sage and pals coming face to face with the evil Dark Specter himself.
Issue #12 jumps right in where issue #11 ended: with a possessed Mathis about to attack our heroes. It immediately jumps into the action from the get go; with this being the final issue, you can expect it to also be very dialogue heavy as the story and world within attempt to wrap everything up in a neat little bow. The results of which are a bit far from the mark, but more on that in the Cons section.
This issue of Ranger Academy has some of the best visuals yet, with each page and panel filled with an array of expressions and emotions between each character that really helps convey the urgency of the situation going on from cover to cover. In a manner similar to the 2017 Power Rangers film, we finally get our full team of rangers all morphed together for the final battle. Similarly to the aforementioned film, I’ve really enjoyed that Ranger Academy put character development first and foremost before gratuitous Ranger moments, even if some characters have taken longer than they should have to be developed. With the full Ranger roster formed and fighting here, it feels earned. The designs themselves leave a lot to be desired but it’s still nice to finally get ‘Rangers’ in “Ranger Academy”.
The final battle is over and done quickly and everything is concluded in a rather hustled manner, but I like that every major character got to gain closure with themselves or another character, closing all doors on any previously unresolved conversations or questions the reader may have. With this being the final issue of Ranger Academy, I’m relieved to say the story doesn’t end with some kind of forced cliffhanger or sequel bait like most stories these days, instead opting to end on a very wholesome and positive message about finding your true home.
The Cons
While the last few issue of Ranger Academy have managed to avoid much criticism from myself, I’m afraid Ranger Academy #12 breaks the streak. Firstly, the way issue #12 jumps in is akin to the second half of a TV episode; continuing as if there was no month long gap; no pre story fanfare, build up or even a faint reminder of “the story so far”. I feel it could have done a bit more to ease readers back into the world after a month rather than plop them into the ensuing carnage.
I also mentioned earlier my comparisons to the 2017 Power Rangers film and while I enjoyed both the film and Ranger Academy, the lack of actual Power Rangers in all 12 issues is baffling; not only was it left until the final issue to give us the whole ranger team but it was left until the final half of the final issue. The way the team transformed together was a bit underwhelming too; I get what the writers were going for but I personally feel we should have gotten a group morph or something. To fill out the roster of rangers, Lindy, who’s whole arc was not being chosen to be a Ranger finally gets to be a Ranger, literally because Tula said she can. It is suddenly that simple. All those trials and tribulations? Meant nothing in the grand scheme. Again, I get what they were going for but, as you read further through Ranger Academy #12, it becomes more abundantly clear how much they’re trying to wrap everything up as quickly as possible.
Therein lies the main problem of issue #12 and Ranger Academy as a whole: a lot of story beats are rushed. With many issues teasing Dark Specter and issue #11 giving us a taste of his power, it’s mindnumbing how easily and quickly he’s dealt with in issue #12. Ranger Academy teaches us that no matter how powerful you are, or how long you have existed in the darkest corners of the morphing grid, a bunch of kids suiting up as rangers for the first time can and will defeat you with the power of friendship. It’s a long existing problem in Power Rangers but I’ll save that diatribe for another day.
Conclusion
While the last few issue have been pretty solid, issue #12 of Ranger Academy doesn’t go out with a bang but rather like a flatulence in a stormy gust; it makes no lasting impact and will quickly be buried under better Power Ranger comic stories. While Ranger Academy has had some enjoyable moments and the potential for an impactful story with memorable characters, the team haven’t succeeded much in capturing that potential. It’s clear that Ranger Academy as a whole wasn’t a well thought out story, often at times feeling like each issue was written as they went along. I will praise the team behind Ranger Academy for sticking to it until the end but personally I’d have a hard time recommending Ranger Academy as a whole to new or veteran fans of Power Rangers.
For this issue, I’d give Ranger Academy #12 a 5 out of 10. The final concluding issue rushes it’s story once more to make it to the finish line with a “friendship overcomes all” message that leaves this fan scratching his head. Potential squandered time and again while the final confrontation is over and done in the blink of an eye. Ranger Academy isn’t a story by fans for fans, it’s a paycheck. While I like the small wholesome message at the end of issue #12, it feels like a bittersweet slap to the face for sticking with this world and its characters.
Ranger Academy #12 releases tomorrow, November 6th, 2024, at your local comic book store. This and more Power Rangers BOOM! Studios series are also available as a digital copy from content providers like iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.
What did you think of Issue #12? Did you enjoy Ranger Academy overall? Would you have done anything different? Let us know in the comments below! We look forward to seeing them. Stay tuned for more other awesome Power Ranger news and reviews here at The Toku Source!
