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COMIC PREVIEW – Drakkon New Dawn Issue 2

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On Wednesday, September 23rd, POWER RANGERS: Drakkon New Dawn Issue 2 will be released from Boom Studios.

Still reeling from the shocking discovery held deep in the heart of Drakkon’s prison tower; Deadlock, Kimberly unknowingly triggers Drakkon’s final failsafe, sending a message deep into space that will ultimately put Kimberly face to face with an enemy even more powerful than Lord Drakkon himself. Will the Unknown Ranger she freed help her – or stand against her?

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“We are now in the mid-point of the Drakkon New Dawn mini-series and things are moving pretty quickly. Right off the bat we find out the identity of the Unknown Ranger (spoilers in the preview). Personally, I enjoy that this is not a mystery that lasts until the end of the series. As this issue progresses, there are far bigger threats to the world of the Coinless.

The Coinless World, and the alternate future timeline it resides in, continues to be a fascinating look into the future of the Power Rangers if they lost. And nowhere is that more apparent than this issue. With the threat of a new evil from space, both the Coinless and the Sentry forces need guidance from Kimberly. But with the identity of the Unknown Ranger, and more of his backstory revealed, we find that Kimberly continues to face difficult decisions with no easy solution.

What does it mean to be a leader? Writer Anthony Burch makes it clear that it is a difficult path that will be full of sacrifices and compromise. The issue is nicely paced, balancing character moments and action throughout with two major settings. With artist Simone Ragazzoni, this balance is achieved through more traditional panel layouts for the exposition heavy first half, and gorgeous, sprawling spreads for the action in the second half.

Next month, the miniseries concludes and I am excited to see what big guns are pulled out for the finale. Part of me hopes that this is not the last time we see Ranger Slayer or the Coinless, but if it is… I hope the next issue delivers!”

DRAKKON NEW DAWN #2
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Anthony Burch
Artist: Simone Ragazzoni
Colorist: Raúl Angulo
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Jung-Geun Yoon
Foil Variant Cover: Goñi Montes
Variant Covers: Mirka Andolfo
Price: $4.99

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COMIC PREVIEW – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 53

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On Wednesday, August 26th, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 53 will be released from Boom Studios.

Lord Zedd has released his greatest creation yet-the ALL NEW DARK RANGERS; Baboo, Goldar, Squat, Finster and Rita Repulsa, powered by the Green Chaos Crystal, against the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! What is the full extent of Lord Zedd’s master plan?

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“Hell hath no fury like a Rita scorned…

In last month’s issue, the ending revealed Rita Repulsa’s return, but what was the twist? In the continuity of the show and the comic, Rita is still flying around in her Space Dumpster… and that remains the case. It seems that Finster has created the ultimate Putty version of Rita, as seen in these preview pages. As Zedd notes, her experience and abilities are intact with none of her flaws. Later in the issue, readers will find out what also makes so formidable without those “flaws”.

What is great about this new development is that it is a callback to the more intelligent putty that was part of Ryan Parrott’s early Go Go Power Rangers run. These references to past issues really highlight how many stories have been told in over four years of the comics. Much like the return of Violet from that same prom arc, these elements make the comic universe more interconnected with a strong internal continuity. Long time readers are rewarded if they remember, and if they don’t, it’s a perfect time to reread past issues. 

With two issues left until the end of this series, writer Ryan Parrott is not holding anything back to set up the relaunch of the two new ongoing series coming in November. The re-energizing of the Dragon Coin was not something I expected just yet, but it helps the final arc with pacing. I don’t think we will have a rushed ending. Artist Moisés Hidalgo continues to impress with every issue. Seeing the Dark Rangers in action is a real treat and gives us yet another morphing sequence this will impress. Issue 53, The Dark Rangers, finally redeems Lord Zedd’s first attempt at evil rangers seen in the television show with style. Highly recommended!”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #53
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Moisés Hidalgo
Colorist: Walter Baiamonte, with Katia Ranalli
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Jamal Campbell
Foil Variant Cover: Goñi Montes
Incentive Cover: Kris Anka
Variant Cover: Jamal Campbell
Price: $3.99

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COMIC PREVIEW – Drakkon New Dawn Issue 1

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On Wednesday, August 19th, POWER RANGERS: Drakkon New Dawn Issue 1 will be released from Boom Studios.

After the shocking events of Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1, Kimberly is determined to purge the terrifying hold that Drakkon has had over her world, starting with Deadlock; the prison tower where Drakkon held all those who opposed him. But even the Ranger Slayer has no clue of the true power kept in Deadlock—and what unlocking the doors will set into motion. As Kimberly investigates the worst of Drakkon’s secrets, she sets in motion Drakkon’s final plan—one that will pit her against a fan-favorite Power Rangers villain like you’ve never seen them before!

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“After last month’s Ranger Slayer #1 one-shot, the door was left wide open for a new writer to pick up the reigns of the continuing saga of Kimberly Hart. And I am happy to say that this feels like a more personal story for Kim than the one-shot. As readers, we hear more of her internal dialogue, her thought process of being a reluctant leader.

This first issue sets up this mini-series in a grand way – a new location to explore, a new potential ally and a new threat. There is some backstory for Lord Drakkon that might make you wonder about part of the timeline of events before “Shattered Grid”. With two more issues to go, I hope we get some clarity. How it relates to the events happening in this issue is not a top priority for the story, but it should be resolved for greater clarity in the comics universe.

Writer Anthony Burch is not a stranger to Power Rangers comics, or to Lord Drakkon – he wrote the Power Rangers RPM story in the Shattered Grid Annual. Burch also has written for BOOM! Studios before with the “Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack” series. And if you’ve enjoyed the writing in League of Legends, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Tales from the Borderlands – you’ll enjoy some great one-liners and quips in Drakkon New Dawn.

As for the art, Simone Ragazzoni is the latest artist in a series of great artists to work on Power Rangers. The artwork feels more like a watercolor painting with Raúl Angulo’s coloring pairing well with Ragazzoni’s soft line work.

Overall, Drakkon New Dawn continues Ranger Slayer’s personal journey as she faces threats that hit closer to home. With tough calls and hard decisions to make, Ranger Slayer will be put to the test in the next two issues and I can’t wait to see how she grows.”

DRAKKON NEW DAWN #1
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Anthony Burch
Artist: Simone Ragazzoni
Colorist: Raúl Angulo
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Jung-Geun Yoon
Foil Variant Cover: Goñi Montes
Variant Covers: Dan Mora
Price: $4.99

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COMIC PREVIEW – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 52

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On Wednesday, July 29th, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 52 will be released from Boom Studios.

As tensions rise between the OMEGA RANGERS and the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS over the return of <SPOILER>, Kimberly takes it upon herself to interrogate their new prisoner. Meanwhile, a team of Rangers on a crucial intergalactic mission come face to face with the herald of a new threat heading straight for Earth!

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“Not one, but two issues of the main comic this month? I am not complaining. After Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Issue 51 and Ranger Slayer Issue 1, BOOM! Studios has bounced back this month after delays from the pandemic.

Last month, we called this the “Aftermath” arc, but it turns out issues 51-55 will all be individually titled. That’s a nice change of pace as these last 5 issues set up the big comic split coming later this fall. In “Enemy of my Enemy”, we see the return of the Omega Rangers. The pacing of the issue is slowed down, as there is a split of focus between the Mighty Morphin team and the Omega Rangers. We even get more time with the Stone Canyon trio at Angel Grove High. I was even surprised by the return of a side character we have not seen in awhile! This slow down of pacing is what Ryan Parrott has mentioned before and it helps to take a breather after the universe ending events last arc.

Moisés Hidalgo continues to impress with his artwork. There’s a nice continuity between his style and Daniele Di Nicuolo’s art from Necessary Evil. The action is cranked up towards the end of this issue which sets the stakes for the remaining issues in this run.

Highly recommended!”

 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #52
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Moisés Hidalgo
Colorist: Walter Baiamonte, with Katia Ranalli
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Jamal Campbell
Foil Variant Cover: Goñi Montes
Incentive Cover: Kris Anka
Variant Cover: Jamal Campbell
Price: $3.99

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Ranger Command Power Hour Episode 163

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Ranger Command Power Hour Episode 163

It’s time to Ranger Up with your hosts as they talk all things Power Rangers on the Four Eyed Radio Network with RANGER COMMAND POWER HOUR!

In this episode we continue our review of Boom! Studios Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers comics with guest co-hosts Chris (@TokuChris) of PwrRngr.com (@PwrRngr), Chris (@clong83) from Geek Each Week (@geekeachweek), Derek (@DerekBGayle), and Ro (@RoliverQueen_) and Five (@SentaiFive) from The Leg10n Of Boom (@Leg10nOfBoom)!

We review the conclusion of Necessary Evil with Go Go Power Rangers issues 26-32 and Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers issues 46-50!

We also discuss the latest news including MMPR Issue 50 second printing, press images for Hasbro Lightning Collection, Battle for the Grid Season 3 and more! Finally, we read your responses to our Ranger Nation Answers question where we asked our listeners about how they felt about the ending of Necessary Evil. Where do they think the comics will go story wise in upcoming issues?

Omega now, Omega forever!

Listen now: Ranger Command Power Hour Episode 163 – “Boom Studios Power Rangers Comics Part 9: Necessary Evil Part 2”

ITUNES – GOOGLE PLAY – GOOGLE PODCASTS – SPOTIFY – ANDROID – SPREAKER – STITCHER

Links mentioned in show:

COMIC PREVIEW – Power Rangers Ranger Slayer #1

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On Wednesday, July 22nd, POWER RANGERS RANGER SLAYER #1 will be released from Boom Studios.

The Ranger Slayer – AKA Kimberly Hart, the Pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger from the alternate universe once ruled by Lord Dakkon – returns home and nothing is like she expected. In a world that only knows her as a villain, can Kimberly show her universe that she’s become a hero…and is that even the right thing to do? Confronted by a terrifying new version of an old enemy, and with her home in chaos, Kimberly will make a stunning choice that no Power Rangers fan can miss. This issue is also a perfect jumping on point for new readers – and sets the stage for the next Power Rangers epic!

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“Ranger Slayer #1 is a unique one shot for Power Rangers. It continues the story of Kim, the Ranger Slayer, from her last appearance heading home through the Master Arch as seen at the end of MMPR Issue 50. Ranger Slayer #1 is not only continuing that journey for the character, but sets up the upcoming 3-issue miniseries “Drakkon New Dawn”.

For such a pivotal comic, not only does it have to bridge that gap, but also serve as a self contained story. Does it succeed? In my opinion… yes and no.

The world of the Coinless is six months out from Drakkon’s disappearance in Shattered Grid. The power vacuum has been filled by an old enemy of the Power Rangers (Scorpina – she’s on the cover…), consistent with their last appearance in the comics and even through HyperRPG’s Power Rangers Hyperforce. As always, I won’t spoil the issue in this review, but I enjoyed the interactions with the Coinless and Kim becoming a reluctant leader. That’s consistent with how she felt during Beyond the Grid and it’s nice to see here.

There are also plenty of callbacks to events in Shattered Grid, but it may get confusing for casual readers considering how that aarc ended. Even as a diehard reader of the comics, I had to go back and reread certain events to make sure I had the timeline straight. I was also slightly disappointed of the final resolution in the one shot. There’s a trend I am starting to see throughout the past year of Power Rangers comics that is becoming slightly tired, but I am willing to see where the new status quo takes readers for Drakkon New Dawn.

Dan Mora returns to Power Rangers for this one-shot, and the art is the highlight of this issue. Mora takes a standard 9-grid comic layout approach to Ranger Slayer #1 and it just works. The art reminds me of Hendry Prasetya’s early run during MMPR, which is fitting since that’s where we saw the Coinless world for the first time. The sketchy nature of the inks make the World of the Coinless feel dirty and war-torn, appropriate for the tone of the issue.

Overall, this is still a crucial issue for the upcoming mini-series. I look forward to more of Ranger Slayer’s journey in the coming months.”

Power Rangers Ranger Slayer #1
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Raúl Angulo
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Dan Mora
Variant Covers: Dan Mora
Foil Variant Cover: Goñi Montes
Spoiler Cover: Jen Bartel
Price: $7.99

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COMIC PREVIEW – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 51

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On Wednesday, July 15th, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 51 will be released from Boom Studios.

[SPOILER] has returned…and the ripple effects send shock waves through every Power Ranger! Now the fragile alliance between the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS and OMEGA RANGERS may be permanently…shattered.

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“After Necessary Evil, it’s time for the Aftermath. Since last issue’s big 3 page spread reveal, I was wondering how the story would progress. Would the stakes immediately ramp up? Would the pace slow down?

Thankfully, writer Ryan Parrott has slowed down the pace of the book to deal with this new mystery. There’s a return of a character (not THAT one) that once again reminds us that any element in Parrott’s (and other writers) entire run of Power Rangers can be used. Just when I questioned “why haven’t seen this character in awhile?”, they are back. Speaking of elements coming back, just wait until you read the last few pages of this issue.

With a new arc comes a new artist, Moisés Hidalgo. In our interview with Ryan Parrott, he said that Moisés was “fantastic”. And he IS, his art style is very detailed with expressive characters and dynamic action scenes. During the battle in this issue, the layouts also change to match the movement of the action. And just when you think you’ve seen every version of the morphing sequence, Moisés makes his stand out.

Overall, I enjoyed this first issue in the Aftermath arc. The return to basics fight in this issue was a welcome change of pace from the “end of the universe” escalation from Necessary Evil. Whatever happens in “Aftermath”, we know there is a big shakeup coming soon for the comics. Again, I am here for this crazy entertaining ride.”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #51
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Moisés Hidalgo
Colorist: Walter Baiamonte, with Katia Ranalli
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Jamal Campbell
Foil Variant Cover: Goñi Montes
Incentive Cover: Kris Anka
Price: $3.99 Continue reading →

NEWS – BOOM! Studios Announces Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #50 Second Printing

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BOOM! Studios Announces MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #50 SECOND PRINTING
Discover the Shocking Return of Drakkon in the Final Issue of “Necessary Evil” in August 2020

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 10, 2020) – BOOM! Studios announced today that MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #50, the shocking final chapter in the epic Power Rangers event, Necessary Evil, has sold out at the distributor level! In response to the overwhelming support from retailers and fans for the return of Lord Drakkon, BOOM! Studios has announced the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #50 SECOND PRINTING, available August 5, 2020 and featuring cover art by superstar artist Dan Mora (Once & Future).

From the all star team of acclaimed writer Ryan Parrott (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), artist Daniele di Nicuolo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), colorist Walter Baiamonte (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), and letterer Ed Dukeshire (Angel) comes The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the Omega Rangers – along with surprise new allies – team up to face The Anointed in this epic conclusion to the Power Rangers event: Necessary Evil! But what does the shocking return of the deadly Lord Drakkon on the triple-gatefold last page mean for their future?

Hint: It changes everything!

“We knew the return of Lord Drakkon would be an epic moment and readers agree – so we’re bringing back MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #50 so no one misses out!” said Filip Sablik, President, Publishing & Sales, BOOM! Studios. “In response to your excitement, BOOM! Studios is releasing a second printing so you can read this incredible return that changes the future of the Power Rangers in ways you won’t believe.”

Print copies of MIGHTY MORPHIN #50 SECOND PRINTING will be available for sale on August 5, 2020 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire.

Currently, Power Rangers is celebrating 27 continuous years on the air, making it one of the longest running kids’ live-action series in television history with nearly 900 episodes aired to date. Created by Haim Saban and launched in 1993 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the franchise continues with the 27th season, “Power Rangers Beast Morphers” currently airing on Saturdays at 8 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon in the U.S.

For continuing news on the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS series and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

For more on Power Rangers, please visit www.powerrangers.com and follow Power Rangers on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Ranger Command Power Hour Episode 162

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Ryan Parrott

It’s time to Ranger Up with @trekkieb47 as he talks all things Power Rangers on the Four Eyed Radio Network with RANGER COMMAND POWER HOUR!

It’s Wednesday, which means it is New Comic Book Day! Wait… RCPH releasing on a Wednesday? Yes, we are releasing this episode on a special day – the release of Boom Studios Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Issue 50, the conclusion to Necessary Evil.

This episode contains massive spoilers for that issue, so please listen after you are able to read the comic.

We welcome back Ryan Parrott to the show for this special interview. He’s best known in Ranger Nation as the writer for the recently concluded Boom Studios’ Go Go Power Rangers and MMPR / TMNT miniseries and the ongoing Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. His other currently ongoing works include “Dead Day” and “Death to the Army of Darkness”.

Ryan talks about elements used in this issue from previous arcs in the comics, such as the [SPOILER] and the return of [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]. He also discusses how the series will change going forward and more!

A big thanks to Boom Studios and Ryan Parrott for scheduling this interview. Enjoy!

Listen now: Ranger Command Power Hour Episode 162 – “Rangers Command Interview – Ryan Parrott – Necessary Evil”

ITUNES – GOOGLE PLAY – GOOGLE PODCASTS – SPOTIFY – ANDROID – SPREAKER – STITCHER

Links mentioned in show:

COMIC REVIEW – Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 50

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On Wednesday, June 24th, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue 50 will be released from Boom Studios.

The MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS & the OMEGA RANGERS – along with surprise new allies – versus The Anointed in the conclusion to NECESSARY EVIL!? Everything has been leading to the shocking return of a fan-favorite character so big that we needed a LAST PAGE GATEFOLD to contain it!? But what does it mean now that [SPOILER] is back?

Host Eric (@trekkieb47) had a chance to read the issue in advance and shares his review:

“Spanning a year, 12 issues of Go Go Power Rangers, and 11 issues of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, Necessary Evil has outpaced the other comic arcs. This arc has covered so much ground, from Tommy gaining the White Ranger powers, the Power Transfer, a new team of Omega Rangers, an abundance of new villains and subplots… Necessary Evil has widened the scope of the Power Rangers universe.

A necessary evil is the lesser evil when faced with two difficult choices because the alternative choice, or not doing anything, could lead to worse outcomes. What is the “Necessary Evil” in this arc? You can view it from many points.

Jason has to decide between leaving his friends to become an Omega Ranger by lying to them or ignoring his fate and letting the universe tear itself apart.

Tommy goes from being completely powerless to becoming the leader of the Power Rangers. He is inexperienced in this new role and has to learn fast or the Power Rangers and Earth could be destroyed.

Kiya wants to give all of the Empowered and Anointed a chance to be free of the oppressors that want to capture and seclude them. In her eyes, the Power Rangers are harboring a time bomb, Tommy could become Lord Drakkon. A possible future that can circle back and cause the whole Shattered Grid cycle to start again.

And that’s just the big three players in this story. Writers Ryan Parrott and Sina Grace have woven a complex narrative, juggling an impressive amount of characters. For MMPR 50, Parrott not only delivers a hell of an ending but sets up potential stories for years to come.

Artist Daniele di Nicuolo and colorist Walter Baiamonte brought their A+++ game to this issue. We have said so much about their work in the past, but we can’t stop praising them. Personally, I will be following their careers long after Power Rangers. The next artist for MMPR will have some large shoes to fill!

Issue 50 ties in threads from all of the previous arcs in the series, nothing was left off the table and every issue leading up to this point is significant. For the ending to have a great impact, I definitely suggest taking this weekend to reread the entire arc. Let these plots be fresh in your mind when tackling this issue! After a two-month pandemic break, the ending has been hyped (we won’t spoil it here), but the possibilities for drama, confrontation, and great storytelling are wide open going forward.

Over the years, Power Rangers has opened up a vast multiverse beyond the tv show. The comics series has only furthered that, exploring new stories in the framework of the show while expanding the lore. Whatever the next arc deals with, the stakes and consequences seem greater than Shattered Grid. I honestly hope the comics continue for a long time. They have added an incredible amount of depth and nuance to the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers characters and lore.

And that is truly Morphenominal.”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #50
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Ryan Parrott
Artist: Daniele di Nicuolo
Colorist: Walter Baiamonte, with Katia Ranalli
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Jamal Campbell
Foil Variant Cover: Jamal Campbell
Incentive Cover: Kris Anka
Unlocked Story Variant: Dan Mora
Price: $4.99 Continue reading →