PopCultHQ received a review copy of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Masterverse Vol. 1 TPB from Dark Horse Comics. Available October 17th in bookstores & October 18th in comic book shops, volume one is written by Masters of the Universe alum Tim Seeley (Masters of the Multiverse, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), with daring, original visions by Sergio Aragonés (Groo, Mad Magazine), Kelley Jones (Batman, Deadman), E.J. Su (Transformers), Eddie Nunez, Victor Santos (Polar), Claudia Balboni (Killer Queens, Star Trek), David Rubin (Ether, Rumble), Daniel Lopez, and Fico Ossio (Marvel Action: Spider-Man).
Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Masterverse Vol. 1 TPB
Format: Full Color, 104 pages; TPB; 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″
Genre: Science-Fiction, Action/Adventure
ISBN-13:978-1-50673-409-5
ISBN-10:1-50673-409-X
Ages: 12+
SRP: $19.99
Bookstore release date: 10/17/23
Comic shop release date: 10/18/23
Collects Masters of the Universe: Masterverse #1-#4.
A brand-new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe fantasy anthology series featuring art from some of the most celebrated names in comics.
In the depths of Castle Grayskull, the Sorceress and Zodac debate the value of He-Man. To save the life of her champion, the Sorceress must take the Cosmic Enforcer on a tour of the multiverse.
Featuring all-new worlds and all-new He-Men!
Written by Masters of the Universe alum Tim Seeley (Masters of the Multiverse, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), with daring, original visions by Sergio Aragonés (Groo, Mad Magazine), Kelley Jones (Batman, Deadman), E.J. Su (Transformers), Eddie Nunez, Victor Santos (Polar), Claudia Balboni (Killer Queens, Star Trek), David Rubín (Ether, Rumble), Daniel Lopez, and Fico Ossio (Marvel Action: Spider-Man).
PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
It is hard to believe it has been over 40 years since Roger Sweet first created He-Man. Since that fateful day, Eternia’s blonde-haired, sword-swinging hero has continued to win the hearts of all who thrill for adventure and cheer to see the good guys win. Now, the time has come for a trip to the Multiverse! No, not the one from the Big Two and the superpower squad. Instead, dear readers, step through the portal into…The Masterverse! Where adventure waits around every corner, and a treasure trove of stories awaits. Not only will everyone dig into the different approaches by everyone who worked on the project, but also the standout possibilities that this opens up for future He-Man comics.
Writing: It is fitting that someone who has traversed the wild lands of Eternia returns once more to take up the pen and craft a new series of adventures for He-Man fans, both young and old. Tim Seeley has made his mark on various Masters of the Universe comics throughout his career, so seeing him tackle what is essentially an anthology piece, bookended between an overarching theme and working with a talented pool of creative personalities, makes this a fun and downright thoughtful piece of reading. Tim’s primary goal is to show readers the importance of a noble figure like He-Man and that there is more to him besides the archetypal struggle between good and evil (and that he was initially conceived to sell lots of toys). What adds to the strength of this apparent mission is the fantastic team of creatives who align themselves with Tim.
Art: Part one of the team is the artists. And what a list of names to put pen and ink to the world of the Masters of the Universe. Sergio Aragonés, Kelley Jones, Claudia Balboni, and the rest of the artists join with Tim to craft original artwork for each of these unique takes on the He-Man mythos. Whether it is the more comedic, Groo the Wanderer-esque take by Sergio or the Barbarella/Conan style interpretation presented by Claudia, each of these artistic geniuses forge a sort of sacred pact with Tim in melding their unique art styles to his stories. The agreement is simply this: to show different approaches, humorous or more serious, on a fabled world that has become a cornerstone of pop culture iconography. Each batch of artwork is downright dynamite and offers something for everyone who loves comics.
Colors: Part two of the team is the colorists. Rico, Brennan, and Michael all do a superb and stellar job on the stories they were tasked to color. As a somewhat keen observer of the color choices utilized for anthology works such as this, I could tell right away that each of these three pros spent time picking out the hues and tones that would aid in giving some serious sizzle and pop to the artwork. Finding the suitable blends that go the extra mile to leapfrog the art off of the page takes dedication, years of experience, and ultimately, internalizing the first two points and constantly planning out what the result will be on whatever project they are a part of. A job very well-done indeed.
Letters: The third and final members of the team are the letterers. The task falls to Deron Bennett and David Rubin for this mystical and massive volume. These fellows have lettered many comics, so the work was in good hands. And they did not disappoint. Given that there have been multiple He-Man properties over the years, both animated and live-action, my internal self started hearing the words being read by the noteworthy names that have attached themselves to the Masters of the Universe over the years. On top of that, every line of dialogue lettered carried an energy and vitality that had this reviewer wanting to suit up and go take on the forces of Snake Mountain single-handedly! And if the lettering alone can inspire that sort of crazed, nerd-fueled noble intention, then I say way to go, guys.
Overall Assessment:
The thing about being a pop culture fan is that there is so much to appreciate and enjoy. Sometimes, it feels as though there is a veritable overload of content. There is so much to read/watch/play, so little time to do it in. This is why collected editions like this bridge the gap between fandoms and add something new and flavorful to the pot. Tim Seeley and crew have carved out another noteworthy niche and filled it with a book that is chock full of stories for anyone and everyone who is a He-Man fan. Full marks go to them for producing a piece that is worthy of being read again and again.
PopCultHQ’s Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
One Final Preview Page
About Dark Horse Comics:
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics is an excellent example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and transform a company with humble beginnings into an industry giant. Over the years, Dark Horse has published the work of creative legends such as Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Faith Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Kentaro Miura, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and Gerard Way. In addition, Dark Horse has a long tradition of establishing exciting new creative talent throughout all of its divisions. The company has also set the industry standard for quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books, including Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Dragon Age, James Cameron’s Avatar, Game of Thrones, Mass Effect, StarCraft, The Witcher, and Halo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.
