REVIEW: ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse,’ Issue #1

It was around the year 2000 where I was introduced to the Masters of the Universe franchise. I picked up a VHS tape of the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe show at a local video store and fell in love with the series. I never imagined how this series would become an integral part of my childhood. Even though I lost touch with any new material that was released, I’m glad that the adventures still continue with He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse #1.

He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse #1, which is published by DC Comics, is written by Tim Seeley, penciled by Dan Farga, colored by Matt Yagy, and lettered by Saida Temofonte. A new threat, known as Anti-He-Man, has been unleashed upon the multiverse. For years, he has been the scourge of Anti-Eternia but now, he has found a way to travel throughout the multiverse.

His ultimate plan is to steal the power of Greyskull within each universe and destroy anyone who gets in his way. It’s up to a ragtag team of He-Men from different universes to join forces and recruit the one man who has a chance of defeating the Anti-He-Man: Prince Keldor, the man who would be Skeletor. The stakes are high as the He-Men will have to team up with one of their greatest foes.

While the concept of multiverses has become a popular trope within comic books, especially within the superhero genre, I’m not aware of it being used within the Masters of the Universe franchise. It makes sense that it would happen now with the number of shows and comics that have come from this franchise, but a part of me was worried about how it would be handled. Given that multiverses in comics are such an overused trope, it was initially concerning to see yet another franchise follow that path.

However, within mere minutes of reading it, any doubt left my mind. The stakes of the situation were quickly established and the danger of their multiverse felt real. As soon as the Anti-He-Man arrives, Seeley manages to take away any hope of victory, which is quite an accomplishment. There was also enough world-building done to gather my interest but not enough to give everything away. I’m intrigued by how things might go from here.

One of the main elements that I felt like the comic relied on is the nostalgia factor. Normally, this would hurt any work that’s based on such a monumental franchise, but the comic uses it to its advantage. Once Prince Adam shouts, “For the Power of Greyskull,” my level of excitement went through the roof. I’m also a big fan of Skeletor, so it’s great to see him getting a major role in this series. Given all of the excitement this one issue made me feel, I have no doubt that any future issues can be even greater.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading and reviewing He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse #1. Given that the Masters of the Universe franchise was a major component of my childhood, it’s incredible to see that it still has a major place in the realm of comic books in 2019. Combining such an interesting premise, world-building, and nostalgia, the creative team has created a comic that new and old fans of He-Man will surely enjoy.

He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse #1 is available now wherever comic books are sold and through our affiliate link on Comixology.