Written by: Rich Douek
Art by: Gavin Smith
Coloring by: Fabi Marques
Lettering by: Andworld Design
Cover by: Mark Buckingham
Published by: Dark Horse Comics
Summary:
This issue starts off with the two villainous groups waging war against each other: the Mer-Men versus the Beast-Men. Skeletor appears and causes the fighting to cease, as he offers a proposal to join his army in the fight to conquer Eternia and He-Man.
As Skeletor commands his army, he tells one of the Beast-Men that an aggressive commander named Hordak attempted to conquer Eternia, which he failed to do. He tells the story of the time that Hordak and Skeletor chose to band together as allies, in which Hordak took much of the credit while Skeletor put in the “dirty work” by enslaving captured armies and kings.
The issue ends with Skeletor being banned from Etheria. During his recall of events, Hordak and Skeletor are posed in a standoff, as Hordak eliminates Skeletor, only for Skeletor to swear that he would kill Hordak someday.
Rich Douek has Skeletor’s ‘voice’ exactly as it should sound: menacing. I am interested in reading more about Skeletor’s plan to take over Eternia and the larger realm, Etheria. Hopefully the story unravels in the next issue. I think readers who already know the He-Man universe well and like Skeletor would enjoy this first issue.
Overall: 7/10
India Williams is a comic writer and reviewer based in Florida. She is a lifelong comics fan, with favorites including Thor, Conan, G.I. Joe, and Speed Racer. When she’s not writing comics or reviewing them, she enjoys toy photography.
