NEW SERIES MOTU COMIC BOOKS

Even though the new Masters Of The Universe figures do not have an accompanying set of minicomics, fans are still able to find some good quality stories about the Eternian warriors. The creative team at Image Comics in association with MV Creations have produced an excellent set of MOTU comics.

At present, MV Creations are not selling the comics outside the US, which is disappointing for international fans. Yet I have managed to purchase some copies from dealers, so I am able to add this review page to Vaults Of Grayskull.

Several artists have contributed to the comics, and the quality of the images is fantastic. The design team includes Emiliano Santalucia, who wields a pencil like no other! I first saw Emiliano's work when his Masters Of The Universe Homecoming comic book was available on the Internet, and I was really impressed with his interpretation of the MOTU world. The story was completely different to anything that had been written at that point as well, and although it had some radical themes, it was imaginative and perceptive.

These new comics show off Emiliano's talents brilliantly, as well as those of the other artists. The stories have been created by Val Staples (president of MV Creations), and Val also contributes to the artwork. One of the things that impresses me with the comics is that they reveal the contributors' passion for the Masters. One issue reveals that it takes Emiliano twenty minutes to draw one of Skeletor's legs in each frame! The dedication to quality is evident in every image.

And what of the stories themselves? I have read various reviews of the comics on the Internet, and opinions vary. One apparent criticism is that the stories are aimed at fans who are familiar with the world of Eternia. I do not consider this to be a failing - in fact I think that is a positive aspect of the comics. I draw a comparison to my own Grayskull story here - I am sure that explaining all the details and themes would detract from the story. There is depth to Val's tales even though they appear in comic format. I think the tales are imaginative, and I like the way that Val creates agendas for different individuals. These stories are more than the simple Skeletor versus He-Man brawls that the last of the original series minicomics descended to.

For collectors, the different issues have a number of alternative covers. The first comic had three, and the image below shows the C or premium cover by Earl Norem. I like this one in particular, because the image captures the drama of battle against the backdrop of an untamed, barbarian world. He-Man is the age he always used to be, and Skeletor is frighteningly menacing!

You may be wondering why I have created a page for a series of comics that is linked to the new MOTU toys as Vaults Of Grayskull is dedicated to the barbarian themes of the original Masters. Well, that's true, but as you may have read elsewhere on this site, I don't claim to have ownership of the literary MOTU world! I like to see different interpretations of the Eternian mythology. That's why I have links to other fan fiction sites. I may believe that Prince Adam is a waste of space, but that doesn't stop me appreciating good work by other writers!

And to conclude this page, I'd like to make a request to MV Creations - please start selling internationally!