30 years after its debut, He-Man & The Masters of the Universe is coming home again. But, not to Eternia, to DC Comics.
DC announced yesterday that beginning in July, DC Comics will publish a 6-issue mini-series written by James Robinson with pencils by Philip Tan and inks by Ruy Jose. Check out Tan’s cover issue #1 here below, along with official details on the story.
In the new series, Robinson reintroduces the Masters of the Universe® to comic readers with Skeletor having won a major victory and rewriting the world of Eternia where he now rules from Castle Grayskull and the Masters have no memory of their former glory. Adam is a simple woodsman haunted by dreams of a heroic warrior, wielding a powerful sword in battle. He is found by a mysterious sorceress who tells him his dreams are of the way the world should be, that he is Eternia’s champion He-Man. Adam sets off on a quest to regain his power and reawaken the Masters of the Universe.
DC last published Masters of the Universe in 1982 with a three-issue mini series by writer Paul Kupperburg and artist George Tuska. Since then, He-Man and the gang from Eternia have had their comic adventures published by Marvel, Image, Crossgen, MV Creations, and most recently, mini comics that are included with special Masters of the Universe Classics action figures done by Dark Horse Comics.
So, what brings He-Man back to DC? While I have no official word, I’m placing my money that the company that owns Masters of the Universe, Mattel, also is the company that holds the license to make action figures for the DC Universe.
The fight to bring Masters of the Universe back to comics, has been a long one, and one that fans of the property have been clamoring for since the cancellation of the MV Creation title back in 2004. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the property, and Mattel has all ready promised some great stuff this year for He-Fans, but this move is both welcomed and highly unexpected. And, in my opinion, an unexpected move on DC’s part as well. DC Comics has their hands pretty full right now with the New 52, and recently they shut down Wildstorm productions, who was mostly responsible for handling their licensed property comics.
For those of you who think that nobody remembers or cares about Masters of the Universe, look no further than the number one Masters of the Universe fan site, He-Man.org, which boasts THOUSANDS of members and one of the biggest message board on the internet. Couple what with fact that Power-Con/Thunder-Con, a yearly convention soley for fans of Masters of the Universe and Thundercats fans, is being held September 22nd & 23rd this year, and all ready He-Man’s birthday party looks to be a year-long celebration.
I’m very surprised that DC put such big-name creators on this book. Sure, they could’ve gotten anyone, but with superstar writer James Robinson (who’s take on the book sounds amazing), and white-hot artist Philip Tan, DC clearly shows that they’re determined to put out the BEST Masters of the Universe comic book that they can. And, yes, Robinson confirmed to MTV that Orko will be in the mini-series. Now, we can all breathe easier. I’m sure that Mattel will be gauging sales and interest in this book to further stretch out the brand to more than just the monthly action figures that are put out via their Matty Collector website, so if you’re a fan of the property, be sure to pre-order the series from your local comic shop and help spread the world that He-Man and The Masters of the Universe are back!!!
Issue 1 Cover by Philip Tan
[Source: DC Comics]
Thanks for letting me know. Can I go back to sleep now?
Comment by Eric Fisher — April 8, 2012 @ 12:12 pm