Staples and company offer up a clear and action-filled adventure that's bound to thrill younger readers, but the older set will find the storytelling to be lacking in sophistication. The script is thoroughly accessible, and the pace of the storytelling is a swift and exciting one. The greatest strength of the book, though, is the artwork. The colorful and imaginative designs of the characters are captured quite well, and they don't seem as haphazard and silly as I've perceived them to be in the past.
Skeletor's crew is hard at work preparing a dimensional gateway that will allow their master access to the interior of Castle Greyskull, where secrets and power await. The Sorceress who dwells within has managed to get a weak message of help out to He-Man and his allies, though, and they rush to the scene. Unfortunately, they have injured among their number, and they may not be prepared for another full-fledged battle with Skeletor, his cronies and their powerful magic. Perhaps they will be able to thwart the skull-faced villain's plans, but not without a great sacrifice.
Santalucia really captures a sense of majesty and wonder in both the godly characters and the fantastic setting. The open splash page really grabs the reader's attention. Castle Greyskull is an imposing sight. The colors also really bring out the kind of wondrous and chilling power that's being thrown about in this story. It adds a chilling tone to Skeletor's attack on one of his own people, and they convey a sense of otherworldly magic.
There's an emphasis in this script on some of the brainier villains with a mix of science-fiction and sorcery. There's more than bravado and brute savagery to the villains, and that touch of intellect makes them more interesting. They're far from fleshed-out characters, though, and the same can be said of the heroes. I have to admit, though, that the characters didn't seem to exude the same cornball qualities that helped me to dismiss this property so quickly in the past and more recently.
The biggest flaw with this plot is the "emotional" cliffhanger ending. Staples purports to have killed off one of the heroes, but the moment just doesn't work. The reader is well aware that the death is but an illusion, and the "shock" ending just doesn't carry any real impact.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
