DC Comics reviews for week of 10/5/16 – Superman #8, Batman #8

He-Man/ThunderCats #1

As a longtime fan of both properties, I was cautiously optimistic about this crossover. DC’s handling of the Masters of the Universe license hasn’t been disappointing at best.

Fortunately, He-Man/ThunderCats is executed so well it should live up to the high expectations of fans who’ve long anticipated this fantasy dream pairing.

Writers Rob David and Lloyd Goldfine have a solid grasp on the various characters’ voices. As this mostly focuses on the heroes that was particularly encouraging since the standalone Masters title rarely seemed to capture the characters correctly.

The presentation’s biggest flaw is having a mysterious narrator frame the events, which clashes with the tone of the rest of the book. David and Goldfine would have been better served keeping character thoughts out of the story.

Mumm-Ra learns of He-Man’s Power Sword and bridges Eternia and Third Earth so he can cross the realm. The initial confrontation between He-Man and Mumm-Ra is pretty cool even if it’s just a tease of the greater battles to come.

Artist Freddie E. Williams II has a lively, energetic style. Occasionally, his characters are posed in an exaggerated manner and the layout is somewhat hard to follow, but his style fits this fantasy/sci-fi hybrid universe.

I’m looking forward to the next issue much more than any recent Masters of the Universe issue. Hopefully the series can make good on its potential and keep delivering on this crossover.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10