Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artwork: Eddie Nunez
Colours: Brad Simpson
Lettering: AndWorld Design
Release Date: 6th September 2023

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On sale next week from Dark Horse Comics, “Forge of Destiny” is an an all-new Masters of the Universe miniseries from writer Tim Seeley (who else?), which serves as a prequel of sorts to the Netflix Revelation animated series.

The story, which is set shortly after He-Man made his first appearance, sees King Randor leading a goodwill mission to the reclusive island nation of Anwat Gar with the intent of bolstering relations in the wake of Skeletor’s arrival and subsequent assault on Eternia. It delves a little deeper into the history of the technologically-advanced Gar, as well as highlighting the fragile balancing act between the forces of science and magic in Eternia. Oh, and it also introduces a young Gar named Dash-Shel, who it’s probably going to be worth keeping an eye on as the story progresses.

This series is being promoted by Dark Horse as “He-Man: Year One”, and with good cause. It’s an interesting period of Eternian history that hasn’t really been fully explored yet, and getting to see the initial mixed reactions by the inhabitants of Eternos, including King Randor himself, to this new hero adds an intriguing new wrinkle to the character’s origins. He-Man’s arrival also adds an unexpected dynamic to the relationship between Prince Adam and Teela, with the latter having to sacrifice a promotion in order to remain the diligent bodyguard for a prince who continually disappears for no apparent reason.

As anyone who read my reviews of the Masters of the Universe: Masterverse anthology series will know, I’ve been clamouring for a full series illustrated by artist Eddie Nunez, who provided the “framing story” for the anthology, for quite some time now.  Suffice to say Nunez definitely doesn’t disappoint, delivering his dynamic, cartoon-accurate style to the proceedings, and – ably assisted by colourist extraordinaire Brad Simpson – the pair provide a bright, lively aesthetic for the book.

While the cast of key characters is kept fairly small for the time being, mainly focusing on the Filmation core of He-Man, Teela, Orko and Man-at-Arms, Nunez and Simpson do a great job of keeping things visually interesting, throwing in a few neat visual Easter Eggs along the way and ensuring that, in spite of this first issue not really featuring too much in the way of action, the pages keep turning throughout.

There are a few things that niggled me a little with the story – for instance, I’m not quite sure I’m buying Adam as a charming, woman-chasing prince in the Bruce Wayne mould – but for the most part, Seeley hits the target again and again, continuing to display a real mastery of MOTU lore (no pun intended) and weaving different storyline concepts together into a compelling new narrative.

The final pages throw a spanner into the works of the peaceful diplomatic mission, ensuring all manner of action and intrigue in the issues to come, and as is the case with almost anything He-Man related Seeley turns his hand to, I’m finding myself well and truly hooked right from the get-go. A fascinating new story set in a previously untapped period of Eternian history, and an absolutely essential purchase for any self-respecting Masters of the Universe fan.

Rating: 4/5.

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[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says
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