Review – Masters of the Universe: Revolution #1 (Dark Horse Comics)

May 10, 2024

2–3 minutes

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s): Tim Sheridan, Rob David, Ted Biaselli
Penciller: Daniel HDR
Inker: Keith Champagne
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Release Date: 15th May 2024

After the review bombing, online outrage and general toxicity that shrouded Masters of the Universe: Revelation hitting Netflix back in 2021, the follow-up series, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, hit the global streaming platform earlier this year to near-universal acclaim And now, courtesy of the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics, we have an official prequel comic which promises to expand on the early days of the fraught relationship between Hordak and Skeletor.

Yes folks, this is a He-Man comic without He-Man (at least not yet, anyway), but before you all get the pitchforks out and head over to YouTube, bear with me, because writers Tim Sheridan, Teb Biaselli and Rob David have cooked up something thoroughly entertaining here. While the animated series hinted at some of the early interactions between Hordak and the then-Keldor, this first issue goes deep dive into their very first encounter in Anwat Gar, providing additional context and nuance to their ultimately fractured collaboration.

MOTU fans who wanted to see more of the Horde in the Netflix show (a demographic which includes myself) will be in absolute heaven here as we get to see a full-on battle with pretty much every key character you could hope to see, from the “big three” of Modulok, Mantenna and Leech to the low-key awesomeness of Modulok and Dragstor. Heck, we even get a pair of new faces in the form of Tarangela and Succubug, who you can feast your eyes on in the glorious double page spread below.

Speaking of glorious, the artistic team of Daniel HDR (pencils), Keith Champagne (inks) and Brad Simpson (colour) combine to do an absolutely fantastic job of bringing this action-packed opening issue to the page, juxtaposing the colourful, chaotic skirmish on the plains of Anwat Gar with the quiet, menacing moments in the Fright Zone as Hordak seeks out his destiny. The character designs are all as authentic to the animated series as you might expect, and the pages are packed with neat visual call-backs and easter eggs to satisfy eagle-eyed viewers.

I’m not going to dig too deeply into the story itself to avoid spoilers (although anyone who has watched the Netflix series knows where this particular relationship is going to end up), but suffice to say that I’m absolutely loving that the creative team have put together a story that shines a light on the formative years of one of the best bad guys ever created. And, as I mentioned above, as a Horde fan I’m in absolute heaven here. A new series that expands the world of the Netflix show in exciting new directions, this is – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – another absolutely essential purchase for MOTU fans from Dark Horse Comics.

Rating: 4/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]