Review – Masters of the Universe: The Sword of Flaws #1 (Dark Horse)

September 25, 2025

2–3 minutes

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist: Freddie E. Williams II
Colourist: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: AndWorld Design
Release Date: 24th September 2025

On sale this week, we have Tim Seeley and Freddie E. Williams II’s latesy foray in the world of Masters of the Universe in the form of “The Sword of Flaws”, a four-part miniseries that features an ancient and evil Preternian artifact being unearthed from the depths.

The story in this first issue is, for the most part, MOTU 101, as Skeletor makes yet another attempt to capture the Power of Grayskull for himself, only to be thwarted by those pesky Masters of the Universe (sorry for the spoilers, but… well… we know how this goes by now, right?) It features all the fine hallmarks of the classic franchise, with bombastic action and heroism, strong characterisation among the main protagonists, and a classic ‘good always triumphs’ message that we can all get behind. However, the final pages show that this particular battle has had some far-reaching consequences for Eternia, involving the aforementioned unearthing and what promises to be something of a scramble for both Masters and Evil Warriors alike to get their hands on the titular sword in the issues to come.

As always, Williams does a fantastic job of packing the pages with suitably jacked MOTU characters from all eras of the franchise, adding his own distinctive visual flair to these iconic designs and never shying away from a challenging splash page or two. Both Teela and Duncan get some cool standout moments here, including one particularly memorable panel where Teela absolutely obliterates Kobra Khan with a staff to the kisser. Seeley and Williams have made something of a recurring theme of these shocking displays of violence in their MOTU books (who can forget He-Man ripping off Trap Jaw’s jaw and jamming it into Tri-Klops’ eye in the pages of He-Man/Thundercats #2?), and I am absolutely all for it, I have to say. Seeley also makes sure to throw in some fun visual Easter eggs alongside the more established characters, including one or two very deep cuts in the final few pages of the issue.

While we only get to the real storyline hook of the series on the final page, having Seeley and Williams lead us through what feels like a classic episode of the ’80s cartoon is an absolute delight. As always, both creators’ clear affection for the subject matter shines through at every opportunity, and the sheer potential of this particular story is undeniable. If you’re a MOTU comic book fan then you don’t need me to tell you that this should be viewed as an absolutely essential purchase, and for casual or curious bystanders, there’s more than enough fun and fantasy here to keep the pages turning throughout.

Rating: 4/5.

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