He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Maybe You Saw the Movie, Soon You can Read the Comic Strip (Again)

Masters of the Universe and Star Trek have more in common from a licensing perspective than causal fans might remember. The two franchises were licensed by both DC and Marvel (and its kid-friendly Star imprint), at various times. They also both spawned newspaper comic strips. Star Trek had decent U.S. distribution, but Masters of the Universe was more successful in international markets, where the show was still in its first run. Consequently, tracking down the entire run proved tricky. In fact, there are a couple dozen holes (out of four and a half years) filled by writer Chris Weber’s original scripts. For fans, the republication of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Newspaper Comic Strips represents an opportunity to enjoy new-to-them adventures, created by franchise veterans.

Jim Shull went one-and-done, writing the first arc and then handed the reins over to Weber. Yet, “Day of the Comic,” might be the funniest of the entire run, because of the shamelessly snarky voice Shull writes for He-Man’s nemesis, Skeletor. Frankly, he plays more like a roguish anti-hero, who reluctantly joins forces with He-Man to save Eternia from a common enemy, so he can conquer it later.

Throughout his subsequent fourteen story-arcs, Weber does a nice job capturing the “kitchen cabinet” camaraderie shared by He-Man (and his Clark Kent alter-ego, the screw-up Prince Adam), with Duncan the Man-at-Arms, his adopted daughter, Captain Teela, and floating Trollan sorcerer Orko. Only Man-at-Arms, Orko, and the Sorceress who guards Greyskull Castle know He-Man’s secret identity.

In fact, He-Man’s power derives from Greyskull, so one of his many enemies travels back in time to prevent its construction in one of the strip’s best narratives, “Terror Takes Time.” Obviously, Greyskull did not exist during Eternia’s prehistory, so the Sorceress creates a Greyskull battery crystal. However, Prince Adam must use its power sparingly. He also falls for rebel leader Verona, which adds a Somewhere in Time-ish vibe to the arc.

Another clear standout is “Shaken to the Core,” thanks to the provocative original villain, Faultmaster. In a desire to achieve lasting “stability,” Faultmaster has induced earthquakes targeting provincial villages. Frankly, his rhetoric sounds eerily prescient, foretelling the “sustainability” extremists macabrely obsessed with population growth.

Not surprisingly, the worst continuity is also the jokiest. That would be “When You Need Something Extra,” in which He-Man must battle Eternia’s tabloid media just as much as Evil Lyn, whose new line of cosmetics makes jewelry and valuables “disappear” into her possession. It is a scheme more suited to the Pink Panther than Skeletor’s [dis]trusted lieutenant.

Ironically, like the recent film, the Masters of the Universe strips often overindulge in throwaway jokes, usually “hard day it the hero office” style one-liners from He-Man. Perhaps this was an attempt to appeal to the readers of gag-a-day strips. However, it nicely sustained an original romance between Man-at-Arms and Miranda, the ambassador from the Kingdom of Rondale, one of King Radnor’s key allies. Weber also does a nice job exploring Orko’s insecurities rather than just using the incompetent sorcerer as goofball comic relief.

If you enjoyed the original animated series, reading the strip is like bingeing a lost season. Mattel had approval every step of the way, so they maintained strict character consistency. Artist Gerald Forton previously worked as a character designer for Filmation, so he could draw the Masters of the Universe characters in his sleep.

While fans complained several recent animated series indulged in bait-and-switch practices, promising He-Man, but largely focusing on She-Ra. However, She-Ra never appeared in the newspaper strip, because her character was covered under a separate license at the time. Consequently, if you enjoyed the original animated series, you will surely enjoy the vintage newspaper strips. Frankly, this is a prime example of why out-of-print licensed media is becoming so collectible. It is more trustworthy than new reboots or legacy sequels. Affectionately recommended for true fans, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Newspaper Comic Strips re-releases soon (and they remain available in eBook).