He-Man/MOTU DC Ongoing Comic Subscription/Upcoming Issues Discussion

[MegaGearMax]

DC Comics Solicitations for September 2013

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #6
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by POP MHAN
Cover by ED BENES
On sale SEPTEMBER 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
While the Masters of the Universe fight to stop the invading Horde troops from taking Castle Grayskull, He-Man struggles to pull Despara from the clutches of Hordak. Now that Despara knows the truth about her origin, whose side will she choose to fight on…He-Man’s or Hordak’s?

THE DC UNIVERSE VS. THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #2
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by DEXTER SOY
Cover by ED BENES
On sale SEPTEMBER 25 • 32 pg, FC, 2 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED T
Skeletor is on the loose in the DC Universe! If He-Man and the Masters of the Universe can’t stop him, then how can the Justice League hope to?

[He-Metayer]

Looking forward to both issues. Hopefully we'll see the actual covers soon. I wonder if the Sword of Protection is buried deep within Grayskull?

[MegaGearMax]

#1's probably always get the highest sales....I myself only bought the subscription to just have the books, I am not a fan of the ultra violence in the damn things....He-Man was never Conan level of bloodshed, and should have never been.

The violence in GI Joe & Transformers is still acceptable, and still within parameters from their original shows, just updated for today.... The new MOTU goes above and too far beyond anything I find acceptable in the violence category of Joe & Transformers....and far far beyond what MOTU should ever be.... Let's not forget WE are the older crowd....and likely the ONLY crowd MOTU will get....and I for one, don't like the new direction of MOTU. My son is 2, and he loves He-Man, the He-Man he sees on Filmation when we watch it....I would never let my son know about this new He-Man....and the violence surrounding it. Like it or not, the only adult audience for the most part He-Man has, is the ones that were around for the 80's....and He-Man was always and should always be a kid friendly type of show or anything. He-Man stood for honor and knowledge....now he's just a killer Barbarian that rips through anyone that is evil....cutting arms off and heads....sorry, this will never be my He-Man.

I'm a fan of He-Man, not Conan with supernatural powers. If I want bloodshed from a guy in a furry set of briefs, I'll watch him, not He-Man. It has nothing to do with nostalgia, and every bit of He-Man being a defender of good, but a guy who can solve things without running someone through just because....and that can still be accomplished for an "adult" audience.

The difference with Transformers and GI Joe is, you expect death, because since 1986 in the TF movie, it really happens, to many favorites, to the point I hardly watched season 3, because I didn't care much for the new guys....so when you look at all the modern Transformers movies....when someone gets dead, you feel the emotion....but you come to expect it. In MOTU things can get violent without seeing a thousand people get ripped apart or watching blood flying on 30 out of 40 panels in the book....

Whatever, just my thoughts about it, disagree with me if you want, it won't change my feelings about the new direction of He-Man....I am just saying why, I feel that way. He-Man is He-Man, and to me, this is far from the He-Man I know and give a **** about.

I think Transformers gets away with the violence because they are robots and death in that universe had been established since 1986, relatively early. After Beast Wars, death seemed to be a regular part of TF fiction. G.I. Joe had violence from the start, if you followed the comics. The Sunbow cartoon didn't have any death or killing which has led to many jokes over the years since the characters are armed with guns and don't kill (COBRA troopers can't shoot straight).

The only difference is that MOTU hasn't had any real death-filled media until now. That's 30 years without real violence (although 200X was close, as a few supporting characters are killed off--King Grayskull is killed by Hordak, Zeehlar is eaten and some Caligars who are devoured by Hsss). MOTU are warriors with these brutal ancient weapons, but I think the 200X era ramped up the action without needing gore or blood. MVCreations was a little more violent with Tri-Klops stabbing He-Man in the leg during a sword fight and how Trap Jaw had a penchant for killing Palace Guards.

[Tallstar]

While the Masters of the Universe fight to stop the invading Horde troops from taking Castle Grayskull, He-Man struggles to pull Despara from the clutches of Hordak. Now that Despara knows the truth about her origin, whose side will she choose to fight on…He-Man’s or Hordak’s?

On the edge of my seat.

[ShadowBeast]

Cancelled my DC subscription after #2. The writing is absolutely terrible. I will continue reading them digitally in case they improve. Not a fan of comic books in general, though.

I won't go through the laundry list of everything I dislike about the writing, but I will single out the hyper-violence as a major problem for me. It is a gross overreaction to Filmation's He-Man, who owed his take on violence to classic comic book heroes such as DC's own Superman. You get the sense DC is taking some depraved satisfaction in having a Superman in their stable who can kill without conscience, since they have no long-term investment in the appeal of the brand. It is Mattel who should be ashamed for being so careless.

And to those who say this is written for adults, I respectfully inform you that I am an adult. We do not all grow up to crave hyper-violence in entertainment. Fantasy is an escape from reality. There is a difference between using occasional violence to raise the stakes in a fantasy story, and peppering every scene with blood, death, and disrespect of life. In fact, that approach tends to numb the audience to the story, effectively lowering the stakes.

So why take that approach? To intentionally romanticize war and military life to capitalize on its ongoing presence in our real lives, just as Bruckheimer and Bay do in their movies. Unfortunately, it sells well and humanity is worse for it. Quite a contrast with the pro-social messages that were integral to MOTU in the past. Should we promote selfishness over selflessness simply because there is a demand?

[uaxuctum]

Cancelled my DC subscription after #2. The writing is absolutely terrible. I will continue reading them digitally in case they improve. Not a fan of comic books in general, though.

I won't go through the laundry list of everything I dislike about the writing, but I will single out the hyper-violence as a major problem for me. It is a gross overreaction to Filmation's He-Man, who owed his take on violence to classic comic book heroes such as DC's own Superman. You get the sense DC is taking some depraved satisfaction in having a Superman in their stable who can kill without conscience, since they have no long-term investment in the appeal of the brand. It is Mattel who should be ashamed for being so careless.

And to those who say this is written for adults, I respectfully inform you that I am an adult. We do not all grow up to crave hyper-violence in entertainment. Fantasy is an escape from reality. There is a difference between using occasional violence to raise the stakes in a fantasy story, and peppering every scene with blood, death, and disrespect of life. In fact, that approach tends to numb the audience to the story, effectively lowering the stakes.

So why take that approach? To intentionally romanticize war and military life to capitalize on its ongoing presence in our real lives, just as Bruckheimer and Bay do in their movies. Unfortunately, it sells well and humanity is worse for it. Quite a contrast with the pro-social messages that were integral to MOTU in the past. Should we promote selfishness over selflessness simply because there is a demand?

Wholeheartedly agree and could not have stated it better myself.

If anything, I'd just add that I consider this senseless craving for hyperviolence that currently pervades our societies as a tell-tale sign of adolescent-like immaturity, very far from what a truly "adult", responsible and advanced society should be. Our world is currently in such an embarrassingly sorry state, it's unbelievable we dare call ourselves an "intelligent" species.

As you said, storywise Filmation MotU was the polar opposite of the current DC/MotUC incarnation in terms of what kind of values it encouraged and promoted, and those were certainly an important part of what I liked about it. In Filmation, He-Man would go out of his way to avoid hurting—let alone killing—anyone, even his sworn enemy. One of the most memorable episodes dealt precisely with the ethical conundrum he found himself in when he thought he'd inadvertently killed someone. In another, he's faced with the moral dilemma of having to take someone else's life in order to save his best friend's life. And in yet another, he undergoes a tough test of character by resisting the temptation to appropriate power for his own selfish motives.

He-Man and friends were role-models of admirable values, not bloodthirsty slayers, and even the bad guys had some redeeming qualities at times. This cringe-inducing gorefest of late, where violence gets glorified for the sake of violence and for cheap shock value, is threfore an ugly travesty in my eyes.

[wundarwarrior]

The violence in these books does not really seem too uncalled for. The story they are currently telling needs there be death, it's an invasion story. If they didn't kill people fans would complain about the villains being weak and unrealistic. The Horde is EVIL and locking up all of Eternia would be silly. I don't want to see characters die needlessly but there needs to be severity and a real threat or i won't personally feel add invested. Warriors bear scars and He-Man is a warrior. I am glad we aren't getting Filmation style comics from DC. These feel more like MYP with the volume cranked up. Teela has always been annoying to me and in DC she is the worst. I just think they are treating MOTU like pro wrestling and they are making everyone over the top in one way or another.

Oh and the Orko being evil thing is something I'm excited to see fleshed out.

[zodak74]

Wait- hold up! I'm confused... is the MOTU/DC crossover coming out separately alongside the regular comic? I guess I assumed it was the next arc AFTER the current Despera storyline. Will we have 2 comics per month?

[EuroCoin]

Wait- hold up! I'm confused... is the MOTU/DC crossover coming out separately alongside the regular comic? I guess I assumed it was the next arc AFTER the current Despera storyline. Will we have 2 comics per month?

Yes, the cross-over is a separate 6 part miniseries and there will be two comics per month starting August.

- Joni -

[He-Dad]

I know these aren't everyone's cup of tea and for some the violence takes getting used to....but to me, I think story wise these are awesome. There aren't that many comics I look forward to every month anymore, but this is one of them. To me it's another version of the story and very elseworlds......a what if series so to speak. Sure it's very different, but I just don't get the instant hate or the "not MOTU" comments. Were your personal adventures as G rated as Filmation? Mine were not as a kid. There was carnage......Good vs. Evil in the ultimate war. Then again my favorite comics in the 90's were Chaos! and these are tame in comparison. Anyway, I get that it's not for everyone but I love them and hope the series lasts for a very long time.

[wundarwarrior]

I know these aren't everyone's cup of tea and for some the violence takes getting used to....but to me, I think story wise these are awesome. There aren't that many comics I look forward to every month anymore, but this is one of them. To me it's another version of the story and very elseworlds......a what if series so to speak. Sure it's very different, but I just don't get the instant hate or the "not MOTU" comments. Were your personal adventures as G rated as Filmation? Mine were not as a kid. There was carnage......Good vs. Evil in the ultimate war. Then again my favorite comics in the 90's were Chaos! and these are tame in comparison. Anyway, I get that it's not for everyone but I love them and hope the series lasts for a very long time.

Exactly! As a kid someone always died during my toy adventures only to return on the next outing. I buy 10+ books a month and this is the one I'm most excited to read. Regardless of its flaws I enjoy seeing He-Man in new tales.

[Telkan2]

Cancelled my DC subscription after #2. The writing is absolutely terrible. I will continue reading them digitally in case they improve. Not a fan of comic books in general, though.

I won't go through the laundry list of everything I dislike about the writing, but I will single out the hyper-violence as a major problem for me. It is a gross overreaction to Filmation's He-Man, who owed his take on violence to classic comic book heroes such as DC's own Superman. You get the sense DC is taking some depraved satisfaction in having a Superman in their stable who can kill without conscience, since they have no long-term investment in the appeal of the brand. It is Mattel who should be ashamed for being so careless.

And to those who say this is written for adults, I respectfully inform you that I am an adult. We do not all grow up to crave hyper-violence in entertainment. Fantasy is an escape from reality. There is a difference between using occasional violence to raise the stakes in a fantasy story, and peppering every scene with blood, death, and disrespect of life. In fact, that approach tends to numb the audience to the story, effectively lowering the stakes.

So why take that approach? To intentionally romanticize war and military life to capitalize on its ongoing presence in our real lives, just as Bruckheimer and Bay do in their movies. Unfortunately, it sells well and humanity is worse for it. Quite a contrast with the pro-social messages that were integral to MOTU in the past. Should we promote selfishness over selflessness simply because there is a demand?

All of this--I simply could not have said it better myself. The glorification of violence in this series (along with a laundry list of other items, including the destruction/reduction/dismantling of every significant female character in the series) is pathetic, and it reads as if it's written for a bunch of pre-pubescent, heterosexist boys with no grasp of the real world and the ramifications of our seemingly single-minded focus on the supposed awesomeness of destruction and nationalized exceptionalism. And, as you pointed out, this attitude is not surprising coming from an entity such as DC, which has long catered to and celebrated this insulting mindset, but Mattel should be ashamed of themselves for allowing the property to be handled in this way--as I commented in the "Origin of Hordak" thread, I fear Giffen will ultimately do more harm to the property than Jungle Attack He-Man and the other peg-clogging variants.

[zodak74]

Yes, the cross-over is a separate 6 part miniseries and there will be two comics per month starting August.

- Joni -

I had no idea! I simply thought the Despera arc was wrapping up and the next one was this clash with Justice League and co.

[Robin Hood]

So what is happening to the MOTUC ‘Origins’ series? Was 'The Origin of Hordak' the last one?

[MegaGearMax]

So what is happening to the MOTUC ‘Origins’ series? Was 'The Origin of Hordak' the last one?

Yes, as far as we know. I think DC is now focusing on it's DC vs MOTU mini-series. Once that wraps, we might see more Origins books.

[Nemisythe]

The one problem I had with the book or maybe it's a question for those who feel there's nothing wrong with it but...

Why in the world did Teela strip down in the hallway in front of Duncan, Dekker and Adam after the ceremony and prior to Despara's attack? What was that all about?

[Triklops]

Hey guys,
firstly let me apologize, I am so far out of the loop and have not kept up to date with anything. This is the first time I have signed in, in ages and was curious to hear about fans reaction to a the new comic series (which I didn't realize existed besides maybe hearing about the first one of a 6 part series).

I was a huge fan of the Filmation era MotU and also loved the MYP era too I think they did a great job at not changing things too much and tipping their hats to the original series while retaining their own flavour, but staying true to MotU.

However I am really put off even looking at this new series. First off, I don't understand why the pictures I am seeing of Hordak lately has him looking like a skinny chick, with women's breasts?? What is that about? I thought MYP/Neca updated version of him was perfect and very true to the original. I am so not down with Hordak looking like a chick, and not because I'm sexist, but because he's not meant to be ???

Also the violence I am reading about here. I was happy with the MYP cartoon being updated, and a little more violent than Filmation obviously but not over the top. At the same time I thought it was great they had a comic running along side it, that was a little more PG13, but still not overly violent. But hearing about Conan style stuff?? Thats not He-Man in my opinion, I whole heartedly agree with others on here about the level of violence putting them off (without me even seeing the comic). That and I just can't wrap my head around how they have portrayed Hordak in the pictures. Do they guys who make the comics actually read these forums for fan reactions?

[MegaGearMax]

The one problem I had with the book or maybe it's a question for those who feel there's nothing wrong with it but...

Why in the world did Teela strip down in the hallway in front of Duncan, Dekker and Adam after the ceremony and prior to Despara's attack? What was that all about?

It's been explained. She's extremely familiar with those characters and couldn't wait to get out of her stuffy uniform.
Pop Mhan does think that he could have conveyed that part better through his pencils.

You know something I've realized...all of her friends are MEN (The Sorceress is dead and Teela never really trusted her anyway. Marlena is absent too). There's no other women characters that we see her hang around with as part of her immediate circle. She's one of the guys. And chances are that they don't treat her like a girl.

- - - Updated - - -

Hey guys,
firstly let me apologize, I am so far out of the loop and have not kept up to date with anything. This is the first time I have signed in, in ages and was curious to hear about fans reaction to a the new comic series (which I didn't realize existed besides maybe hearing about the first one of a 6 part series).

I was a huge fan of the Filmation era MotU and also loved the MYP era too I think they did a great job at not changing things too much and tipping their hats to the original series while retaining their own flavour, but staying true to MotU.

However I am really put off even looking at this new series. First off, I don't understand why the pictures I am seeing of Hordak lately has him looking like a skinny chick, with women's breasts?? What is that about? I thought MYP/Neca updated version of him was perfect and very true to the original. I am so not down with Hordak looking like a chick, and not because I'm sexist, but because he's not meant to be ???

Also the violence I am reading about here. I was happy with the MYP cartoon being updated, and a little more violent than Filmation obviously but not over the top. At the same time I thought it was great they had a comic running along side it, that was a little more PG13, but still not overly violent. But hearing about Conan style stuff?? Thats not He-Man in my opinion, I whole heartedly agree with others on here about the level of violence putting them off (without me even seeing the comic). That and I just can't wrap my head around how they have portrayed Hordak in the pictures. Do they guys who make the comics actually read these forums for fan reactions?

That woman is NOT Hordak. It's Despara.

Despara is a new concept for Adora while she was serving as Hordak's force captain. Hordak and Shadow Weaver have brainwashed her as they did in Filmation, but they aren't using her real name and she's wearing a Hordak mask.

[Hordak Alpha]

Still hard to believe how there are still some out there who cannot fathom the levels of violence in the new DC MOTU comic. Seriously! These characters are at war. War is hell. War isn't solved in thirty minutes and every combatant left unscathed and only fighting each other with whirling bolas that only tie up the enemy.

So far, I think the level of conflict is more than logical considering the kinds of villainous characters brought forth in the stories. An evil monster like Hordak doesn't conquer planets merely by bullying the people and stealing their lunch money, scaring them into submission. He's instead going to level cities, bringing about as much genocide as possible to get those he has allowed to live to kneel to him and proclaim his worship just to spare their lives.

Mattel letting these new writers have a type of free reign with these characters I think is a good thing. It freshens up and opens up a new version of MOTU instead of completely adhering to the old, yet at the same time preserves familiar aspects of these characters.


Basically, this isn't your Saturday morning MOTU and I'm glad it isn't. The heroes and villains act and behave quite logical for living in a world full of light and dark magic and flying war machines and photon cannons.

[Scriptor]

Hey guys,
firstly let me apologize, I am so far out of the loop and have not kept up to date with anything. This is the first time I have signed in, in ages and was curious to hear about fans reaction to a the new comic series (which I didn't realize existed besides maybe hearing about the first one of a 6 part series).

I was a huge fan of the Filmation era MotU and also loved the MYP era too I think they did a great job at not changing things too much and tipping their hats to the original series while retaining their own flavour, but staying true to MotU. Also the violence I am reading about here. I was happy with the MYP cartoon being updated, and a little more violent than Filmation obviously but not over the top. At the same time I thought it was great they had a comic running along side it, that was a little more PG13, but still not overly violent. But hearing about Conan style stuff?? Thats not He-Man in my opinion, I whole heartedly agree with others on here about the level of violence putting them off (without me even seeing the comic). That and I just can't wrap my head around how they have portrayed Hordak in the pictures. Do they guys who make the comics actually read these forums for fan reactions?

Firstly - welcome back!


And - yes; there is a great deal of very negative reaction to these DC comics, both among fans on this site, on other sites, in posted reviews and from those unfamiliar with the Eternian mythos whose chief complaint appears to be that they can't tell what's the devil's going on - and that the comics are so niche-based as to exclude them. Which is highly ironic, really....
Some fans, though, do appear to like them - and that's fair enough. I would very much prefer to be able to join them - but can't; my personal threshold of tolerance for appallingly bad writing is a touch too high for that. My misfortune, it would seem.

As to the violence - well, patently - it's a matter of personal taste. Generally the more Filmation-imbued fans do not like it at all; the MYP fans are often uncomfortable - and this DC incarnation has - for the first time - depicted He-Man as killing humans (and insignificant ones at that - poor little footslogger cannon-fodder) and staining the Sword of Power with mortal blood. Many - me included - found that utterly abhorrent - and shamefully demeaning, too. To be fair it happened only once - and has not recurred. I suspect that DC/Mattel may even have been concerned by the wide reaction - but who knows for sure what notice they take of reactions on websites across the board? Some - maybe. Perhaps a steeply accentuated trend of falling sales had more effect.

My strong recommendation would be to go and look at these comics for yourself; you alone can gauge your own reaction - and that is surely as it should be.
I don't like much about them - especially the ruddy poor writing which, to me, attains the dizzy heights of scripting by 12-year olds; but there will undoubtedly be those who will assure you that they are wonderful in every way.

To me, the MVC/Image comics of ten years ago set standards that, by comparison, make me cringe with vicarious embarrassment for the DC writers when I read their latest offerings; but that's my personal view; I rated the Staples/Santaluciana partnership very highly indeed. I would love to see it matched again; but I no longer hold out any hopes of that miracle coming about; not while this team has 'artistic' (and I use the term very loosely indeed) control.

I am saddened to feel like this about anything MotU - but I do. And I'm far from convinced that it's my own fault.

[Nemisythe]

It's been explained. She's extremely familiar with those characters and couldn't wait to get out of her stuffy uniform.
Pop Mhan does think that he could have conveyed that part better through his pencils.

You know something I've realized...all of her friends are MEN (The Sorceress is dead and Teela never really trusted her anyway. Marlena is absent too). There's no other women characters that we see her hang around with as part of her immediate circle. She's one of the guys. And chances are that they don't treat her like a girl.

- - - Updated - - -



That woman is NOT Hordak. It's Despara.

Despara is a new concept for Adora while she was serving as Hordak's force captain. Hordak and Shadow Weaver have brainwashed her as they did in Filmation, but they aren't using her real name and she's wearing a Hordak mask.

Thanks I didn't know if this got answered (admittedly I didn't read the interview as well), and I guess this can be compared to BattleStar Galactica's (female) Starbuck, so thanks Max for the assist.

But one other thing if you can indulge me for one more gripe... and this is in regards to the writing mind set which I think is not in tune with the story itself...

At this point it seems Teela is pretty much PO'd over the recent developments and obviously she is not a happy lady. So when she does her 'routine' in front of them in the hallway (of all places), I am still perplexed even though Pop Mahn has given a perfect aspect (although how independent is independent when it's in a hallway), as I have adopted the previously mentioned Starbuck concept. But if you're attempting to emote the mood of Teela at this point in her story, she would not want to be near anyone let alone 'perform' in front of them. I just think it was badly scripted and placed.

But there are other small gripes and I do apologize for putting this one in spotlight as I am sure many have covered this already but when i read this I was simply like.... What? Sometimes in order to prove difference a little more cutting edge you have to evolve it slowly not just blast open every possible door.

[Scriptor]

Thanks I didn't know if this got answered (admittedly I didn't read the interview as well), and I guess this can be compared to BattleStar Galactica's (female) Starbuck, so thanks Max for the assist.

This review explains it really very well - albeit somewhat scathingly: http://neftyshouseofrants.blogspot.c...part-deux.html

Hard to disagree - for all the post-hoc self-defence offered by the DC team responsible....

Just one of the boys - or just juvenile titillation? One cannot help but wonder.

[Nemisythe]

This review explains it really very well - albeit somewhat scathingly: http://neftyshouseofrants.blogspot.c...part-deux.html

Hard to disagree - for all the post-hoc self-defence offered by the DC team responsible....

Just one of the boys - or just juvenile titillation? One cannot help but wonder.

Thanks for that as well.

[Telkan2]

Still hard to believe how there are still some out there who cannot fathom the levels of violence in the new DC MOTU comic. Seriously! These characters are at war. War is hell. War isn't solved in thirty minutes and every combatant left unscathed and only fighting each other with whirling bolas that only tie up the enemy.

So far, I think the level of conflict is more than logical considering the kinds of villainous characters brought forth in the stories. An evil monster like Hordak doesn't conquer planets merely by bullying the people and stealing their lunch money, scaring them into submission. He's instead going to level cities, bringing about as much genocide as possible to get those he has allowed to live to kneel to him and proclaim his worship just to spare their lives.

Mattel letting these new writers have a type of free reign with these characters I think is a good thing. It freshens up and opens up a new version of MOTU instead of completely adhering to the old, yet at the same time preserves familiar aspects of these characters.


Basically, this isn't your Saturday morning MOTU and I'm glad it isn't. The heroes and villains act and behave quite logical for living in a world full of light and dark magic and flying war machines and photon cannons.

Likewise, it's similarly hard to believe that there are a few people clinging to this series and defending it as good. Indeed, war is hell--certainly we don't need our entertainment to reflect that, do we? If so, why not simply pursue one of the info-tainment media sources like Huffington Post or Faux News? As pointed out in other comments within this thread,

Fantasy is an escape from reality. There is a difference between using occasional violence to raise the stakes in a fantasy story, and peppering every scene with blood, death, and disrespect of life. In fact, that approach tends to numb the audience to the story, effectively lowering the stakes.

And let's jump to your (Hordak Alpha's) point about Hordak's methods of conquering planets. Given the hostility that this series' supporters seem to have toward the original Filmation series I imagine this point will fall on deaf ears, but check out the Princess of Power episode "The Price of Freedom"--which I find to be one of the best Filmation episodes of either series. It goes into great depth concerning Hordak's willingness to "level cities, bringing about as much genocide as possible to get those he has allowed to live to kneel to him and proclaim his worship just to spare their lives." Further, the "logic" you allude to in your post is showcased brilliantly, with the townspeople's willingness to sacrifice material possessions in the face of superior war machines and depend on one another in a time of crisis (rather than enchanted heroes who may or may not make it in time).

All of these things--the things you and this series' supporters seem to be advocating as some form of realist depiction of war--were depicted in intelligent, thoughtful ways that did not alienate a significant portion of the existing fanbase, and didn't depend on decapitations (the Sorceress), favored characters (Battle-Cat) raking other favored characters across the face (Adora), and the murder of enslaved peoples. And, what's more, these notions were portrayed in a way that cemented the greater messages on morality in our minds, in a way that this drivel can never hope to achieve. (Of course, that assumes that there is a message on morality encoded in these stories and that they're not simply an excuse to debase women and connect with a mythical "new" audience.)

Finally, I'd really love to know what "familiar aspects" have been maintained? Castle Grayskull is no longer a mystical fortress of power that everyone's questing after, Orko's been turned into a Big Bad (of all absurd things), Hordak himself is completely unrecognizable (except in his quasi-origin story where he's Hordak with Batman's shadow), the Sorceress is dead and when she was alive she was dressed more like a dancer at the Moulin Rouge than an all-powerful oracle, the foppish and childlike naivete of the Prince Adam act is apparently true for both the prince AND He-Man (and yet he's still willing to kill random ordinary folks that have been enslaved by Evil-Lyn), there is no more secret identity, Teela's a vile piece of work that no one seems to like, Leech is some kind of humanoid zombie in the recent past but was a three-headed giant slug-monster in the past, Queen Marlena's MIA, Evil-Lyn is bat-**** crazy rather than the brilliant mastermind she used to be... Need I really continue?

[heavy-eternium]

Firstly - welcome back!


there is a great deal of very negative reaction to these DC comics, both among fans on this site, on other sites, in posted reviews and from those unfamiliar with the Eternian mythos whose chief complaint appears to be that they can't tell what's the devil's going on

Honestly I don't see that at all, seems we live in different parallel universe, it's just your feeling and nothing more and you're giving this as a fact.

the reaction to these comics was overwhelmingly positive and the negative trend is smaller but it is just my feeling.