Favourite "version / era" of MOTU

[Spacedust]

Okay, this is probably a very obvious question, and has been covered before in various forms, but which is your favourite "version" or "era" of MOTU?

By that, I mean:

• The (very) early mini-comics - very barbarian, with elements of mythical / medieval thrown in, about the aftermath of a great war that wiped out advanced civilisations, with He-Man as a jungle warrior (no Prince Adam yet) and Skeletor from "another dimension", more edgier than later versions
• The second wave / pre-Filmation mini-comics - Not yet Filmation's version, much still held over from the very first mini-comics, particularly strong medieval feel to much of it, introducing more key characters, very occasionally featuring Prince Adam (with numerous ways of transforming)
• The Filmation era - The nice and friendly version, a lot of "heart" to it with lots of colourful characters (in both senses), very young-child-friendly (some may say a little *too* childish at times); For the sake of this discussion, also includes 'She-Ra: Princess Of Power'
• The later mini-comics (and Star / Marvel comics, etc.) - a blend of the Filmation version and some of the earlier mini-comic elements, often trying to iron out some of the inconsistencies between different versions, yet still with many of their own unique interpretations
• The New Adventures - short-lived, many new ideas and characters, too far removed from the original and too different for many's tastes

The versions can, of course, be broken down even more, but for the sake of this poll, these are the five main ones.

I haven't included the 200x version, as it was many years away and a hybrid of the original version, tweaked for modern audiences, and in terms of a discussion like this, is rather a separate entity.

So which do you prefer? All five "versions" had their pros and cons in my opinion. I'd like to hear people's thoughts.

[Orko's Magic Hat]

In all honesty I haven't got a favourite, because each era is wonderful and all adds its own touch to the MOTU property. I like to think each one of stages within the MOTU series.

Story-wise I'd go for the pre-Filmation series mini comics and like how Skeletor is portrayed, and I also like the later mini comics which were packed with the Snakemen onwards. But really like all of them.

[mermaidliz]

The only He-Man for me will be the Filmation era, always and forever.

[manny]

ill take the filmation version thanks

[Bear-at-Arms]

I liked the early mini comics. I remember getting the He-man/Battle Cat set and read the comic a dozen times that day. I think what I liked was that He-man seemed more vulnerable and had weaknesses. Filmation He-man could literally moe mountains so what what the point in having Skeletor try and beat him.

[Spacedust]

To answer my own question, either the very early mini-comics, or the "second wave" mini-comics are my favourite. I just love the premise, about a great war that has wiped out advanced civilisations but has left behind powerful weapons and machinery and creatures.

He-Man was a more "believable" hero, I wasn't too keen on his over-the-top abilities that spoilt some Filmation episodes. He was a barbarian warrior with advanced strength, and more believable for it IMO. Skeletor was also great, and at his most sly and threatening. I also love the characters spoke in many of the mini-comics, very ye-oldy-worldly.

I love the Filmation series and grew up with it. But I'm wondering if some people are going for it because it's the most recognized version. I mean, for all I love it, let's face it - every Evil Warrior is a "comical" buffoon; there are the aforementioned He-Man far-fetched feats; some very babyish elements... I love the series, but these work against it, whereas the early mini-comics were, in a way, more mature. As I've said on other threads, I'd have loved to have seen either the classic Filmation or 200x version, but based upon the early mini-comics.

The later comics... well, they were okay, but I never totally warmed to the Snakemen (or even the Horde completely), I prefered the age old battle of He-Man and Skeletor, and as the stories progressed, they lost their mythical swords-and-sorcery appeal.

As for the New Adventures... ahem... moving right along...

So I'll go for the early mini-comics. If I have to choose one, it is the second wave.

[motu77]

Filmation, though I did enjoy the stories toward the end of the line.

[The Cimmerian]

Merge the first four and you got me. but by default i'll say Filmation because at it's best it has all those elements. I didn't like the medieval feel of eternia in the earlier minis as much as I like the familiar yet alien feel that filmation gave. it had those medieval elements but it wasn't such a strong presence in the filmatioin toon.

[Spacedust]

Merge the first four and you got me. but by default i'll say Filmation because at it's best it has all those elements. I didn't like the medieval feel of eternia in the earlier minis as much as I like the familiar yet alien feel that filmation gave. it had those medieval elements but it wasn't such a strong presence in the filmatioin toon.

See, for me, medieval and MOTU go hand-in-hand. It's what gave the line, in it's original conception, such a great appeal (and lost it later on when they started going for too many spacey / robotic / etc. characters). But hey, to each their own.

[coinilius]

I really like the universe of the original four mini-comics - much like Spacedust, I enjoyed the Great War background quite a bit. My actual favorite era of the mini-comics would be the first and second eras as Spacedust as defined them, as well as the early Filmation (but still edgy) ones like Seige of Avion, the Dragon's Gift, Masks of Power etc. Unless you're counting those sorts of ones as pre-Filmation?

I also have a soft spot the Search for Keldor etc era.

[discosupafly]

The Filmation stories were nice what with all the magical beasts they incorporated, but it was a little too sugar-coated for my liking - even as a kid. The mini-comics were always most enjoyable for me because, like many others, I prefer a good hearty "sword and sworcery" ( ) tale.
So either of the comics are real winners for me, but ultimately I loved to read the earliest of mini-comics the most. Remember the beautiful artwork in those Golden books and such?

Also, the struggle to gain both halves of the Power Swords was a great storyline for me. To think that both He-Man or Skeletor could wield such awesome power was great! Also, methinks that He-Man suffered from being the most powerful man in the universe later on. Don't get me wrong - it was great to watch him be so ... strong, but too much and you've got another Superman on your hands. Noone likes a guy who can't even be scratched, but the earliest He-Man was often bested in battle via sneak attacks or sheer power from .. well, what have you - and that's what made it interesting. This guy could die putting his life on the line! But there he is risking it all to battle the dark magic and beasts of Eternia!
Later on, he became just a juggernaut that punched bad guys in the nose. Still nice, but it loses its appeal after a while.

Not only this, but the Eternia of the very first mini-comics seemed a whole lot more "magical". I liked the rugged terrains and unexplored territories in themselves. It gave Eternia a rough charm. Then you add a thousand peasant villages, a royal castle, machinery etc etc and the story starts to weaken.

Still, they're all great backgrounds - I just like the original one the best.

[The Cimmerian]

See, for me, medieval and MOTU go hand-in-hand. It's what gave the line, in it's original conception, such a great appeal (and lost it later on when they started going for too many spacey / robotic / etc. characters). But hey, to each their own.

well I DO like the medieval aspect, I just felt that some of the early minis and dc comics felt too earthy medieval. I too am sword and sorcery over science fiction, but i like the alien designs and such of filmation. it's a design preference more than anything. but still whenever I look at the first four minis I get this feeling not only of nostalgia but I feel that magic I felt when I was first introduced to Eternia. and I love that so much. funny thing - Man At Arms' house in the original minis reminded me of the side of the grayskull toy - I used to pretend that it was his house (when it wasn't grayskull) long before filmation's motu came out. sigh I miss those days so much.

[Baena]

Early minicomics for me thanks!

When I die and I don't make it to heaven. Then I hope I'm sent to the world Alfredo P. Alcala made for MotU. I'll be turned into that purple hairy alligator monster that was attacking the Green Goddess.
Really he was just trying to give her a hug.

[Eamon]

I never actually had the very early ones so I went for the second wave of mini comics.
Things were starting to come together at that stage and it felt like something different to Conan which I feel the early comics were too much like. Especially with the Adam thing.

But like Beana said, it's gotta be Alcala's all the way!
He stuff blew my mind when I was a kid so you can imagine how annoyed I was when the cartoon came out.

That's not to say that I hated the toon but it was a waaaay tamer than what would've liked MOTU to be! And sadly that what's folks remember the most.

[Jean]

It's a tie with the Filmation era and the later mini-comics for me.

[Uncle Montork]

The very first mini-comics.

[Dr Bo]

well I DO like the medieval aspect, I just felt that some of the early minis and dc comics felt too earthy medieval. I too am sword and sorcery over science fiction, but i like the alien designs and such of filmation. it's a design preference more than anything. but still whenever I look at the first four minis I get this feeling not only of nostalgia but I feel that magic I felt when I was first introduced to Eternia. and I love that so much. funny thing - Man At Arms' house in the original minis reminded me of the side of the grayskull toy - I used to pretend that it was his house (when it wasn't grayskull) long before filmation's motu came out. sigh I miss those days so much.

I voted for the early mini-comics, as with the actual figure it was the stuff that had me hooked to MOTU.
I sure loved the cartoon as it came out, and come later to put it as mild and fun mainly for nostalgia sake, ado I didn't saw any for years. With the realease of the DVD I'm realy happy to see it again and I'm often surprised by how good the story are, and to find that the sword and planet aspect and gloomy background keep much more edge than I remembered.

I'm also a big fan of the movie, I like how it has different stuff without blandly contradicting earlier continuity (it has is own anyway). The villain are nasty, the hero very heroic and I like the whole quest aspect.

[The Cimmerian]

I voted for the early mini-comics, as with the actual figure it was the stuff that had me hooked to MOTU.
I sure loved the cartoon as it came out, and come later to put it as mild and fun mainly for nostalgia sake, ado I didn't saw any for years. With the realease of the DVD I'm realy happy to see it again and I'm often surprised by how good the story are, and to find that the sword and planet aspect and gloomy background keep much more edge than I remembered.

I'm also a big fan of the movie, I like how it has different stuff without blandly contradicting continuity. The villain are nasty, the hero very heroic and I like the whole quest aspect.

YES! I'm glaad to hear you saw that about the cartoon, I'm finding that a lot of people as adults aren't catching the edge behind the kid friendly facade. I mean yeah it would be nice to really have that darkness that the movie had some great shades of (something I think the movie should get more credit for, Skeletor is REALLY evil! and the fight for Eternia really seems heavy) But filmation did give some very good underlying mythologies and societies in Eternia, they really made it feel like a huge and important place.

Back to the movie when really looking at it - though they didn't enhance or out right give us much of what we were familiar with, it didn't stray completely away from MOTU. Character roster was slim, beastman wasn't great in terms of personality (but his ferociousness was sweet) and we didn't get a lot of what we envisioned a MOTU movie to be, but there are some really nice elements in there. I still enjoy the movie to this day.

[He-bro]

That's funny I was just talking about making a thread like this, and here it is.

For me as most of you know it's the old comics, all the pre Filmation, the first 4 and the ones after, but not the Prince Adam ones.

The whole Prince Adam thing made He-Man so different, instead of just being a Barbarian is a futuristic, post apocalyptic time, it's now some superhero like Captain Marvel.

[Eamon]

The whole Prince Adam thing made He-Man so different, instead of just being a Barbarian is a futuristic, post apocalyptic time, it's now some superhero like Captain Marvel.

Yeah but that would make MOTU just another Conan, Beastmaster or more specifically Thundarr the Barbarian.

I'm totally on board with the darker barbarian vibe but the Adam thing does make it stand out from the rest.

I dare say that had MOTU not had the He-man to Adam dynamic, the MOTU would've just another short lived sword and sorcerery property.

Lets not forget that He-man as a wandering Barbarian was sooooo in the early conceptions that I often fell it ain't worth talking about.

[Spacedust]

Yeah but that would make MOTU just another Conan, Beastmaster or more specifically Thundarr the Barbarian.

I'm totally on board with the darker barbarian vibe but the Adam thing does make it stand out from the rest.

I dare say that had MOTU not had the He-man to Adam dynamic, the MOTU would've just another short lived sword and sorcerery property.

Lets not forget that He-man as a wandering Barbarian was sooooo in the early conceptions that I often fell it ain't worth talking about.

I don't neccesarily agree. I think the early wandering barbarian scenario was very very interesting. As I've said before, I loved how the planet had come out of a great war, wiping out advanced civilizations but leaving behind amazing machinery and weapons. And there were so many different creatures. I think there was a lot more variety to it than say, Conan.
I really like Prince Adam, especially in the Filmation incarnation, but at the same time I do feel that it made it a little too "happy families" at time, losing some of the early edginess.

[Blue]

Filmation, baby! Always gonna be Filmation!

[Canadian_He-Man]

Filmation for me as well.

However, the early DC comics, featuring a fight with Superman no less, will always hold a special place in my heart as well.

[Midian]

F I L M A T I O N !

[sonofblaine]

Filmation for me. I've never read the Marvel comics and as a kid, Filmation was what I grew up on, not having the barbarian era comics and the second wave, fitting decently in with Filmation canon, to me.