“Yesterday’s” Comic> Masters Of The Universe (2000) v3 #1

All eyeing the last Comic Con exclusive figure.

Masters Of The Universe vol. 3 #1

MV Creations (April, 2004)

STORY: Emiliano Santalucia & Val Staples

WRITER: Lori Ann Scott

ARTISTS: Emiliano Santalucia & Enza Fontana

COLORIST: Kevin Senft

SELECTED COVER ART:

LETTERER: Ed Dukeshire

EDITORS: Monica Lopez, Vicki Jaeger, Ian Richter, & Geoff Walker

Evil-Lyn somehow gets Count Marzo’s amulet and forces him to go with her to the Well Of Darkness, where they can open a portal to free Hordak and the Evil Horde (because apparently she didn’t learn her lesson with the Snake Men). However, both He-Man and the Snake Men arrive to try to stop her. This results in the Well being destroyed and Marzo regaining his amulet, betraying and wounding Evil-Lyn. Adam blames himself since destroying the well hurt her in the first place. Now she’s dying. Meanwhile, King Hiss is looking to her father, the Faceless One, to help control Serpos when he finally awakens him.

What they got right: This story has better potential than “The Problem With Power“, the old series episode I posted to Saturday Night Showcase years ago. Both stories deal with He-Man accidentally hurting or killing/nearly killing someone, but while that was a fake out and Adam never really came to grips with the potential of hurting someone, the pain of getting someone hurt, even an enemy this time, has a chance to be better explored, hopefully to a better conclusion. The art team does a good job capturing Adam’s expression at having potentially killed someone.

What they got wrong: If I have to stretch for anything, Fisto gets the short end when Teela has to come for him after falling out of a tree, thus losing the Snake Men. It’s one of two scenes (including the captured Snake Men who still had toys to sell escaping) that happens off-panel rather than in the story where it would have looked better. Well, not for Fisto but you get what I mean.

Recommendation: Another great comic from MV Creations, who now seem to be going it alone instead of working with Image or CrossGen. Pick this up when you see it.