Duality is a major factor of most pop culture franchises, the secret spice that’s added plenty of weight to the stories we love. That’s especially true for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, particularly with recent installments in the franchise. Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #2 explores the theme, whether it’s how Prince Adam has to deal with hiding the fact that he’s He-Man from his loved ones to the various conflicts that embroil Eternia. In the latter case, Adam has been framed for assaulting the prince of Anwat Gar – and its citizens want his head! Meanwhile, Skeletor continues his plans to access the Forge of Destiny, unaware that Evil-Lyn is plotting her own agenda.
As he did with the first issue, Tim Seeley writes a story that will appeal to Masters of the Universe‘s longtime fans as well as newcomers (specifically the folks who watched Masters of the Universe: Revelation, such as yours truly). There’s nods to Evil-Lyn’s attempts to betray Skeletor, Man-at-Arms’ badassery, and even Orko’s spellcasting gone wrong. But Seeley also takes the time to delve deeper into Eternia’s history, along with giving most of the characters some deeper insight. The best example of this would be Teela. Seeley’s script has her lamenting that she is always stuck being responsible for Adam, which takes on even more weight when one recalls the events of Revelation. Seeley could have easily phoned in the story, but scenes like that show he’s committed to delivering the best work he can.
So is Nunez, who has the chance to flex his action muscles. Whole pages have He-Man deflecting blaster bolts with his sword, punching out Anwat Gar’s soldiers, and even catching a rocket with his bare hands. Yes, you read that last part right. He-Man isn’t the only person who gets in on the action; Teela has an impromptu jousting match and Man-At-Arms takes out a flying opponent with a single punch. Even King Randor gets in on the action! Once again, I’m stunned by both the level of detail that goes into Nunez’s work as well as how it fares fairly close to Revelation‘s art style. Topping it all off is Brad Simpson’s vibrant colors, which continue to make Eternia feel like the mashup of sorcery and technology that fueled the Masters of the Universe saga.
Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #2 continues to expand upon the canvas of Masters of the Universe: Revelation, thanks to some great character work and action-packed artwork. Whether you’ve watched the series or not, this book is shaping up to be worth a read. And we’ve only hit the halfway point!
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