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He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Collected Editions) #5
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Vol. 5: The Blood of Greyskull
She-Ra has the power!
One thousand years ago, when Hordak first invaded Eternia, King Grayskull forged the mighty Sword of Power in the very fires of Eternity. The magic weapon defeated the monstrous conqueror, but could do nothing to stop a mutinous overthrow by the King’s closest allies. Though Grayskull had rescued his realm with a blade of peace, his blood was spilled that same night with a crooked blade of betrayal.
Now, Hordak’s hordes have returned and seized control of Eternia. With King Randor dead, He-Man steps forward to lead Eternia back to glory. Newly transcended as the Sorceress, Teela has told him of a secret on the forbidden island of Anwat-Gar that could turn the tide of the war. To retrieve this mysterious advantage, Adam must convince his long-lost sister Adora that she has a place amongst the Masters of the Universe, and the two will have to fight through the perilous Fright Zone... together!
Iconic writer DAN ABNETT (MAJESTIC, Guardians of the Galaxy) teams with artist extraordinaire POP MHAN (DC UNIVERSE VS. THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE) to continue to reimagine the world of He-Man and introduce She-Ra in HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE THE BLOOD OF GRAYSKULL (collects issues #13-19).
One thousand years ago, when Hordak first invaded Eternia, King Grayskull forged the mighty Sword of Power in the very fires of Eternity. The magic weapon defeated the monstrous conqueror, but could do nothing to stop a mutinous overthrow by the King’s closest allies. Though Grayskull had rescued his realm with a blade of peace, his blood was spilled that same night with a crooked blade of betrayal.
Now, Hordak’s hordes have returned and seized control of Eternia. With King Randor dead, He-Man steps forward to lead Eternia back to glory. Newly transcended as the Sorceress, Teela has told him of a secret on the forbidden island of Anwat-Gar that could turn the tide of the war. To retrieve this mysterious advantage, Adam must convince his long-lost sister Adora that she has a place amongst the Masters of the Universe, and the two will have to fight through the perilous Fright Zone... together!
Iconic writer DAN ABNETT (MAJESTIC, Guardians of the Galaxy) teams with artist extraordinaire POP MHAN (DC UNIVERSE VS. THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE) to continue to reimagine the world of He-Man and introduce She-Ra in HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE THE BLOOD OF GRAYSKULL (collects issues #13-19).
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 5, 2016
I feel like I am the only one reading this comic book series. Only 15 reviews on goodreads for it. 15!!! WHAT! Where are the He-Man fans??? I like this comic book series. This particular volume is giving us a background one everyone. Adora and how she becomes She-Ra. We get to see how she becomes acquainted with Swift Wind. We get to see the mother of Skeletor too. The comic tells how the two swords are made (She-Ra's and He-Man's). Adam must become King of Eternia now that his father is passed so this is leading up to the next comic which isn't vol 6. It's a new name "He-Man and the Eternity War Vol 1). I just hope the He-Man comics don't end after the Eternity War Vol. 2. The art in this issue is really great. I just get so excited when I see She-Ra in anything. I mean... look at the cover on this issue!!! There is even a bonus story at the very end of the comic with a story about Adam as a young boy.
February 3, 2015
Actually, issue #18...and preamble to Prelude to the Eternity War. Great issue showing the origin of She-Ra.
July 22, 2015
Great job weaving the flash backs with current storyline. Too many classic callbacks to even catch the first time through. Wow. Damn, that was fantastic!
December 23, 2019
I love origin stories!
Plus, this was a long comic and told the whole story. There were no aggravating cliffhangers.
Plus, this was a long comic and told the whole story. There were no aggravating cliffhangers.
January 6, 2018
this is the first time for me to revisit the MOTU realm after avidly watching the weekly cartoon back in the 80s. I chose this volume as it has both he-man and she-ra (I recall the glee I felt when the two starred in a crossover episode). I can say that it was a good choice. this volume is a welcome departure from the sanitized wholesomeness of the cartoons, allowing the villains to be depicted as the true menace that they are (and not in a comedic way) and the lead characters as truly the most powerful man and woman in the MOTU universe. I normally gauge how good a graphic volume is if it encourages you to pick up the other volumes in the series. in this aspect, this book is a success.
January 20, 2018
This was the best volume of the series. It's a mixture of Eternia's backstory and the current narrative, which are woven together nicely. The first issue deals with the fall of King Grayskull and was the highlight for me. The present-day story finds He-Man seeking out the help of his sister Adora following the events of the last volume. This all leads up to her finding the Sword of Protection and becoming She-Ra. If you're familiar with her cartoon series origin, you'll notice this one has little in common with it, but it is a really good tale of its own.
September 30, 2022
We begin just after the crossover ends. King Randor is making an offensive against the horde when He-Man and the other Masters return to Eternia in the middle of the battle.
After that fight is lost, King Randor embarks with his son and other Masters to the underworld to try and revive the Sorceress.
We find out about a third faction that will play an important role on the war, the Snake Men, led by King Hsss. A parasitic being that has killed and possessed many different bodies for milenia.
Teela's body is destroyed in the Star Seed and is reborn as the new Sorceress. With her new powers she helps guide Adora find her way to the Sword of Protection, the second blade forged by King Grayskull.
Finally we see the Hordak's plan to return to the mortal realm using Adam's blood.
After that fight is lost, King Randor embarks with his son and other Masters to the underworld to try and revive the Sorceress.
We find out about a third faction that will play an important role on the war, the Snake Men, led by King Hsss. A parasitic being that has killed and possessed many different bodies for milenia.
Teela's body is destroyed in the Star Seed and is reborn as the new Sorceress. With her new powers she helps guide Adora find her way to the Sword of Protection, the second blade forged by King Grayskull.
Finally we see the Hordak's plan to return to the mortal realm using Adam's blood.
March 18, 2024
Great art, finishing up the arc and setting up the next one. Great continuation from the previous volume and now, well, if the cover doesn't tell you what's up, I can't help you. The biggest issue here is just that they don't really talk about Teela's shift in character. Can't help but compare to the Smith show a bit but I suppose they're sticking to the rules laid out. Maybe.
December 28, 2017
Evil has returned to Greyskull, but will He-Man and the Masters of the Universe be able to defend their home from evil, or will their blood be spilled in the quest for domination?
March 2, 2022
Nostalgia! Must read.
July 17, 2022
She-Ra turns up.
September 10, 2022
Acabada esta serie con un final que nos hace ver los inicios de She-Ra y todo preparado para el gran levantamiento de Hordak… muy interesante…
January 4, 2016
Reprints He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #13-19 (July 2014-January 2015). Randor is dead, and He-Man finds himself needing the help of his sister Adora to decide the future of Eternia and the battle against Hordak. Travelling to the forbidden Anwat-Gar, Eternia’s past is about to erupt…Adora is about to make a deadly mistake, but it also could be her greatest moment.
Written by Rob David, Lloyd Goldfine, and Dan Abnett, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 5: The Blood of Grayskull is a follow-up to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 4: What Lies Within. Following this volume, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe becomes He-Man: Eternity War.
He-Man continues to be a fun comic for fans of the original toys and explores the untapped origins of the characters with goofy names. This volume could essentially be called “The Origin of She-Ra” and shows how Adora is transformed into the female equivalent of her brother while further expanding on the origin of Skeletor.
This story is more coherent than the previous volume that had a lot of randomness thrown in, but it also relies a bit too heavily on “magic” as the cure-all. The comic has some shocking moments like the “death” of He-Man but it seems like everything in Eternia can just be undone. I imagine that many of the characters who have been labeled as “dead” could be resurrected in future volumes in a similar way.
She-Ra is a much more inspiring character than He-Man in the comic. This is ironic because the She-Ra cartoon was much less developed. Here, She-Ra actually has internal conflict, self-doubt, and is generally a much more rounded character than her perfect brother Adam. When He-Man was presumed dead in the comic, I was actually ok with it because I’d rather read about the adventures of Adora.
The Eternity War is set-up in this volume and it is implied that Adam has an almost super-human tie to Grayskull that both Zodac and the Sorceress cannot understand. I worry that Eternity War will use this whole magic thing to take the comic in directions that are “easy outs” for the storyline being set-up. The magic cure-all could easily strike again.
I worry about the future of He-Man. It is a fun comic and feels fresh with each issue, but it doesn’t have much hook for non-fans. With the end of the He-Man series “proper”, I do hope that we get another He-Man title after the Eternity War finishes. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 5: The Blood of Grayskull is followed by He-Man: Eternity War 1.
Written by Rob David, Lloyd Goldfine, and Dan Abnett, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 5: The Blood of Grayskull is a follow-up to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 4: What Lies Within. Following this volume, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe becomes He-Man: Eternity War.
He-Man continues to be a fun comic for fans of the original toys and explores the untapped origins of the characters with goofy names. This volume could essentially be called “The Origin of She-Ra” and shows how Adora is transformed into the female equivalent of her brother while further expanding on the origin of Skeletor.
This story is more coherent than the previous volume that had a lot of randomness thrown in, but it also relies a bit too heavily on “magic” as the cure-all. The comic has some shocking moments like the “death” of He-Man but it seems like everything in Eternia can just be undone. I imagine that many of the characters who have been labeled as “dead” could be resurrected in future volumes in a similar way.
She-Ra is a much more inspiring character than He-Man in the comic. This is ironic because the She-Ra cartoon was much less developed. Here, She-Ra actually has internal conflict, self-doubt, and is generally a much more rounded character than her perfect brother Adam. When He-Man was presumed dead in the comic, I was actually ok with it because I’d rather read about the adventures of Adora.
The Eternity War is set-up in this volume and it is implied that Adam has an almost super-human tie to Grayskull that both Zodac and the Sorceress cannot understand. I worry that Eternity War will use this whole magic thing to take the comic in directions that are “easy outs” for the storyline being set-up. The magic cure-all could easily strike again.
I worry about the future of He-Man. It is a fun comic and feels fresh with each issue, but it doesn’t have much hook for non-fans. With the end of the He-Man series “proper”, I do hope that we get another He-Man title after the Eternity War finishes. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 5: The Blood of Grayskull is followed by He-Man: Eternity War 1.
July 8, 2015
Abnett and co. have revived the Eternian myth for us all, old fans and new. Plenty of nostalgia here.
July 17, 2015
She-ra!!!!
April 7, 2016
OMG this entire series is amazing!!! I love She-Ra, so I started with this book and loved it so much I got the rest of the series. A must read for He-Man and She-Ra fans.
April 17, 2017
Fantastic re-imagining of the Masters of the universe.
First of all, there is a lot of nostalgia associated with He-man and the masters of the universe. I grew up on the animation show and with the action figures. The show was always formulaic, campy and had a good adventure plot. With either Adam or He-man or one his friends giving a piece of advice about what they learnt.
I had in the past read up a couple of He-man comics and they were quite boring and without any concrete plot. So I have stayed away from those. This volume is part of an Seven part series created by author Dan Abnett (and two others) and illustrator Pop Mhan. The reason I picked it up was the intriguing plot summary about the origin of castle Grayskull. In the TV show, there is never much of an explanation about how the castle Grayskull gets its power. Abnett does a fantastic job of creating a fast paced plot with lots of action and intrigue. I liked the back story about King Grayskull and deception that he faces. The build up is crisp and sadly does not explain how is he able to create the sword. Since this is the fifth volume, I am assuming the author would have spent time in building the danger that new villain Hodark represents. In this book, the heroes are able to overcome the dangers quite easily. The highpoint is focussed on Adam's sister and her internal strife. The story could have done with a few extra pages to build the danger faced by King Grayskull and how is he able to find a solution.
The best part about the book is the illustration by artist Pop Mhan. Brilliant art brings alive the fantastic magical world of Eternia and its varied residents. The colour used just add up to the beauty of this graphic novel and create some gorgeous moments.
Worth a read for nostalgia's sake.
First of all, there is a lot of nostalgia associated with He-man and the masters of the universe. I grew up on the animation show and with the action figures. The show was always formulaic, campy and had a good adventure plot. With either Adam or He-man or one his friends giving a piece of advice about what they learnt.
I had in the past read up a couple of He-man comics and they were quite boring and without any concrete plot. So I have stayed away from those. This volume is part of an Seven part series created by author Dan Abnett (and two others) and illustrator Pop Mhan. The reason I picked it up was the intriguing plot summary about the origin of castle Grayskull. In the TV show, there is never much of an explanation about how the castle Grayskull gets its power. Abnett does a fantastic job of creating a fast paced plot with lots of action and intrigue. I liked the back story about King Grayskull and deception that he faces. The build up is crisp and sadly does not explain how is he able to create the sword. Since this is the fifth volume, I am assuming the author would have spent time in building the danger that new villain Hodark represents. In this book, the heroes are able to overcome the dangers quite easily. The highpoint is focussed on Adam's sister and her internal strife. The story could have done with a few extra pages to build the danger faced by King Grayskull and how is he able to find a solution.
The best part about the book is the illustration by artist Pop Mhan. Brilliant art brings alive the fantastic magical world of Eternia and its varied residents. The colour used just add up to the beauty of this graphic novel and create some gorgeous moments.
Worth a read for nostalgia's sake.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews