Comic Book Review: He-Man/ThunderCats #1

John F. Trent |

Oct 5, 2016

“Ancient Spirits of Evil! Mumm-Ra has a plan that will finally bring the ThunderCats to their kne–”

Lion-O has defeated Mumm-Ra, but the Ever-Living embodiment of evil is quick to nurse his wounds and hatch a brand new plan to steal He-Man’s Sword of Power in order to rival Lion-O’s Sword of Omens.

[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”500″ identifier=”B01LK3EBGE” locale=”US” src=”http://boundingintocomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/613FYeJiDgL.jpg” tag=”bounintocomi-20″ width=”327″]

[easyazon_link identifier=”B01IO3Z92S” locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]He-Man/ThunderCats #1[/easyazon_link] is an exciting, wild ride with quite a number of twists and turns throughout that keep you on the edge of your seat. Writers Rob David and Lloyd Goldfine wonderfully begin the story by focusing on the villain and laying out his plot to bring the two universes together. It’s a great tactic because you can see the risks and danger he poses and why the heroes must stop him.

Mumm-Ra isn’t the only one who gets some solid characterization. David and Goldfine spend time introducing us to Adam and showing off a number of his actions to showcase who he is. They also reinforce this with some very good dialogue. They don’t stop there; they give us time with Lion-O as well, showing his leadership, but also his caution. It’s an excellent combination of writing and artwork that allows the creative team to capture the core of who these characters are in just a short space.

David and Goldfine’s dialogue shines with Mumm-Ra’s solid villain monologues, but they are also able to contrast this evil with light banter when showcasing Adam’s tardiness and foolish nature. They also use a running narrator, very similar to Aquaman: Rebirth #1, that provides unique observations and does a great job transitioning between different scenes and tying the story together.

For all that, the best part of the story is the numerous twists and turns. You might think it’s a straightforward bad guys vs. good guys; however, it is anything but with multiple surprises that might catch you off guard. It makes the story that much more compelling as you want to find out what’s just beyond the curve.

Besides the excellently crafted story and dialogue, the artwork by Freddie E. Williams is magnificent. In the opening scenes with Mumm-Ra it is harsh and gritty showcasing his dark and evil nature. These scenes grab you and draw you in. He even uses some unique panel layouts showing a weakened and bloodied Mumm-Ra clinging to life. The detail on Mumm-Ra’s hands and the caked blood hanging on his fingers is just fantastic attention to detail. The full page splash is truly magnificent! It has a Dragon Ball Z vibe to it, but a whole lot darker and much more menacing. It captures the true capacity of evil that Mumm-Ra embodies.

Williams’ attention to detail doesn’t stop at the beginning. Throughout the entire issue we get an excellent range of emotions on a number of characters’ faces whether it is surprise on Lion-O, panic on Snarf, or sorrow on Cringer. All of these emotions are perfectly captured.

Bringing Williams’ art to life is colorist Jeremy Colwell. He does a fantastic job with all sorts of different effects from lightning to dripping blood to Third Earth being pulled into the same universe as Eternia. He really makes Williams’ art pop off the page whether it is dark and creepy or magnificent and awe-inspiring.

To add even more greatness to this comic is letterer Deron Bennett. He expertly showcases different evil spirits using different font colors. He also does a great job of expressing an evil shout as the words move up and down the page as if they are riding on an invisible soundwave.

The Verdict

[easyazon_link identifier=”B01LK3EBGE” locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]He-Man/ThunderCats #1[/easyazon_link] may be the best crossover comic ever. The story is exciting and full of fun twists and turns with plenty of action, a good mix of dialogue, and solid characterization of the main characters. Freddie Williams’ artwork is absolutely phenomenal. It is some of the best art you will see in a comic. Go out and buy this comic. It is excellent!