Injustice vs. He Man and the Masters of the Universe #2 – Tim Seeley, Writer; Freddie Williams III, Artist; Jeromy Colwell, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: The first of two oddball crossovers out this week from DC, this video game/cartoon team-up from Tim Seeley and Freddie Williams III continues to be a much more effective story than it has any right to be. The two worlds of Eternia and the Injustice-verse DCU are colliding at rapid speed, with agents of evil from both worlds making a move on the other. The issue opens with a tense action segment as the city of Avion, populated by peaceful bird-people, comes under attack by the forces of Apokalips. Meanwhile, He-Man is escorted back to the Injustice-verse by a young Batman (revealed to be Dick Grayson, likely, as Jason Todd is already working with them as Red Hood). They try to brief the clueless medieval-era teenager on the goings-on in the world with mixed results, but he soon winds up heading out into the city on his own. He’s confused, but soon gets involved in the fight against the brutal enforcers of this world. Namely, Bane and Copperhead, both of whom are armored-up with special weapons.
This issue does some genuinely creepy things with Superman’s pre-crime division. A young woman attempts suicide, desperate because of the oppressive dystopia they live in. He-Man saves her – but she’s now guilty of attempting to harm herself, and Bane is sent to break her. I wouldn’t have expected Orko to be one of the scene-stealers in this comic, but he proves himself rather powerful and competent. Back on Eternia, you’ve got Granny Goodness making her move and recruiting a group of the beaten, broken enemies of Eternia to be upgraded. I’m not all that fond of Skeletor as a cringing, scheming minion of Superman, but I am looking forward to his inevitable betrayal. The issue does a good job of splitting its action between the two worlds, and a scene on a snow-covered mountain with a very unusual steed nicely sets the tone for the adventurous tone of Eternia. This wouldn’t work nearly as well if Seeley didn’t have such a good hand on He-Man’s character, which lifts it well above past He-Man comics.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
