Comic Review...He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #5....The Origin of Despara (She-Ra)

I might be one of the few commentators out there who enjoy the new Masters of the Universe comic.  I hope it's truly doing well...And I hope the Justice League crossover gives it a big boost as well.

Of all the things about the comic that could be said, the most striking thing has been the appearance of She-Ra as Despara.  She has a butch haircut, and goes around in Hordak's body armor ruthlessly....and I mean ruthlessly killing rebels and masters.  She is more than Force Captain Adora could have ever been, (in regard to the Filmation story.)  No she's a cold blooded zealot, wanting to shine victory on Hordak.

The origin story here did not disappoint!

Here's the cover.

I am glad to see the classic feminine look of She-Ra here.  We really haven't gotten to see this much in the DC New 52 version of the comics....aside from a variant cover that I have not been able to get.  But if anything, Comics have proven that the cover doesn't usually tell us much.

But this cover does....In this issue, the lies of the Horde become apparent to Despara....And she learns that she was Adora from the Shadow Weaver, who in this story has been a "mother" to her.

I like everything about this re-telling.  In fact, in the old established story, some things didn't make any sense.  Here it all makes perfect sense.  It is well explained, and furthermore, we see the Horde's twist on things, having the origin told from the Shadow Weaver's point of view.

Skeletor stole Adora from the crib...Why didn't he take Adam?  This story explains it.  The Sorceress intervened.

Why hasn't Randor, or anyone else mentioned it yet...His mind has been wiped!  Everyone's has been to help them with their grief by the Sorceress.

And Marlena...she's dead too, evidently.

A couple of other things I liked.  Shadow Weaver shows her jealousy of Hordak here.  She speaks ill of  him and his arrogance.  She continues to see herself as Despara's mother, a character quality I was unaware of.  (I haven't watched much She-Ra....I AM a boy, you know.)  She also speaks of Skeletor in glowing terms...It's like she's in love with him.  This is also apparently new.  FInally, she says that she believes the Sorceress allowed Adora to be taken.  Not sure if this is her trying to put more slant on it or what, but it makes sense the way she says it.  She says that it is the kind of sacrifice Grayskull would require.  And that only one of the twins was required to fulfill the prophecy.

So my logic is, in the taking of Adora, 20 or so years were bought to train Adam to become He-Man.  At least this is how Shadow Weaver, a dark mage, tells it.

In this issue we see the Shadow Weaver killed by Hordak and his godlike power.  Why can't he so easily kill Adora?  A good question.

What I didn't like.

Teela had to stab her at the end, didn't she?  Why couldn't she have taken the heroic high road?  The writers are typecasting Teela into someone more hardcore than she should be.  I don't much care for the snarky conversations between her and Adam, or the way she snaps virtually everyone else up.  She always gets the last word in these stories, and is such a prominent character that you could almost call this book "Teela and the Masters of the Universe."  Here it is no different.  Despara heals Teela, and Teela thanks her by stabbing her back.

Also, we've seen who killed in this series...

Leech, Sorceress, Flutterina, and now Marlena and Shadow Weaver.  And at 11:30 at night my memory might be evading me.

Keep in mind that we've only had a six issue web series, a six issue mini-series, and five issues of the ongoing series.  If I'm right, that adds up to a character killed off in 1 out of 3 books.  What other comic can survive like this....My thinking is that the writers are thinking short term.  "No way this series is going to last much longer."  I hope I'm not right.

At least Man-At-Arms hasn't been turned into a snake man.

And at least Orko is still a good guy....oh...he's not.....

What I hope to see

Next issue is the last issue of this story arc.  I hope to see Despara shed that name and claim Adora.  I hope to see her raise the sword and become She-Ra...The classic version we know...not the soldier from Wreck-It Ralph.  Somehow the sword gets to her, and it's power breaks the fog of lies that surround her.

And I hope she tips the scales away from Hordak.

But for the future...I want to see a She-Ra book of her own.  Now we will have a hero with a truly dark history.  Someone who has to find redemption from the evil she has committed.  The book would show us how she gains the trust of the rebels and breaks the back of the Horde.  It would be awesome!

Is it too much of a fantasy?  Let me know!  Commentors could win a prize!