He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection

When the He-Man action figures hit shelves in the early 1980s, the animated series didn't exist yet. To provide kids with character details and backstories, Mattel included minicomics with the toys. These comics provided the rich lore and diverse cast of characters that would turn the science and sorcery concept into a franchise. Across the 68 minicomics collected in Dark Horse's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection, fans can follow the franchise's evolution. Originally, He-Man is depicted as a Gilgamesh- or Beowulf-type hero—in one story carving his home from rock with his bare fists. Once the cartoon premiered, colorful changes were made to Eternia and the publisher's footnotes helpfully point out unfinished character designs, creator information and context within the MOTU universe. Including creator interviews and early work by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), these 1,232 pages of good triumphing over evil will easily supply the power of Grayskull until the next series reboot.