Masters of the Universe: Icons of Evil (2003)

MotU: Icons of Evil: Beast Man (2003)

Author: Robert Kirkman | Illustrator: Tony Moore | Page Count: 39

"Roaarr!"

A quartet of one-shot comics revealing a little of what four of Skeletor's most well-known henchmen got up to prior to becoming a full-time butt of his jibes; I really do mean a little, because there's not a lot of story herein.

The Beast Man issue kicks off with a splash page setting the tone. Thereafter we follow an unnamed blue-skinned magician as he sets out to find the orange furry.

I liked Tony Moore's depiction of Beast Man, he was colourful but fierce and lively, and his facial expressions gave him a kind of personality, one that made his limited intelligence seem somewhat endearing. The angles chosen were also interesting, bringing a sense of spirited energy to Kirkman's deathly flat writing. Many of the panels had little or no dialogue, but when the writing is as poor as it is here then it's probably for the best.

MotU: Icons of Evil: Mer-Man (2003)

Author: Robert Kirkman | Illustrator: EJ Su | Page Count: 39

"Gah!"

The amphibious Mer-Man rules an underwater kingdom. He has status and isn't as stupid as he's sometimes been depicted in the past, at least not when compared to the legions of mer-folk that serve under his command.

His biggest failing, besides pairing wickedness with power, is that he's invariably quick to anger and just as quick to act upon it, which leads to short-sightedness when it comes to things that could theoretically be solved more democratically. His story is mostly one big fight scene, and it's as boring as that sounds.

EJ Su's artist's eye acknowledges the light source that filters down from above; the environment is perhaps more illuminated than it would be in real life, but it helps the green and blue hues stand out nicely.

MotU: Icons of Evil: Trapjaw (2003)

Author: Robert Kirkman | Illustrator: Carlo Pagulayan | Page Count: 39

"These are savage times."

Of the four, Trapjaw's is the ONLY one worth reading.

It feels weird referring to him as a protagonist, but that's what he is at first, a protagonist with a regular jaw and a regular name. He's confident, wise in some ways, proud and has skills that enable him to be a natural leader of men. It's the pride that gets him into the most trouble.

The remainder of the book documents the situation(s) that led to his eventual transformation into the metal-jawed minion of Skeletor that we know him to be.

Speaking of Skeletor, he's featured, surrounded by his regular cronies, including the two we've met previously, brought to life by pen and amazing colours – the book is awash with blues, purples, reds and greens.

There's an excellent splash page of Snake Mountain looming menacingly in the background while our leading man stands alone in the foreground. A similar shot appears later in the book with a slight difference and is equally as good the second time.

The only thing that really soured the Trapjaw issue for me is something that's common across all four books: the awful font that's used for the equally awful FX noises. They stand out, that's for sure, but not in a way that complements or enhances the rest of the artwork.

MotU: Icons of Evil: Tri-Klops (2003)

Author: Robert Kirkman | Illustrator: Diogenes Neves / Antony Bilal / Renato Arlem / Joseph Sto. Domingo / Miguel Montenegro | Page Count: 39

"Rahh!"

In contrast to the issue that came before it, Tri-Klops' prequel story is by far the worst of the bunch.

It begins in an unnamed desert area, amid a conflict that we lack any kind of real context for. Once it ends (on page 6) the location changes and skips us to years later, with the titular character nowhere to be seen.

Nothing interesting happens for a few pages, followed by another battle, this time lasting for 9 whole pages.

Tri-Klops eventually returns... just in time for another 10 page battle! But at least it's a one-on-one, so we can have some characterisation, right? No, he's as blank and vapid when it all ends as he was when it began.