Teela takes center stage in the third chapter of this bold take on a 1980’s beloved icon.
Follow the jump for more!
The story starts with Teela telling a story of her childhood to He-Man, involving a young girl named Adora. Teela and Adora became fast, yet secret, friends. Adora stopped coming by one day.
The innocence of youth
Fast forward to present day. This young girl is now a field commander for the Horde named Despara, who has been causing a lot of problems for the crew at Castle Grayskull. These problems take up most of the remainder of the issue. We see Teela being, well, Teela. Unfortunately it is not enough, and Teela and Despara vanish without a trace.
POSITIVES:
This issue has a lot of great character development, mostly centered around Teela. The childhood flashback helps illustrate what kind of person she will grow up to be. The present-day battle scenes show exactly who she became: a fierce and fearless warrior. This issue also shows how much Teela means to He-Man, despite the constant bickering.
She jumped from that height?
Readers are also treated to more of the unveiling mystery surrounding Despara/Adora. Fans of the old cartoon know that that Adora is She-Ra, Princess of Power. Though whether this is the path DC has in store for Adora is still up to debate. This has been a very controversial change, but one I applaud. He-Man seems to focus on Adora’s journey to becoming She-Ra than it is about He-Man.
Enter Adora/Despara/ She Who will one day become She-Ra
NEGATIVES:
This issue was over way too fast. I guess that really isn’t a negative, but I can’t help feeling a little upset when I fly through a book like this, because I want more. And, though this might be attributable to my reading method (digital issues on a Nook Color), some of the coloring in this issue was drove me to distraction. There is a scene at the end where He-Man is talking to a disembodied voice. The color of the writing is a really light blue, on a white background, and was very difficult to read.
Even on a bigger screen, it is still difficult to read.
VERDICT Â 
  (4/5)
This series has been great so far. It has been a lot more in depth than expected, and it doesn’t feel like the merchandise-driven franchise of the 80’s. This is an epic fantasy story that is painted with very broad strokes. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!
