The Fastest Draw in
the Universe! is a 1985 Masters of the
Universe mini-comic written by Steven Grant and illustrated by Mike Vosburg
and Greg Brooks. Here, He-Man and Orko travel to West Texas the
Flatlands of Eternia, where Skeletor is plotting some cattle rustling on an
economy-busting level.
So here we have bionic NRA poster boy Rio Blast and his ten barrels
of 80’s action movie overcompensation. He’s over the top in every conceivable
way, and, like so much from the 80’s, he seems a lot sillier now than he did
twenty-five years ago. However, he actually fits pretty well within the setting
(keeping him in his own demesne works a lot better than making him a palace
regular, like Extendar, in part because he’s so overpowered and in part because
he’s a small-doses kind of guy).
The story is entertaining, if obviously thin – Skeletor may
make a dent in Eternia’s food supply, but are we supposed to believe there’s no
agriculture, that the peasants of Eternia eat predominantly beef? And of course
Prince Adam is lugging the Megalaser all over Eternia – we couldn’t have He-Man
get outclassed in a pissing contest, could we? Never mind that he takes out
both of Skeletor’s henchmen with a cooking pot.
The art is very solid. Vosburg does a nice job with the
landscapes, and his figures and action are pretty good. Interestingly, He-Man has his Flying Fists shield rather than his regular one.
It’s inherently a little bit silly, yes, but this mini-comic’s
a satisfying enough change of pace.
RECOMMENDED
Read it HERE
