He-Man Season One/ Volume 2

In keeping with the wonderful tradition of the first He-Man Season One box set, Volume 2 picks up where the first 33 episodes of the series left off. Again packaged in a beautifully decorated 6-disc set, Volume 2 contains the final 32 episodes of the acclaimed first season of Filmation's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Upon going directly from the first volume into the second, some changes between the show's formatting are subtly apparent. First of these changes is Filmation's reliance upon freelance writers to deliver the show's incredible numbers (65 episodes is monumental for a single season of animation, even to this day). With the deeper pool of script submissions to pull from, the result is much more variety in terms of plots, locations, and even themes. Despite his appearance on the cover art, Skeletor is used much less often in the second half of the first season. The entire scope of Eternia itself is pushed much further in this collection. So much so in fact that it is rare for our heroes to travel to the same location for an episode-resolve more than once or twice throughout the entire season. Not bad considering the restrictions and limitations plaguing all animation in the early 1980s.

Still in tact are the strong morals and ethical advice that provided the backbone (and ending tag) of every single Masters of the Universe episode. By the second half of the first season, the writers had become increasingly efficient at burying the ending tag "lessons" beneath the surface-level of the show's themes, which makes for a more satisfying experience in recapping what we've learned.

In addition, not being forced to rely upon Skeletor and his brood as the show's antagonist, really opened up some epic conflict situations not uncommon from those that have graced the pages of classic literature for years. Among the gems in the second volume are Amazonian women, vengeful griffons, misunderstood giants, and my personal favorite- an intelligent ancient dragon named Granamyr. Eternia is transformed into a truly epic land of fantasy and intrigue right from the onset of this collection.

Like before, BCI Eclipse has pulled all the stops in terms of their packaging and presentation of this cherished material. The cover art and flip-out inner sleeve are again gorgeous as are the disc art itself and accompanying book. BCI continues to shed light on the whole Filmation phenomenon once again on the 6th disc of the set with 2 more documentary pieces that are a sheer joy to conclude such an impressive package. This time around we again here from the show's writers and creative staff on the stories behind the stories on various selections of the 34-65th episodes. Additionally, but equally interesting, is the second documentary in which we are given a back-stage pass to the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con where the genius of Filmation and a host of other talent (Bruce Timm & Paul Dini for example) promote the then-brand new release of The Best of He-Man on DVD. Suffice to say, the quality and attention to detail that BCI is loading these DVD collections with is present and appreciated in this special behind-the-scenes look of a well-known event.

Also like last time, this set includes another pair of 4 x 6 inch collectible art cards, this time by Earl Norem and Gilbert Hernandez. Full-length animated storyboard and complete scripts (PDF format) are also included.

The following 32 episodes are included in this set (which completes the first season):

The Dragon's Gift
The Sleepers Awaken
The Search
It's Not My Fault
Valley of Power
Trouble in Arcadia
House of Shokoti" Part 1
House of Shokoti" Part 2
Double Edged Sword
The Mystery of Man-E-Faces
The Region of Ice
Orko's Missing Magic
Eternal Darkness
Keeper of the Ancient Ruins
Return of Evil
Return of the Griffon
Temple of The Sun
City Beneath the Sea
Teela's Trial
Dree Elle's Return
Game Plan
Eye of the Beholder
Quest for the Sword
Castle of Heroes
The Once and Future Duke
The Witch and The Warrior
The Return of Granamyr
Pawns of the Game Master
Golden Disks of Knowledge
The Huntsman
The Remedy
The Heart of A Giant

In conclusion, fans of the show have much to be excited about in this, the second volume of the first season of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. From a writing (and production standpoint) much of the restriction that held the first half of the season back had been realized and addressed. Most notable is the simple expansion of the environments and nearly endless roster of characters that we are introduced to along the way. Love or hate the series itself, there is nothing but praise that I can report about the presentation of this product. The attention to detail is absolutely phenomenal from the box itself on down to the full color episode-book with a synopsis and still of each and every episode within. Even the menu work is top notch with synopsis' and sample clips for each episode. About the best thing that can happen to a show coming to DVD is discovering that BCI Eclipse is going to be handling the project. They're really that good. For my next review of the series, I'll be digging into the first volume of the first season of She-Ra Princess of Power so stay tuned. And don't worry; we'll get back to He-Man with the first part of the second season after that.

For more information, head over to the following URL:
http://www.inkandpaintdvd.com/?page=c_heman2