What Are The Backrooms?

Early Thoughts on Personalising The Twilight Sword Setting

As a youngling I had this Pauline Baynes map of Narnia on my bedroom wall

With the impending release of the beta PDF of Twilight Sword, I have begun to noodle around ideas for "personalising" the lands of Radia - the game's default setting. 

World building from scratch is one of my weaknesses as a gamesmaster: all my worlds created whole cloth tend to end up as simply reskinned versions of real lands from Medieval(ish) Earth... and not in a clever, Robert E Howard Age of Hyboria way.

I also have a tendency to "Game of Thrones" things up before the first die is slung, by which I mean I overcomplicate and hyperdetail the setting way beyond anything the players will probably ever have any interaction with.

This is because I tend to fall in love with my settings and then mistakenly believe I'm the next JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis or George RR Martin! When all I'm really doing is creating a backdrop for some wonderfully silly elfgames.

Aware of this fault in my planning process, I'm approaching Radia - which we know is inspired by video games and anime - with broader strokes.

At the moment, clearly, I know almost nothing about the actual, 'official' setting, so am just scraping together notes and bullet points of ideas, locations, names (for places and people) etc that - hopefully - veer away from the usual Western/Tolkien norm of fantasy settings.

For the anime influences for Radia, I shall be looking to pick up cues from my beloved Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Record of Lodoss War, and Delicious in Dungeon.

My knowledge of anime is limited (although greater than my knowledge of video games), but I remain firm in my belief that these three serials have the best resources in the pure fantasy (Dungeons & Dragons-inspired) genre.

Beyond anime, I'm looking at established settings such as Narnia, Wonderland, Oz, Neverland, Eternia, and Arduin, and films like Labyrinth, The NeverEnding Story, The Dark Crystal, and so on, rather than my usual inspirations, for example Hawk The Slayer and Lord of The Rings. 

Don't get me wrong Hawk The Slayer remains the definitive old school Dungeons & Dragons movie in my book and Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings trilogy is simply the greatest movie of all time, which I ensure I watch at least once a year from start to finish.

But, in my experience, the thing I find about such intricate settings as Middle-Earth and Westeros is that they are 'fragile'. If you mess around with them too much they break and are no longer the setting you fell in love with in the first place.

Now, I know you can say: but it's your game, you can do what you like with the setting, who's going to know?

But, besides the fact that I would know, it's my belief that these settings are so intricately interwoven that if you mess with, or change, one bit it will have a cascade effect further down the line so that something else isn't going to make sense (just look at George RR Martin's anger with The House of The Dragon tv show because characters were cut out who actually have an important role to play in the story at a later date).

Hence, why I'm shifting my focus to loosey-goosey, weird and surreal settings that are governed by more fairy tale aesthetics. I believe these will gel more with my vision - and understanding - of how Radia (and Twilight Sword) is supposed to operate.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. But I hope not.

I'd really like to run a setting that was, at once, familiar to the Tuesday Knights but also fresh and original, and not just another Middle-Earth/Forgotten Realms/Medieval Europe retread. 

And has talking animals.

I HAVE THE POWER!!!

The trailers are starting to make this look a bit Flash Gordon-y... and that's a great thing!

All I ask is that the film doesn't spend too long on boring old Earth in the first act before Prince Adam gets whisked back to Eternia to claim his birth right.

Ator The Fighting Eagle (1982)

"During the childhood of mankind, while some colonies have only just discovered fire, others are already using technology, Inventor Akron discovers the 'radiating matter' which can be used to make earth a paradise or a hell. Soran, a strayed former pupil of Akron, steals his invention. Akron sends out his daughter to fetch the invincible Ator to fight Soran..."

-- so reads the descriptive blurb on the back of my DVD of Ator The Fighting Eagle. Only that's not the plot of Ator at all! But then the poster shown above is also rather misleading as Ator never uses a three-headed flail and his animal companion is a cute bear cub - not a sabretooth tiger!

This (unintentionally?) hilarious, cheesetastic film has Ator (Miles O'Keefe) on a mission to rescue his new bride, Sunya (Ritza Brown) - who he had believed was his sister until the moment his 'parents' gave their blessing to his wedding plans - from the Temple Of The Spider.

A mockbuster years before The Asylum made it an artform and released to cash in on the original Conan movie, Ator has a by-the-numbers, Joseph Campbell "hero's journey"/Star Wars storyline.

The titular protagonist even picks up an Obi-Wan-style mentor, Griba (Edmund Purdom), and a money-driven Han Solo-ish female rogue Roon (Sabrina Siani) along the way to help him blow up the Death Star... er... destroy The Temple Of The Spider.

It's all tied-in to a very long - and highly detailed - prophecy about how Ator's true father, the legendary Tauren, was doomed in his quest to defeat the Spider Cult and so the destiny has passed to his son, Ator.

The main problem is Ator is rather a rubbish hero - frequently bested in combat, gullible and, frankly, not the sharpest tool in the box - he is constantly being rescued by Roon and the cute bear cub.

The fights are joyously lacklustre, which only adds to the humour, and a couple of times Ator simply abandons Roon during a fight when his attention is distracted by something else.

He only appears to be able to beat people if he catches them by surprise - or has an incredibly powerful magic shield of zapping to hand!

Couple this with stilted and corny dialogue, some wonderfully WTF "monsters" (the walking dead that simply disappear, the blind warriors, the shadow demon, the shapechanging sorceress, the giant spider etc) and all the elements combine to make Ator The Fighting Eagle an incredibly entertaining - and amusing -  way to waste 90 minutes of your life.

That said, as Italian swords-and-sorcery films go, it's head and shoulders above Conquest, the scenery is surprisingly interesting - with strange statues dotted around the landscape - and some of the 'encounter' ideas aren't half-bad.

MUSICAL MONDAY: The Story of Us (Ru's Piano)

Incredible Taiwanese pianist RuRu performs her cover of milet's The Story of Us, from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.

TREE SAFARI: Chiddingstone Castle

Cherry blossom avenue at Chiddingstone Castle

This afternoon, our regular "tree safari" walk found us at Chiddingstone Castle (which looks like a stunning stately home indoors, but - because of Alice - we could only wander around the grounds). 

The first thing I have to say was, despite now being Spring and the start of British Summer Time, it was blooming cold. And that's from someone who usually isn't bothered by the cold. The wind chill factor was really getting into my aged bones and I was not a particularly happy camper for much of the walk.

The main treason Rachel chose Chiddingstone for today's walk was the avenue of Japanese cherry blossoms that were in full bloom. Rachel knows I love cherry blossom (which is why we have a young cherry tree planted outside our house, although it will be decades before it can rival the beauties here... or in Japan).

Freaky bridge - not for me!

At the end of the avenue is an arched wooden bridge over a lake, but it's one of those "open" bridges that freak me out 'cos of my balance/vertigo issues after my stroke.

So we diverted round the end of the lake instead, where there's a wonderful rock formation - and a tree with signs of fairy habitation (well, it has a couple of large openings in it!).

The "fairy tree"

I am totally smitten by this rock formation at the end of the lake

This little rivulet that runs through the rocks helps fill the lake

Alice had a lovely time, meeting a number of adorable fellow dogs as well as attracting her usual coos and cuddles from friendly, dog-loving humans who always mistake her for a puppy and are then amazed when we tell them she's nearly 12.

After our walk, I insisted we have a bite to eat in the stately home's café. As we had to sit in the courtyard (under cover) - again because of Alice - I took advantage of the box of blankets provided and spread one over my legs, like a pensioner.

Rachel ordered herself a cream tea while I had a hot chocolate accompanied by a couple of crumpets with raspberry jam.

The locally-sourced jam was incredibly delicious so when Rachel was settling our bill I asked her to get us a pot of the jam as well. 

Once we got home (it was so nice to be in the warmth again!) I added "crumpets" to the shopping list, so I could replicate the experience I had so recently enjoyed in the courtyard of the Chiddingstone Castle café.

Mmmmmm, tasty jam!

The Green Knight (2021)

Although The Green Knight has been available to stream on Prime Video for ages now, it wasn't until I came across the Blu-Ray in an Amazon sale the other day that I finally decided it was time to clear 130 minutes in my schedule and sit down to watch this Arthurian epic.

It's Christmas in the court of King Arthur and aspiring knight Gawain (the perfectly cast Dev Patel) is seated beside the king, his uncle, when the mysterious emerald-skinned Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) rides in and issues an honour challenge.

He will allow someone to strike him, but then the following Christmas they must seek him out in The Green Chapel and he will repay the blow in the kind.

Gawain, with the loan of King Arthur's sword (is it Excalibur?), beheads the Green Knight, but then the supernatural entity picks up his head and rides off.

Eventually, time passes and the aged Arthur (a brilliant turn from Sean Harris) tells Gawain he really should go and find The Green Knight.

Thus begins Gawain's odyssey across the misty realm of Ancient Britain, searching for The Green Chapel where the unearthly knight will be found.

A hypnotic, often unsettling, blend of gritty Medieval verisimilitude and mythological magic realism, odd things happen throughout A24's The Green Knight and are just accepted as par for the course.

On his journey Gawain helps a ghost, meets a talking fox, mystical tokens are lost and found, and our hero is nearly flattened by hauntingly ethereal giants (who look like they've stepped out of the classic 1973 French animated movie Fantastic Planet).

As far as I can figure - and it feels as though you are diving into a dense text as you try to follow along on a first viewing - the story is primarily concerned about upholding a chivalric code of honour, a parable about being true to your word.

For some bizarre reason, although I've heard the tale of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight several times, I can never remember how it pans out, but the dialogue-free extended epilogue of writer/director David Lowery's adaptation of the original 14th Century text is sublime.

Although prone to occasional atmospheric mumbled dialogue and minimalistic, naturalistic, lighting that makes some scenes as dark as The Long Night, there's a lyrical quality to the narrative of Lowery's The Green Knight that buoys you along. 

While not the traditional swords-and-sorcery, knights-and-armour type of film that I enjoy, it certainly doesn't feel like an arduous two hours if you allow yourself to sink into the world David Lowery has conjured up for us.

It's not necessary to know the names of all the characters and their backstories (in fact, if you check IMDB very few of the characters even have names), because The Green Knight isn't that sort of story, rather it's a period piece told using modern technology but as it would have been recounted "back in the day".

We also don't need to know where the giants came from or how the fox spoke, because these were aspects of Medieval storytelling that were just accepted in stories told around the campfire.

That said, on a more academic scale, I strongly suspect that with a bit more reading about - and research into - the subject matter of The Green Knight, more will be gleaned from this great movie upon subsequent viewings.

Inside Predjama Castle: Slovenia’s Most Haunted Castle

Folklore YouTuber The Jolly Reiver takes us to:

"Predjama Castle, considered to be the most haunted in all of Slovenia. Here you'll learn about the last stand of Erasmus of Lueg, the 'Robin Hood of Slovenia', as well as the spooky tales of the supernatural associated with this site."

Honestly, I Can Justify Buying These Two New Games

Remember back in February when I implied that I wasn't going to buy any new roleplaying games?

Well, much to no one's surprise, that pledge didn't exactly last. Although I would argue that my recent purchases may have some degree of utility in my proposed 'anime-influenced' fantasy campaign that I'm hoping to run with Twilight Sword.

In the past week, I have acquired the Pirate Borg Starter Set and the core rulebook (and some add-ons) for the new Conan: The Hyborian Age roleplaying game.

Both are peak examples of modern production standards, although I know already my chances of actually running either are next to next to zero.

These are reference works, first and foremost, because I am fascinated by pirates and I am fascinated by Conan, and always imagine slipping elements of both into my fantasy games.

First off, though, I have to point out, for those who aren't already aware, the Pirate Borg Starter Set is probably the best RPG starter set I have ever seen.

For a ridiculously low cost (when you consider what's included), you get all of this in the solid, deep box:

That's an introductory rulebook, a campaign book, item cards, a pack of character sheets, some reusable character sheets with felt pens, three sheets of card counters, several battle mats and game maps, and a full set of  gorgeous (stylishly simple) dice.

None of these are cheap quality or flimsy. These items are designed for use at the games table. Even the inside surface of the box lids (top and bottom) have useful charts and tables on.

Much of this material, obviously, can be used with other game systems - which is good, as I still dream of running a nautical adventure, even if not with this elegant Mörk Borg hack.

My other purchase - this time from eBay - was an ex-Kickstarter bundle of core material for the, as yet, unreleased to retail new Conan roleplaying game, published by Monolith.

Unlike Pirate Borg, I haven't read more than a few lines of this yet, but from what I've seen it looks a reasonable simple and uncluttered system (especially compared to previous Conan RPGs that were overwhelmed by character feats, abilities, splat books etc).

I already appreciate the use of large text and white space (as you can see from the random selection of pages below), which tells me this should be straight forward for a numpty like me to grok.

As well as the core rulebook, my eBay bundle included a large map of Conan's world in the Hyborian Age, two packs of blank character sheets, and a collection of ready reference rules sheets to use when running the game.

Conquest (1983)

Let's get one thing straight from the start, I'm no fan of Italian Giallo cinema, but I felt I owed it to myself to sample "godfather of gore" Lucio Fulci's one stab at the sword & sorcery genre - Conquest.

Sadly, it's as dreadful, rambling and poorly constructed as any Italian horror movie I've seen with a nonsensical story, cheap and cheesy effects, awful cinematography (if the picture doesn't look like it was shot through a fine net curtain, or is obscured by near-constant mist, it's probably too dark to see anything clearly) and a disappointing lack of notable casual nudity (even if the central, mask-wearing villainess Ocron is topless every time she appears on screen).

What passes for a story in Conquest is the narrative equivalent of a sandbox Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Our two "heroes" - whiny, Luke Skywalker-esque (circa A New Hope) Ilias (Andrea Occjipinti), armed with his magic bow, and surly rogue Mace (George Rivero) - wander around a mist-enshrouded land having random, often inexplicable, encounters and fighting monsters.

They are supposedly fighting evil, but are also seen simply killing a random person to steal his food!

Evil, brain-eating witch Ocron (Sabrina Sellers) has a vision that Ilias is going to kill her and so dispatches her legions of wolf-men/dog-soldiers and other masked minions to capture him.

Of course, he doesn't know who she is and only decides to go after her once her soldiers have slaughtered the tribe of very accommodating cave people that Ilias and Mace have been staying with.

I'll admit there was a surprising twist in the plot towards the end, but even that took its own bizarre turn that was never explained or returned to - much like Mace's sudden ability to teleport (unless that was the magic bow!)

Ridiculous, stupid, illogical and, at times, tedious, Conquest is a hard slog to get through and thankfully only lasts about 88 minutes.

Join The Hunt For Matthew Nichols

Two decades after her brother mysteriously disappeared on Vancouver Island, a documentary filmmaker sets out to solve his missing person's case. When a disturbing piece of evidence is revealed, she comes to believe he might still be alive.

As a fan of folk horror, I like the look of this, but the trailer gives me the impression that the filmmakers have either never seen or heard of The Blair Witch Project or have watched it way too much.

The film does come with a really neat interactive website that looks like a real timesink (again, rather Blair Witchy).

Hunting Matthew Nichols is on target to open in US cinemas on April 10.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: When We Got A Games Table!

At last, my chance to go full Eddie!

Thanks to my amazing, hard-working and supportive wife, Rachel, we acquired a games table in December, 2022.

It's something I'd yearned for ever since learning they were a real 'thing; and finally it was mine... er... ours.

Rachel has long said we needed a new dining table and I managed to persuade her that she should spend her bonus on a games table, which would then double as both dining table and venue for the Tuesday Knights and I to sling dice.

I did a ton of research, we measured a lot, drew up plans, found a UK company that specialised in games tables (Geeknson), asked a lot of questions, and finally pulled the trigger on a bespoke design back in late July/early August of that year.

The table arrived, and was unwrapped, just before Christmas, but I'd kept shtum on my "secret weapon" so that the Tuesday Knights would be the first to see it, in person, at that January's session of Pete's Hollow Earth  Expedition campaign (see below).

However, that didn't stop me 'playing' with it beforehand, for an Eddie Munson-esque "photoshoot" of an imaginary game of Dungeons & Dragons featuring the characters from the '80s cartoon as the protagonists, caught between a demonic flying creature and a warband of orcs.

I have such dreams for this new addition to the house that will justify the expenditure of Rachel's hard-earned cash on my geeky dream.

Presto the magician blasts the demon, as the evil gnome sorcerer cackles

Eddie does it much better than me, but you get what I was going for!

Gamesmaster Pete goes high-tech, flipping his tablet screen over the wooden GM screen
attachment to present us with a slideshow introduction to the adventure

A lot happened as always in that night's episode of Pete's pulp Hollow Earth Expedition campaign (which, by 2026, has morphed into an OUTGUNNED game), but here's a "picture special" of The Tuesday Knights enjoying their first meeting around the new games table.

Afterwards, Clare wrote the following about the table in her daily blog (now a Substack) of positive moments, Three Beautiful Things:

"I am so astonished by Tim's new gaming table -- which he has been keeping a secret since it was ordered in the summer -- that I gasp at each new revelation. First the top lifts off; next there's a green baize playing surface... that could be lifted off to reveal a map table... and then there are extra little tables to attach for your drink and your notebook; and a special desk for the GM, too. The whole smells pleasantly of new wood and polish."

Me using the "player's side table attachment" feature for my dice and notebook

Pete, at the head of the table, liked having a wooden screen and his own tray for dice, notes etc

An impromptu shoot-out in the back streets of 1930's Rio puts Oynx (Mark's character)
and Freya (Clare's character) in the firing line.

Here's me making full use of the "cup holder" feature

The morning after and the table had transformed back into a dining table

This Furious Trailer Kicks Some Serious Butt!

After the daughter of Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself.

His only ally is Navin (Joe Taslim) – a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared.

Fuelled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown.

Barbarian Queen (1985)

Both IMDB and the blurb on the DVD box erroneously claim that Barbarian Queen is set during the "days of the Roman Empire", but there is no evidence whatsoever in the body of the film that this is anything more than a generic barbarian fantasy flick.

On the day of Amethea's (Deathstalker's Lana Clarkson) wedding, her village is raided by the troops of  Lord Arrakur (Armando Capo) looking for slaves.

All are taken except for Amethea and a few other hotties, who manage to avoid capture, and then pledge to pursue the raiders to their kingdom and liberate their friends.

Arriving at the generic city, the maidens fall in with local rebels and, discovering that their menfolk are being groomed as gladiators, plot to stage a coup.

Outside of the requisite harem and orgy scenes that were de rigeur in these low quality sword and sandal movies, there's a fair amount of female nudity - but always combined with misogynistic sexual violence, which makes much of this otherwise forgettable film quite unsavoury.

Not that there's much to enjoy about Barbarian Queen anyway, as the acting is generally poor, the dialogue atrocious, the direction chaotic and the props resemble LARP rejects.

Another trait it shares with others of its low-budget ilk is that the film doesn't so much reach an ending as just suddenly stop - possibly when everyone concerned ran out of money or enthusiasm.

No one truly emerges from this mess with any dignity and Armando Capo caps the lunacy in the climatic brawl by doing a passable impression of the late Colonel Gaddafi.

Saddled with a mundane plot, Barbarian Queen is really one for Lana Clarkson fans only. 

Beauty Is In The Eye of The Blogger

Image by Elle from Pixabay

RPG Menagerie is a new feature launched this week by prodigious blogger and podcaster Michel 'Siskoid' Albert on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery.

Renowned for his in-depth knowledge of Doctor Who, Star Trek, comic books, movies, and roleplaying games - to mention but a few strings to his bow - Siskoid's latest offering on his 'must-read' blog is:

"... a new series of posts looking at role-playing game monsters/threats from across all games (probably with a preference for vintage games), but not an entirely serious look."

The first entry casts an eye over that stalwart of the Dungeons & Dragons 'verse: the beholder.

The Devil Of Hell's Kitchen Is Back For Round Two

For those who missed the briefing, the second season of Disney's Daredevil: Born Again has begun airing in the UK today (last night Stateside).

You can see the release schedule for the episodes above, and once Daredevil has completed his run, we're going to be treated to a special Punisher episode: One Last Kill.

Of course, this is before The Punisher/Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) pops up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day in July.

There's Rock Solid Movement At The Tower

 

Work has - sort of - begun on my 1:12th scale castle tower. A big sticking point in my mind has always been how I would "decorate" the exterior. I wanted a degree of texture, rather than just wallpaper with pictures of stones on!

Rachel came back from Miniatura the other day with three sample packets of cut stone to experiment with.

I really liked this in principle, but Rachel's dad - who has a better eye for these things than I do and is less inclined to launch into a project without a detailed plan - thought these might actually be too fiddly for such a large structure.

The current top contender for my brickwork is looking like embossed card, although, while I've found the right scale on eBay, I'm not sure if I'll be able to find exactly the design that I have pictured in my head.

I've ordered a single sheet of "old wall", so we can see what it's like "in the flesh" and make a decision.

It's not a major step forward, but, at least, things are moving, and I'm starting to formulate solid plans rather than just vague ideas.

She Is Conann (2023)

Presented as a series of vignettes, 2023's She is Conann, written and directed by Bertrand Mandico, is supposedly a feminist take on Conan The Barbarian

I would beg to differ. The various segments of this French art house offering present Conann (Con-ann, gettit?) at different stages of her life (which, as far as I could tell, was the main similarity to Robert E Howard's stories of Conan The Barbarian), starting as a peasant girl captured by barbarians led by the red-haired Sanja (also called Sonja), played by Julia Riedler.

Both Sanja and Conann turn out to be immortal - for no readily explained reason - but whereas Sanja is played by the same actress throughout her various appearances, Conann is portrayed by a succession of different actresses: Claire Duburcq at age 15, Christa Théret at age 25, Sandra Parfait at age 35, Agata Buzek at age 45, and Nathalie Richard at age 55.

Nearly always in her orbit is the dog-man Rainer (Elina Löwensohn), a cameraman documenting her life and narrating the movie. All very gender-fluid and meta, but ultimately sound and fury signifying nothing. 

Rainer (Elina Löwensohn)

Why is Rainer a dog-person? Who knows! However, I must admit that the make-up on Löwensohn (and the other dog-people who pop up) is very impressive. My mind couldn't help wandering to the dog-people of Jeff Noon's excellent Vurt books, and wondering why these had never been adapted to the big screen.

Perhaps She is Conann is meant to be a commentary on the broader machismo and sleaze of many of barbarian movies of the 1980s? However, to my mind, any film that requires a crib sheet to fully grok is a huge red flag.

She is Conann begins in a sci-fi/fantasy world (supposedly Sumeria, but you'd never know), with strong '80s-throwback, retro vibes (accentuated by the fact that the entire film is shot on a series of soundstages with old school, direct-to-video, levels of set decoration).

The story soon jumps to a more contemporary period and all semblance of a sword-and-sorcery setting is forgotten (bar the odd reference to "barbarism").

Every segment ends - segueing into the next - with the Conann of that period being slain by her next 'incarnation', until the final story when she has become a multimillionaire patron of arts and gives herself up to the artists she supports as an edible work of art.

The creators can only inherit Conann's limitless wealth if they totally consume her specially-prepared body.

The deliciously disturbing body horror sequence that follows is really the highlight of She is Conann. 

This being the most overt, and clear, segment of the movie, I'm pretty sure there was a clever metaphor about 'eating the rich' in there should you be inspired to look for it.

Shot primarily in black and white, but switching to colour every now and again, She is Conann is also largely in French (with subtitles) except for a segment set in '80s New York when the characters speak - and swear - in English.

Ultimately, the 105-minute movie is a stylish, but empty, mélange of assorted styles and ideas from far superior sources, the unique cinematic voices of Peter Greenaway and Derek Jarman mixed with literary tropes from Michael Moorcock and William S Burroughs.

Oddly though, as infuriatingly incomprehensible as much of it is, the story flows and moves quickly, probably helped along by the comparatively short length of time spent on each period of Conann's life.

But that also means each iteration never hangs around long enough for us to truly understand her character at the moment in her life or her motivations.

Presumably every directorial and narrative choice in the film has been made for a reason, it's just unclear what those reasons were.

On paper Bertrand Mandico's recipe for reimagining Conan The Barbarian should have created a perfect meal for this viewer, who usually has a lot of time for clever art films, but instead She is Conann is disappointingly too pretentious for its own good.

He-Man Now Has An Ongoing Comic Book Series

Issue Five marks the start of Masters of The Universe's ongoing status

Next month, the Masters of The Universe comic book series from Dark Horse - which began as the four-part miniseries The Sword of Flaws - returns as an ongoing title.

Issue five of the title sees the start of The Battle for Snake Mountain storyline, written by Tim Seeley with art by Reilly Brown (who also drew the main cover, see above).

"The Power Sword, a weapon able to access the power and wisdom of Grayskull, was forged by the most powerful sorcerer in the Universe — He-Ro. It was ordained that the sword would be given to a great champion to protect the Realm in times of need.

"But He-Ro grew concerned that all the power and knowledge in the universe might be too much for one man. So, he created another blade — one which could be used only if a champion became a tyrant. But an accident corrupted the alternate blade, transforming it into something evil, tainting its metal violet. He-Ro had unintentionally created The Sword of Flaws. Realizing the horror of his creation, He-Ro left Grayskull and spent years of his life crossing Eternia to find a place to hide the sword. And there, the Sword of Flaws remained safely hidden. Until now...

"After the great battle at Heaven Piercer, the Sword of Flaws has fallen into Skeletor’s hands. And with this mystic power, Skeletor is a greater threat than ever before. Can He-Man and the Heroic Warriors stop him before he becomes Master of The Universe?"

Issue five variant cover art by Ciro Nieli

Issue six of Masters of The Universe is due to follow in May, with a choice of covers: either a portrait of Evil-Lyn or Skeletor in combat with Scareglow.

Cover art by Reilly Brown

Cover art by Daniel Hdr

And then issue seven is scheduled for a July store date, again with a choice of two covers:

Cover art by Reilly Brown

Cover art by Eric Powell