He-Man (2002 Series)

[karsten]

If there was every a golden age of heroic animation (heroic in subject matter, that is), I would say that it was the early 2000s, in the immediate wake of 9/11.

There was the original Justice League series (played very straight).

There was Samurai Jack.

And there was the He-Man revival, which -- to my taste, at least -- had the richest animation of them all (though I loved all three series). It really bore little relation to the Filmation show in its visual style and, to a large part, in its storylines, being much more sophisticated and grown-up and polished.

The animation was just about the most vivid realization of a "fantasy world" that has ever been shown on TV. The series's final season, involving a sustained clash with a Robert-Howard-like race of "Snake Men," was especially epic in scale.

If there was ever an animated show that merited a blu-ray release for its awesome visuals, this is it.