1st Series
A Trap for He-Man
Plot: Skeletor uses a magic crystal to lure Teela into a trap. Convinced it is He-Man calling her, the Warrior Goddess rides into dangerous territory alone. After narrowly escaping Mer-Man with the help of a whale, she is finally caught by Beast Man and brought to Skeletor. Stratos, who has witnessed the capture, alerts He-Man who immediately mounts Battle Cat for the rescue mission. Meanwhile, Skeletor has set up an ambush for He-Man in a cave populated by the Shadow Men. He-Man anticipates this, though, and he uses the one thing the Shadow Men are vulnerable to: light. In the ensuing chaos, the crystal is shattered and Skeletor is once again defeated.
Comments: Half of the book is actually concerned with Teela fighting off Mer-Man and Beast Man. It is very unusual (and impressive) to see her as an actually able fighter who isn't as easily captured as in most of the other stories which use this common plot device. The Shadow Men are unfortunately quite underused. Their scenes are very strong at first, and their seemingly easy defeat is a little disappointing in the end. Still, an excellent book!
Thanks to AB for the German version!
Wings of Doom
Plot: Skeletor wants his revenge on Stratos for playing a part in his numerous failures. He orders his wyverns to capture Stratos' wife Delora. She's taken to the Vale of Caldor, guarded by a lake of lava and the wyverns themselves. He-Man, Man-at-Arms and Teela take the Wind Raider into that direction, but they have to get off at some point, because their vehicle can't carry them over the high mountains. They meet a tribe of dwarves who are doing business with Man-at-Arms regularly. Through the caves and tunnels of the dwarves, the heroes reach Delora at last. They outsmart the wyverns by causing an avalanche and free her. Stratos, who had given himself into Skeletor's power to win some time, escapes from Snake Mountain.
Comments: This is one of the weaker Ladybird books. Way too much Stratos in it, and the problems the writers had with filling the pages are all too obvious. This results in pointless escapades like going through the tunnels twice. On the other hand, why is Teela there at all? She doesn't do anything. The same can be said for Man-at-Arms - his ad hoc invention could easily have been replaced by something else plot-wise. Not a disaster, but also not very good.
The Iron Master
Plot: Skeletor constructs a giant robot to steal the Power Sword. After terrorizing the population for days, He-Man sets out to investigate. This is the chance the robot has waited for. On the first meeting, He-Man can barely make it to the safety of Castle Grayskull after a long chase. It seems to weapon can harm the robot. The good guys lure it to a high mountain in the middle of a thunderstorm. Stratos loses the sword, and the robot gets it, but in this very moment, lightning strikes and destroys the Iron Master. He-Man picks up the sword again, Skeletor's plan has failed.
Comments: As in many of the Ladybird Books, there's only little plot to speak of. Instead, the reader is treated with non-stop action. Pretty exciting stuff, and I especially like that it's the forces of nature which destroy the threat in the end, and not the good guys themselves (punching doesn't solve everything, dear cartoon advocates).
He-Man meets the Beast
Plot: Adam is strolling in the area of the ancient ruins of the Labyrinth of Perpetua. Inside, Skeletor has awakened the giant Behemoth from its long sleep which Eternia's elders had put it into. Evil-Lyn lures Adam, who has left his Power Sword at home, into the caves by imitating Teela's voice. The prince and the monster meet, and a long and dangerous chase ensues. Teela, wondering where Adam has disappeared to, alerts Orko who takes the sword to Adam. The Behemoth doesn't stand a chance against He-Man.
Comments: Not much to say about the story, other than it's nice to see Adam taking the main part this time. What takes this book above the average is the use of colours: The parts in the labyrinth are all tinted in muted shades of one colour each, and this is contrasted by the rich and varied colours of the scenes outside.
Thanks to AB for the German version!
Skeletor's Ice Attack
Plot: While the royal family is on a cruise, Mer-Man decides to attack. He orders his army to freeze the water around the yacht, trapping it. He-Man calls Man-at-Arms in the Talon Fighter. Using the laser, they manage to get some lava flowing into the general direction of the ice. At the same time, Teela has convinced a few sea mammals to push the ice towards this heat source. After a brief struggle with Mer-Man's creatures in which Skeletor makes an even briefer appearance, too, the good guys have won.
Comments: It's unbelievable how little can happen on 48 pages. There are probably five pages worth the reader's attention in this whole book. And that in spite of Mer-Man being the obvious main villain - he hardly has any action, however.
Castle Grayskull Under Attack
Plot: From the blueprints found on an ancient scroll, Skeletor builds an energy projector which taps into the core of Eternia. Using this weapon, he drains all mechanical devices in Castle Grayskull off their energy. In addition, Mer-Man blocks the nearby river. The valley in which the castle stands is soon flowing with water, giving the evil water creatures a chance for a direct attack. The few defenders are struggling bravely, but without any real weapons, it looks hopeless. Man-at-Arms, hearing of this, builds a a solar gun and transports it to Castle Grayskull. It remains unaffected by Skeletor's device, and so the good guys use it to blast open the usual flow of the river again. With the water slowly ebbing away, the good guys gain the upper hand again and Skeletor and his army have to make a run for it.
Comments: Definitely one of the better Ladybird books. Lots of action, and a good plan from Skeletor's side as well. There are a few especially noteworthy shots of the scene from above - look out for those.