Adventure of the Blue Diamond is the fifth and final mini comic in the first wave of the vintage Princess of Power toy line. It is notable for introducing Double Trouble and Frosta, and was known for being shipped with their figures. Kowl rushes to a contemplating Adora to warn her of trouble. Catra is up to no good again, and Adora quickly changes into She-Ra (albeit the only difference is that her cape disappears). She tells Kowl to summon Bow and Double Trouble to help. It seems that Catra has somehow summoned a blizzard that is chilling Etheria. She-Ra sends Double Trouble to do some reconnaissance - with a signal from Double, She-Ra and Bow will fly to assist her in the FLUTTER PLANE.
Double soon finds Catra's trail, and then her cave. Inside, Catra has Frosta held prisoner, and has taken control of the SNOW CAPE. Double changes her face (which is potentially a magical process that tricks Catra into seeing her as a completely different person) and brings greetings to Catra. Catra explains how she tricked Frosta into giving the cape to the evil sorceress. The cape seems to protect its wearer from the terrible cold, and also holds the key to finding the BLUE DIAMOND. Upon taking Frosta prisoner, Catra also seized her wand and had used it to cast the planetary blizzard spell. With the Blue Diamond, she can make the spell's affects permanent and easily take control of Etheria.
Catra commands Double to guard Frosta, while she uses her newfound map to seek out the Blue Diamond. Once the feline villain was gone, Double summons She-Ra and Bow. Frosta explains that she had been lonely in the north, and was happy to give Catra her snow cape in exchange for her company. The new allies race to stop Catra before she can turn Etheria into a frozen wasteland.
She-Ra and company find Catra, who has already found the Blue Ice Diamond, and has cast her spell. Etheria's Daystar is shrouded in darkness - it seems Catra's era of darkness has begun. Frosta hoping to stop the wicked sorceress freezes her with her ice wand (which must've been left in the cave), but it looks to be too late. She-Ra takes the diamond and raises her sword. Inexplicably, her mask-tiara appears, and she shatters the diamond with her sword. She prompts Bow to shoot the core of the diamond into the eclipsed daystar with one of his arrows. Bow's shot is spot-on, and soon the light returns to the land. She-Ra dispenses the moral that friendship cannot be bought or sold to a thankful Frosta, who makes an attempt to give She-ra her show cape.
OBSERVATIONS:
REVIEW:
Short and to the point, this issue does a good job of introducing Double Trouble as a new character, but leaves little for Frosta, who plays damsel in distress for much of the story. Even still, the story gives each character a moment to shine, and She-Ra is depicted as a strong and cunning leader. Previous issues had moments of "fluffiness", but this issue was a straightforward adventure story. Catra is depicted as a worthy trickster of a villain, who comes close to achieving her plan - if it weren't for Kowl the know it owl and the duplicitous Double Trouble.
Double soon finds Catra's trail, and then her cave. Inside, Catra has Frosta held prisoner, and has taken control of the SNOW CAPE. Double changes her face (which is potentially a magical process that tricks Catra into seeing her as a completely different person) and brings greetings to Catra. Catra explains how she tricked Frosta into giving the cape to the evil sorceress. The cape seems to protect its wearer from the terrible cold, and also holds the key to finding the BLUE DIAMOND. Upon taking Frosta prisoner, Catra also seized her wand and had used it to cast the planetary blizzard spell. With the Blue Diamond, she can make the spell's affects permanent and easily take control of Etheria.
Catra commands Double to guard Frosta, while she uses her newfound map to seek out the Blue Diamond. Once the feline villain was gone, Double summons She-Ra and Bow. Frosta explains that she had been lonely in the north, and was happy to give Catra her snow cape in exchange for her company. The new allies race to stop Catra before she can turn Etheria into a frozen wasteland.
She-Ra and company find Catra, who has already found the Blue Ice Diamond, and has cast her spell. Etheria's Daystar is shrouded in darkness - it seems Catra's era of darkness has begun. Frosta hoping to stop the wicked sorceress freezes her with her ice wand (which must've been left in the cave), but it looks to be too late. She-Ra takes the diamond and raises her sword. Inexplicably, her mask-tiara appears, and she shatters the diamond with her sword. She prompts Bow to shoot the core of the diamond into the eclipsed daystar with one of his arrows. Bow's shot is spot-on, and soon the light returns to the land. She-Ra dispenses the moral that friendship cannot be bought or sold to a thankful Frosta, who makes an attempt to give She-ra her show cape.
OBSERVATIONS:
- This mini comic continues the theme of maps and treasures that could potentially lead Catra to succeeding at her goal of world domination.
- Two vehicles are introduced in this issue - the Flutter Plane, and an unnamed boat with a dragon head.
- This tale had 3 treasures to covet: the Blue Ice Diamond, the Map to the Blue Diamond, and the Snow Cape. Frosta's Northlands are quite fertile with treasures.
- The Snow Cape brings the Fantastic Fashion Ready in Red to mind - and is the closest we come to a having a character depicted in one in the mini comics.
- In order for Double Trouble's ability to be continually effective, her ability to change her face must have a magical quality that convinces even the most powerful of magic bearers that she's a totally different being. There's a chance that Catra saw the occupants of the dragon-boat, and simply didn't notice Double Trouble because she had turned her magical evil guise off. Even still, Double has some explaining to do after she lets Frosta escape.
- For the second time, a newly introduced character is new to the rest of the cast. Kowl, She-Ra, Bow and Double Trouble meet Frosta for the first time - the same time as the audience. Usually, the reader is left wondering how the other characters came into the story.
REVIEW:
Short and to the point, this issue does a good job of introducing Double Trouble as a new character, but leaves little for Frosta, who plays damsel in distress for much of the story. Even still, the story gives each character a moment to shine, and She-Ra is depicted as a strong and cunning leader. Previous issues had moments of "fluffiness", but this issue was a straightforward adventure story. Catra is depicted as a worthy trickster of a villain, who comes close to achieving her plan - if it weren't for Kowl the know it owl and the duplicitous Double Trouble.