Icon vs. Hardware #1 Review: A Unconventional Celebration of Milestone's Enduring Legacy

By Jenna Anderson

Thirty years ago Milestone Media completely shifted the landscape of mainstream comics – providing an opportunity for complex and compelling Black superheroes at a time when most the industry didn't even know it really needed it. In the decades that have followed, a lot of circumstances have changed, as the Static Shock animated series introduced the Dakotaverse to a whole new generation in the early 00s, and the canon would be folded into the main DC universe of comics, animated series, and more in 2008. What hasn't changed, along the way, is the tenacity and hope surrounding the Milestone characters – something that plays directly into Icon vs. Hardware #1, the first chapter in a new "Worlds Collide" crossover event. The first issue takes the age-old premise of a clash between superhero titans and turns it into something scrappy and sentimental, but undeniably intriguing.

Icon vs. Hardware #1 is split between two stories – one being Rocket adjusting to life at a boarding school in the Swiss Alps, as Icon worries whether or not it is the right decision for her. Meanwhile, Hardware's latest scientific endeavor leads him to discover the specifics of time travel, and his personal quest to use it just might change the Dakotaverse forever.

Admittedly, the two narratives of Icon vs. Hardware seem disjointed at first, especially as they don't necessarily create a lot of space (outside of a stray panel or line of dialogue) for the titular conflict to develop. That being said, the issue's thirty-something pages of story do succeed in making that eventual conflict between Icon and Hardware feel significant, leaning into the gimmick of a reality-altering time travel story without being overcome by it. Three decades after Milestone Media's founding, there is more than enough cultural and textual weight to the idea of its mythos being changed by the butterfly effect of time travel, and while we might not know the full extent of what that looks like in future installments of "Worlds Collide," Reginald Hudlin and Leon Chills' narrative makes those possibilities intriguing. 

Part of that is thanks to the status quo of Icon vs. Hardware's three central characters, which is simultaneously fresh while also resonant of each of their respective histories. While Icon takes somewhat of a backseat to this issue's narrative, there are still some moments where his public reputation and his dynamic with Rocket get to shine. By throwing Rocket into a previously-uncharted territory—dealing with surviving amongst her privileged and mean classmates at this new private school—Hudlin and Chills are able to further illustrate why she is such a captivating protagonist. There's an inherent sense of anticipation for when the other shoe will drop and Rocket's storyline will weave into the main narrative, but even if it doesn't, it will surely still remain entertaining. Hardware, meanwhile, gets an arc that will endear even the most casual reader to him — and that, in the process, complicates the fight against Icon and the ethics of the time travel debate.

Like its narrative, the aesthetic of Icon vs. Hardware seems split between two worlds, but that approach ends up showcasing the past and future of Milestone's storytelling. Denys Cowan, John Floyd, and John Stanisci render the Hardware and Icon scenes with a classic, inventive flair, while Yasmin Florez Montanez illustrates Rocket's world a little more cartoonish and youthful. Christopher Sotomayor's colors help bridge the gap between the two, and utilize some particularly-inspired bursts of fuschia, gold, and light blue. Andworld Design's lettering is the proverbial cherry on top, rendering the precise observations of Hardware and the lively one-liners from Rocket with an equal narrative nuance.

Icon vs. Hardware #1 might not reinvent the wheel of spirited superhero team-ups or the domino effects of time travel, but honestly, it doesn't need to. Instead, it uses those conventions to tell a promising story of grief, regret, and societal expectations, all while illuminating three of Milestone's best characters. Between that narrative approach and its dramatic showcase of art, Icon vs. Hardware #1 is a compelling, albeit understated, start for Milestone's next great epic.

Published by DC Comics

On February 14, 2023

Written by Reginald Hudlin and Leon Chills

Pencils by Denys Cowan and Yasmin Florez Montanez

Inks by John Floyd, Yasmin Florez Montanez, and John Stanisci

Colors by Christopher Sotomayor

Related:

Letters by Andworld Design

Cover by Rahzzah

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