Iceman #1 Review - Living Up To His Potential

06/07/2017 11:58 am EDT

While Sentinels and purifiers are the most visible conflicts, neither situation can be compared to dealing with family. Just ask Bobby Drake.

Spoilers coming for Iceman #1, so if you haven't read it yet you've been warned.

Iceman is the latest to get his own ongoing series under Marvel's RessurXion banner, and for all intents and purposes, this is a delightful debut.

Bobby Drake has always had the powers, and he's always had the jokes, but he's never truly developed a characterization beyond "sarcastic funny guy" or "ill-tempered brat'. It seems those days are gone though, as the first issue really dives into Drake's life outside the walls of Xavier's Institute.

Drake's character arc is helped along significantly by his past self, who is now also in the present. It gives current era Drake someone to play off of, but more importantly someone to compare himself too. This helps provide the spark needed to set him towards finding out where his life is going. It's the young Drake that inspires current Drake to go and find a life, something he's avoided or not had the time for depending on your point of view.

His family life, particularly his relationship with his parents, is ripe for exploring. His parents aren't the prototypical "mutant" parents, either completely accepting or trying to burn him at the stake crying "witchcraft!" They're rather normal, but the strains are evident. Like after he saves a young girl as Iceman and comes back to their room. Drake says "What? No, I didn't kill anyone, Mom. I'm the hero remember?"

She says "Well, things happen whenever you become a mutant." Drake has to explain, and probably for the fortieth time, "I'm ALWAYS a mutant." Just a peek into this somewhat dysfunctional relationship, but it's more than fans have received in awhile, so hopefully, there's more where that came from.

On the art side of things, the book is a mixed bag. Alessandro Vitti's pencils and Rachelle Rosenberg's colors shine when ice is involved in some form or fashion, as referenced early and later in the book. In the middle, though things get a bit muddy, and the facial expressions suffer. Not enough to detract in a huge way, but the book definitely improves when Drake is in his ice form.

Overall writer Sina Grace is off to an excellent start here, providing a refreshing look into a fan favorite character that has always been more than his powers but needed someone to bring that out of him. It looks like this time is up for the task.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Iceman #1 is written by Sina Grace with art by Alessandro Vitti and a cover by Kevin P. Wada. The official description can be found below.

Bobby Drake has been in the super hero game longer than most. But while reflecting on what he's accomplished over the years, he realizes that the legacy he's built is a few good one-liners and a string of failed relationships. Not only that, but now a younger version of himself has emerged from the timestream and he's more put together than Bobby ever was: already a world-class hero in his own right, but also totally comfortable in his own skin, complete with a relationship with a handsome Inhuman to boot. In this new ongoing series penned by Sina Grace (Burn the Orphanage, Self-Obsessed) and drawn by Alessandro Vitti (SECRET WARRIORS), Bobby realizes that the time is never or now, and sets out to build a life and legacy he can be proud of…and be the best ICEMAN he can be!

Iceman #1 hits stores tomorrow.

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