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Iceman by Sina Grace
Iceman, Vol. 1: Thawing Out
Collects: Iceman (2017) #1-5.
Bobby Drake has been in the super-hero game longer than most — but what is he known for besides a few good one-liners and a string of failed relationships? The time is now or never for Bobby to build a life and legacy he can be proud of — and become the best Iceman he can be! But whether seeking ex-girlfriend Kitty Pryde's advice on meeting guys or delivering his latest news to his parents, it won't be easy — and that's before a gang of revenge-seeking Purifiers comes calling! Still learning to be comfortable in his own skin, Bobby will meet someone who's perhaps too comfortable in his: the Son of Wolverine himself, Daken! But when the moment of truth arrives, which is worse for Iceman: facing his parents — or the Juggernaut?
Bobby Drake has been in the super-hero game longer than most — but what is he known for besides a few good one-liners and a string of failed relationships? The time is now or never for Bobby to build a life and legacy he can be proud of — and become the best Iceman he can be! But whether seeking ex-girlfriend Kitty Pryde's advice on meeting guys or delivering his latest news to his parents, it won't be easy — and that's before a gang of revenge-seeking Purifiers comes calling! Still learning to be comfortable in his own skin, Bobby will meet someone who's perhaps too comfortable in his: the Son of Wolverine himself, Daken! But when the moment of truth arrives, which is worse for Iceman: facing his parents — or the Juggernaut?
110 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 27, 2017
16 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Sina Grace
223 books145 followersSina Grace’s parents had big plans for their son: Ivy League schooling, professional credentials, a 6-figure income as a doctor– the works! Fortunately for us, he found the wonderful world of comics instead. It was in this world of contradictions that he “matured,” one foot teetering on the edge of academia, the other drawn to the inescapable grasp of an ink-bound fantasy underworld.
At 14, Grace seemingly appeased his parents by interning at Top Cow Productions, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Renae Geerlings (his single mother figured at least he was collecting college credit). However the only thing he was collecting (other than comics), was the compulsive habit of drawing unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad women.
At 16, he got a perpetual summer-time job at the Santa Monica landmark: Hi De Ho Comics, where he would be inspired to create Books with Pictures. By 17 he wrote, drew, and self-published his first comic, The Roller-Derby Robo-Dykes versus the Cannibals. His knowledge of disproportionate harlots with weapons came in handy when depicting a story about Robo-Dykes bent on taking over the world. His mother was happy that he was taking interest in girls. The book went into a second printing, and received the praise of Lying in the Gutters critic, Rich Johnston.
Weeks after graduating high school, he was asked by Rilo Kiley front-woman Jenny Lewis to illustrate a limited edition comic book adaptation of their 2004 record, More Adventurous. In the spring of 2006 he was asked to apprentice under comics genius, Howard Chaykin (even though it may not be apparent in Books with Pictures, Grace did learn the function of a ruler and the meaning of a vanishing point).
Between the summers of 2005 and 06, Grace’s partially-biographical indie dramedy, Books with Pictures, went from hand-xeroxed zines to full-fledged, full-sized comic books. Shortly after its debut at San Diego Comic-Con, Diamond Distributors accepted the series into their ordering catalogue, Previews. Grace’s work on the series was met with admiration from bloggers and reviewers alike, and has since taken on several projects for multiple anthologies due in late 2008.
To his parents’ delight, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving an undergraduate degree in Literature, with an emphasis on Creative Writing.
Sina Grace recently self-published an illustrated novel about a sorcerer sleuth in Orange County, aptly named Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic, his next project will be providing illustrations for Amber Benson’s novel, Among the Ghosts, through Aladdin Books.
At 14, Grace seemingly appeased his parents by interning at Top Cow Productions, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Renae Geerlings (his single mother figured at least he was collecting college credit). However the only thing he was collecting (other than comics), was the compulsive habit of drawing unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad women.
At 16, he got a perpetual summer-time job at the Santa Monica landmark: Hi De Ho Comics, where he would be inspired to create Books with Pictures. By 17 he wrote, drew, and self-published his first comic, The Roller-Derby Robo-Dykes versus the Cannibals. His knowledge of disproportionate harlots with weapons came in handy when depicting a story about Robo-Dykes bent on taking over the world. His mother was happy that he was taking interest in girls. The book went into a second printing, and received the praise of Lying in the Gutters critic, Rich Johnston.
Weeks after graduating high school, he was asked by Rilo Kiley front-woman Jenny Lewis to illustrate a limited edition comic book adaptation of their 2004 record, More Adventurous. In the spring of 2006 he was asked to apprentice under comics genius, Howard Chaykin (even though it may not be apparent in Books with Pictures, Grace did learn the function of a ruler and the meaning of a vanishing point).
Between the summers of 2005 and 06, Grace’s partially-biographical indie dramedy, Books with Pictures, went from hand-xeroxed zines to full-fledged, full-sized comic books. Shortly after its debut at San Diego Comic-Con, Diamond Distributors accepted the series into their ordering catalogue, Previews. Grace’s work on the series was met with admiration from bloggers and reviewers alike, and has since taken on several projects for multiple anthologies due in late 2008.
To his parents’ delight, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving an undergraduate degree in Literature, with an emphasis on Creative Writing.
Sina Grace recently self-published an illustrated novel about a sorcerer sleuth in Orange County, aptly named Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic, his next project will be providing illustrations for Amber Benson’s novel, Among the Ghosts, through Aladdin Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
April 22, 2019
Ice, Ice Baby
Collaborate and listen
Ice is back with a brand new invention
Something grabs a hold of me tightly
flow that a harpoon daily and nightly
By harpoon, you mean…never mind.
The growed-up present day Bobby Drake, like his dragged-from-the past .younger self is coming out of the closet. His parents are still chilly about the whole mutant thing, so Bobby is reluctant to tell them he’s also gay.
You can always go back to being an accountant, Bobby.
“Are filing a tax extension or are you just happy to see me?”
Jeff, mixing taxes with sexual innuendo just leaves me cold.
Just stay frosty, Random Goodreader.
Although Iceman shows off a bunch of nifty, brand-spanking new ways to use his sub-zero powers, the driving conflict throughout the issue is his desire to find a degree of acceptance and love from his parents.
As well as, dealing with the feelings of his ex-girlfriend, Kitty Pride.
Everything else is the generic super hero punchy (or in this case freezy) stuff.
And why not add an evil, creepy gay character in Daken to balance stuff out.
It’s said that no two snowflakes are the same, and also “augh”
Bottom Line : Does this function better as a “coming out” comic or standard super hero fare? Iceman, an original X-Man, has been around for years and has been begging for a decent storyline. Does making him gay now make him a compelling character? Sina Grace has done some nice things here, but let’s see where he takes Mr. Drake.
Collaborate and listen
Ice is back with a brand new invention
Something grabs a hold of me tightly
flow that a harpoon daily and nightly
By harpoon, you mean…never mind.
The growed-up present day Bobby Drake, like his dragged-from-the past .younger self is coming out of the closet. His parents are still chilly about the whole mutant thing, so Bobby is reluctant to tell them he’s also gay.
You can always go back to being an accountant, Bobby.
“Are filing a tax extension or are you just happy to see me?”
Jeff, mixing taxes with sexual innuendo just leaves me cold.
Just stay frosty, Random Goodreader.
Although Iceman shows off a bunch of nifty, brand-spanking new ways to use his sub-zero powers, the driving conflict throughout the issue is his desire to find a degree of acceptance and love from his parents.
As well as, dealing with the feelings of his ex-girlfriend, Kitty Pride.
Everything else is the generic super hero punchy (or in this case freezy) stuff.
And why not add an evil, creepy gay character in Daken to balance stuff out.
It’s said that no two snowflakes are the same, and also “augh”
Bottom Line : Does this function better as a “coming out” comic or standard super hero fare? Iceman, an original X-Man, has been around for years and has been begging for a decent storyline. Does making him gay now make him a compelling character? Sina Grace has done some nice things here, but let’s see where he takes Mr. Drake.
March 19, 2018
I'll be honest; I initially wasn't a fan of Marvel's decision to make Iceman gay. Anybody who knows me knows I'm not anti-gay; quite the opposite. Northstar is one of my all-time favourite characters, partly because he is an openly gay superhero. The reason I didn't like it in Bobby's case was that this was a character with a fifty-odd year history with absolutely no hint whatsoever in all that time that he might be gay. It's the retcon aspect I objected to, not the sexuality.
However... the more I read of this book, the more I became OK with Bobby's newfound homosexuality. This was mainly thanks to Sina Grace's excellent handling of the subject. The man writes from experience and from the heart; he also writes really, really well. Throw in the excellent, unique artwork from Alessandro Vitti and you have an excellent book about one of my all-time favourite characters... and I absolutely loved it.
I'm really looking forward to volume two now.
However... the more I read of this book, the more I became OK with Bobby's newfound homosexuality. This was mainly thanks to Sina Grace's excellent handling of the subject. The man writes from experience and from the heart; he also writes really, really well. Throw in the excellent, unique artwork from Alessandro Vitti and you have an excellent book about one of my all-time favourite characters... and I absolutely loved it.
I'm really looking forward to volume two now.
July 14, 2018
There doesn't seem to be much drive or direction to this book. Yes, Bobby is gay now and trying to figure that out. But other than attempt to fill out an online dating profile in the first issue, it's not really dealt with. It has to be incredibly hard to figure out your gay when you're in your thirties. I would have loved if this was written by someone who actually went through that. This, ultimately, was just boring, filled with little B plots and dumb villains.
The art switched back and forth between Alessandro Vitti and Edgar Salazar. I didn't care for Vitti's art. It often looked unfinished. Salazar's art was much better. But overall the switching made for an uneven look to the book.
The art switched back and forth between Alessandro Vitti and Edgar Salazar. I didn't care for Vitti's art. It often looked unfinished. Salazar's art was much better. But overall the switching made for an uneven look to the book.
July 27, 2018
Wow, this may be the third X-Men book I actually liked? The other two were Vaughn's Mystique series and Kyle's X-23 book. X-Men books just don't really work for me. I've read quite a bit but it's all pretty much the same: a lot of white people explaining oppression to people of color through an outdated metaphor for racism (so glad Deadpool 2 sorta understood that).
But this was surprisingly enjoyable for me. As I said, I've only read bits of Bobby Drake in older X-Men books, X-Men: Season One and All New X-Men. I haven't read enough to say if this is personality or not but if it is, I wish Gabby Rivera had read over this a bit before writing America because Grace has got the dialogue down. I laughed out loud several times reading this and Bobby was such a charming character. Best of all, Grace mastered writing comedic dialogue and the emotional stuff was well written, as well. As a person who often hides pain with sarcasm and humor, it was much appreciated to read it here.
Bobby's struggle with his parents was so real. I've had similar, uncomfortable conversations with my mother (though not about Elsa powers) and it was painful but necessary to read them here. You feel Bobby's discomfort at trying to get out what he needs to say but also trying to respect that his parents are trying in their own way. Although, I do think they could have tried a lot harder. His mother went from "We're doing our best, give us time" to "All the muties and queers come from your side of the family, Will" and it was jarring. Poor Bobby.
I enjoyed seeing the others rally around him. I had some issues with Kitty stopping at a very inopportune moment to confront him about their lack of communication though. They had a job to do and that was so not the time.
I gotta say, I greatly enjoyed the issue with Daken. The chemistry there was really cool to see and I hope they have more interactions. There's a spark there I found really interesting.
So, I really enjoyed this.
Gotta say, all the complaints about Marvel "making Bobby gay" make me laugh because it's predictable and very sad. Marvel has very few lgbt characters and even fewer that are actually big stars in the books they appear in (America, Angela, Loki and now Bobby). Even knowing that the number of these characters is so infinitesimally small, dudebros still complain about their existence. When Bobby's dad was ranting about how Bobby and others were shoving their existence in his face, I feel 99% certain that was Grace's message to the bigots.
I've heard it all:
“Stop making everything gay." Gay people exist and writers should reflect the world around us.
“Stop making straight characters gay". Later in life gay people do exist. Because of the homophobia you guys so lovingly cling to, it was less acceptable and even more dangerous to come out previously so more people are open to accepting themselves these days. By the way, you can identify as straight and come to the realization that you're not later on. Even more hilarious, dudebros complain when we make "their" characters gay yet they bitch about political correctness when writers create new gay characters. Just say you don't want to see them at all since you can't make up your minds.
“Why does anyone have to be anything?" (Yes, this is an argument I've seen). Because, when you don't provide representation of different types of people and different types of sexual orientations, especially as heroes, you get people like me growing up where the only characters they can relate to are villains or minor characters who don't even get last names. Representation matters and if dudebros spent more time reading the bland books they liked instead of bitching about diversity, the world would be a better place.
If you don't want to read books about lgbt characters, there are like 5 million books starring straight people. Can you maybe leave us alone with the little representation we have and go read those instead? Thanks.
But this was surprisingly enjoyable for me. As I said, I've only read bits of Bobby Drake in older X-Men books, X-Men: Season One and All New X-Men. I haven't read enough to say if this is personality or not but if it is, I wish Gabby Rivera had read over this a bit before writing America because Grace has got the dialogue down. I laughed out loud several times reading this and Bobby was such a charming character. Best of all, Grace mastered writing comedic dialogue and the emotional stuff was well written, as well. As a person who often hides pain with sarcasm and humor, it was much appreciated to read it here.
Bobby's struggle with his parents was so real. I've had similar, uncomfortable conversations with my mother (though not about Elsa powers) and it was painful but necessary to read them here. You feel Bobby's discomfort at trying to get out what he needs to say but also trying to respect that his parents are trying in their own way. Although, I do think they could have tried a lot harder. His mother went from "We're doing our best, give us time" to "All the muties and queers come from your side of the family, Will" and it was jarring. Poor Bobby.
I enjoyed seeing the others rally around him. I had some issues with Kitty stopping at a very inopportune moment to confront him about their lack of communication though. They had a job to do and that was so not the time.
I gotta say, I greatly enjoyed the issue with Daken. The chemistry there was really cool to see and I hope they have more interactions. There's a spark there I found really interesting.
So, I really enjoyed this.
Gotta say, all the complaints about Marvel "making Bobby gay" make me laugh because it's predictable and very sad. Marvel has very few lgbt characters and even fewer that are actually big stars in the books they appear in (America, Angela, Loki and now Bobby). Even knowing that the number of these characters is so infinitesimally small, dudebros still complain about their existence. When Bobby's dad was ranting about how Bobby and others were shoving their existence in his face, I feel 99% certain that was Grace's message to the bigots.
I've heard it all:
“Stop making everything gay." Gay people exist and writers should reflect the world around us.
“Stop making straight characters gay". Later in life gay people do exist. Because of the homophobia you guys so lovingly cling to, it was less acceptable and even more dangerous to come out previously so more people are open to accepting themselves these days. By the way, you can identify as straight and come to the realization that you're not later on. Even more hilarious, dudebros complain when we make "their" characters gay yet they bitch about political correctness when writers create new gay characters. Just say you don't want to see them at all since you can't make up your minds.
“Why does anyone have to be anything?" (Yes, this is an argument I've seen). Because, when you don't provide representation of different types of people and different types of sexual orientations, especially as heroes, you get people like me growing up where the only characters they can relate to are villains or minor characters who don't even get last names. Representation matters and if dudebros spent more time reading the bland books they liked instead of bitching about diversity, the world would be a better place.
If you don't want to read books about lgbt characters, there are like 5 million books starring straight people. Can you maybe leave us alone with the little representation we have and go read those instead? Thanks.
June 4, 2021
The first comic I've rated the full 5 stars in a while but I am 100% comfortable with the decision.*
For those feeling annoyed or even betrayed at the "Bobby Drake has been gay all along" storyline, I hear you, but listening to people like occasional comics writer and queer academic Anthony Oliveira has helped me to understand how the character has been "coded" as a closet case for quite a long while, and due credit to writer Brian Michael Bendis for coming up with a clever way to "out" two versions of the Iceman, both his teenaged self and the present-day version we're accustomed to.
Where Sina Grace comes in, then, is the potentially messy process of Bobby coming to terms with his sexuality in the context of his family and former romantic (female) partners, and the writing does a wonderful job of not treating any of the characters in his life as stereotypes or 1-dimensional.
Highly recommended, doubly so in light of this being Pride Month when those of us who like to consider ourselves allies are behooved to read and learn the stories of those whose sexuality differs from our own.
*Though after wading through so much of the morass leading up to and during IRON MAN 2020 I'm amazed it's a Marvel title that takes the prize.
For those feeling annoyed or even betrayed at the "Bobby Drake has been gay all along" storyline, I hear you, but listening to people like occasional comics writer and queer academic Anthony Oliveira has helped me to understand how the character has been "coded" as a closet case for quite a long while, and due credit to writer Brian Michael Bendis for coming up with a clever way to "out" two versions of the Iceman, both his teenaged self and the present-day version we're accustomed to.
Where Sina Grace comes in, then, is the potentially messy process of Bobby coming to terms with his sexuality in the context of his family and former romantic (female) partners, and the writing does a wonderful job of not treating any of the characters in his life as stereotypes or 1-dimensional.
Highly recommended, doubly so in light of this being Pride Month when those of us who like to consider ourselves allies are behooved to read and learn the stories of those whose sexuality differs from our own.
*Though after wading through so much of the morass leading up to and during IRON MAN 2020 I'm amazed it's a Marvel title that takes the prize.
May 12, 2022
Rep: gay mc, non-white side characters
March 21, 2019
I've never been a huge Iceman fan. I always thought his powers were pretty neat and that Bobby's significantly funny, but I never gave him much thought until he came out a few years back. I knew there was fan speculation about his sexuality for decades, but I never expected Marvel comics to actually out such a big name such as Iceman! Being gay myself, I was instantly curious to see where they took Bobby going forward. A guy in his late twenties (assuming here) realizing he's gay is hardcore and too real. That's a hard situation to be in, and I'm glad to say that this book deals with it in a fantastic way. You can tell the writer has gone through similar situations and poured much of himself into Bobby's journey. I'm a huge X-Men fan in general too, so it's cool to see their world through Bobby's perspective, and see him more fleshed out than just a wise cracking supporting role. I love the shared themes between being gay and a mutant. I love the guest stars here and how they push Bobby's story forward. I love his too real relationship with his parents. Some people are complaining that this book is too focused on Bobby's sexuality, but when it's the biggest revelation of his life at the moment, it's obviously going to play a huge part in it. Once we get through all the coming outs, it will be nice to see Bobby more comfortable with himself and how he moves forward. This is easily one of my favorite titles right now! 5/5 stars!
December 4, 2018
sighs
I felt like I read a different comic than most people judging by the reviews and ratings.
I wanted to like this, I wanted to love Bobby's journey, but this was a big disappointment for me.
It was so so cringey to read. The humour? Not only Bobby's lines, but everyone's dialogue felt so immature to me. It reminded me of reading Spider-Gwen and how unfunny Gwen's one liners were. Bobby here takes the cringe to a whole new level. Or maybe I'm the uncool one, who knows.
Even when I love 'coming of age' stories, and narratives that focus on family struggles and relationships, this wasn't relatable for me. In fact, it kind of bothered me how many attempts were made by Bobby to reconnect with his parents, specially when neither party tried to really talk to each other. Bobby is the one trying, but then all he does is throwing 'funny' lines at them. His mom is the one who shows initiative at the end, and then quickly shifts to the worst person ever and that change was quite jarring.
I want to write more, but at the end of the day, I just didn't enjoy this, at all. Such a shame, but hey, at least I got to support a diverse title that dudebros hated from the get-go and that's always a plus.
I felt like I read a different comic than most people judging by the reviews and ratings.
I wanted to like this, I wanted to love Bobby's journey, but this was a big disappointment for me.
It was so so cringey to read. The humour? Not only Bobby's lines, but everyone's dialogue felt so immature to me. It reminded me of reading Spider-Gwen and how unfunny Gwen's one liners were. Bobby here takes the cringe to a whole new level.
Even when I love 'coming of age' stories, and narratives that focus on family struggles and relationships, this wasn't relatable for me. In fact, it kind of bothered me how many attempts were made by Bobby to reconnect with his parents, specially when neither party tried to really talk to each other. Bobby is the one trying, but then all he does is throwing 'funny' lines at them. His mom is the one who shows initiative at the end, and then quickly shifts to the worst person ever and that change was quite jarring.
I want to write more, but at the end of the day, I just didn't enjoy this, at all. Such a shame, but hey, at least I got to support a diverse title that dudebros hated from the get-go and that's always a plus.
January 25, 2018
When it was announced that Marvel Comics was going to have Bobby Drake come out of the closet, there was a lot of outcry from long-term fans: why are you "turning" an existing character gay? if gays want to see themselves represented, why can't you just create new gay characters? and if you have to turn an existing character gay, it makes no sense to do it to a character who has had multiple unsuccessful relationships with women!
Meanwhile, all I could think was, "please don't let them screw this 'later in life' coming out story up too badly."
I've finally read the graphic novel collecting the first five issues of Bobby's solo book, and in my opinion, they got this 'later in life' coming out story right. And that's from the POV of a reader who not only grew up with Bobby as one of his favorite X-Men (and Champions! Let's not forget that run!), but who also came out "later in life," that is late-20's, after dating and having unsuccessful relationships with women from high school through college (and during the five year gap in between).
This Bobby Drake is me, and his coming out in this storyline (to co-workers/friends, to ex-girlfriends, to parents) mirrors my own. Okay, I wasn't attacked by mutant-hating racial purists. But the conversation Bobby finally has with his parents near the end of the book, and all the anxiety that leads up to it? Yeah, that happened. That conversation he has with Kitty Pryde, an ex he hasn't seen in a while? Yeah, that happened. That slow acceptance that it's okay to be yourself, even if it makes others unhappy/disappointed? Yeah, that happened.
LGBTQ+, especially but not only of my generation and older, stay closeted for a lot of reasons. Having a long-established character come out in this way represents "our" section of that community. I'm all for, and always glad to see, new super-heroes who are out from the moment they're introduced. And I'm all for characters we always "knew" were gay finally coming out (I'm looking at you, Jean-Paul/Northstar!). But I've finally seen my own coming out experience represented in a super-hero comic (the good, the neutral, and the ugly of it in equal measure) and I have to say, it feels pretty darn good. Representation matters, for all of us.
Also, I thought the art on these issues was overall wonderful, but really loved Edgar Salazar's chapters.
Meanwhile, all I could think was, "please don't let them screw this 'later in life' coming out story up too badly."
I've finally read the graphic novel collecting the first five issues of Bobby's solo book, and in my opinion, they got this 'later in life' coming out story right. And that's from the POV of a reader who not only grew up with Bobby as one of his favorite X-Men (and Champions! Let's not forget that run!), but who also came out "later in life," that is late-20's, after dating and having unsuccessful relationships with women from high school through college (and during the five year gap in between).
This Bobby Drake is me, and his coming out in this storyline (to co-workers/friends, to ex-girlfriends, to parents) mirrors my own. Okay, I wasn't attacked by mutant-hating racial purists. But the conversation Bobby finally has with his parents near the end of the book, and all the anxiety that leads up to it? Yeah, that happened. That conversation he has with Kitty Pryde, an ex he hasn't seen in a while? Yeah, that happened. That slow acceptance that it's okay to be yourself, even if it makes others unhappy/disappointed? Yeah, that happened.
LGBTQ+, especially but not only of my generation and older, stay closeted for a lot of reasons. Having a long-established character come out in this way represents "our" section of that community. I'm all for, and always glad to see, new super-heroes who are out from the moment they're introduced. And I'm all for characters we always "knew" were gay finally coming out (I'm looking at you, Jean-Paul/Northstar!). But I've finally seen my own coming out experience represented in a super-hero comic (the good, the neutral, and the ugly of it in equal measure) and I have to say, it feels pretty darn good. Representation matters, for all of us.
Also, I thought the art on these issues was overall wonderful, but really loved Edgar Salazar's chapters.
December 11, 2017
me: this is a fun series, the art is beautiful, i love seeing bobby drake getting more character development and some scenes had me very emotional but it's not perfect of course
homophobic marvel fanboys: but iceman can't be gAY how will i relate to him now this is so unfair!!!1!
me: nvm this series is a perfect masterpiece and i owe sina grace my life
homophobic marvel fanboys: but iceman can't be gAY how will i relate to him now this is so unfair!!!1!
me: nvm this series is a perfect masterpiece and i owe sina grace my life
January 20, 2019
This is funny and endearing and I want Marvel to do more of this.
December 4, 2018
A brilliant balance of light brevity that is so Iceman. The horrible puns and the humor. With a somewhat heavy personal journey and arc.
Bobby really has to come to terms with things about himself fully. For himself as a person but also as a hero. The tie to your emotions and your powers is shown in very clear in this volume with the young mutant Zach. A great lens to view Bobby at as well. I think the steps he took in this volume are steps that will make him a better X-man in the future.
I think his powers and facing what he could become in the future was really the major focus in this arc.
Iceman goes crazy omega level mutant in some of these fights. It was badass. SO entertaining. He also makes it clear that he knows when to go to that level and when to show restraint. The path of least resistance when at all possible. I really loved reading Bobby in this volume.
The issue with Daken was kinda too awesome and I really lowkey want to read more stories with Daken in them.
Also really loved Kitty in this. I can see her being a great leader even if I haven't read any comics where she is shown leading a team. She was just great in this.
I think the issue where he confronts his family was great but maybe the weakest point of the story at the same time. Just felt like it could have been approached differently. If you are building up to that big moment over the arc I wanted it to land differently. Still as great. Really enjoyed this comic overall.
Bobby really has to come to terms with things about himself fully. For himself as a person but also as a hero. The tie to your emotions and your powers is shown in very clear in this volume with the young mutant Zach. A great lens to view Bobby at as well. I think the steps he took in this volume are steps that will make him a better X-man in the future.
I think his powers and facing what he could become in the future was really the major focus in this arc.
Iceman goes crazy omega level mutant in some of these fights. It was badass. SO entertaining. He also makes it clear that he knows when to go to that level and when to show restraint. The path of least resistance when at all possible. I really loved reading Bobby in this volume.
The issue with Daken was kinda too awesome and I really lowkey want to read more stories with Daken in them.
Also really loved Kitty in this. I can see her being a great leader even if I haven't read any comics where she is shown leading a team. She was just great in this.
I think the issue where he confronts his family was great but maybe the weakest point of the story at the same time. Just felt like it could have been approached differently. If you are building up to that big moment over the arc I wanted it to land differently. Still as great. Really enjoyed this comic overall.
April 12, 2018
(3.5) I think the approach to this was done pretty well. It is no secret that Bobby is gay now and yes this comic does tackle this issue but in a sensitive and caring way especially since it is dealing with older ice man and not younger ice man. In contrast when Marvel brought up younger ice man and his sexuality in recent x-men books its about young Bobby breaking out of his shell and adventuring into the dating scene. There is a quick nod to younger Bobby in this book but its all about older Bobby and his actual struggle with his identity specific to his parents and ex-girlfriend Kitty Pride. The writing is tasteful and done well minus the cheesy "ice jokes" (which i don't think we can avoid).
There is plenty of action here too, its a nice balance of story and kicking ass i think. There is even some minor nods to his omega level powers ( more please!) but nothing major. When I first saw old man iceman as a wizard ( battle of atom?) i was so invested in that storyline I really really hope we get to that ice man story some day. For now its not a bad start to a new age ice man.
Oh i want to mention the art. There are two artist in this first volume and the first artist Alessandro Vitti is not my favorite, its scratchy and rough. The other artists are great much more refined and sharp.
I will pick up volume 2 for sure
There is plenty of action here too, its a nice balance of story and kicking ass i think. There is even some minor nods to his omega level powers ( more please!) but nothing major. When I first saw old man iceman as a wizard ( battle of atom?) i was so invested in that storyline I really really hope we get to that ice man story some day. For now its not a bad start to a new age ice man.
Oh i want to mention the art. There are two artist in this first volume and the first artist Alessandro Vitti is not my favorite, its scratchy and rough. The other artists are great much more refined and sharp.
I will pick up volume 2 for sure
January 14, 2018
So apparently alt-righters have decided to 1 star review Iceman Vol 1 on amazon because it’s about an openly gay main character. If you haven’t read it, it’s wonderful. He’s funny and fighting with family like an average person while knowing his one awesome hero and needs to love himself. He’s fighting things average humans face while being an x-man so if you’ve read any of these comments go star it on amazon to fight back. They want it canceled.
January 8, 2023
It's a cool breath of fresh air for X-Fans, while paradoxically feeling more like a classic X-Men read than most X-titles currently on the shelves, and that's no easy feat.
March 14, 2020
[Okay, this is a review of all three volumes of Sina Grace's Iceman run, since I read them all in one go so y'know]
So, Iceman's gay. He's always been gay. But it took the time-displaced Jean Grey outting him to make him actually deal with it. That's a lot to unpack for anyone, but for an omega-level mutant like Iceman, it brings with it omega-level problems.
Honestly, this is the kind of book mainstream publishers like Marvel and DC should do more of. There are books like this out there from other companies, yes, but to have a book where the main force driving the story is Bobby coming to terms with himself is such a huge step forward. The plotlines where Grace explores Bobby's newly accepted queerness and navigates the world of being a gay man is super interesting, and it feels authentic (which should be a surprise since Grace is himself a gay man). The involvement of Bobby's parents, and the way ex-girlfriend Kitty Pryde reacts also feel truly real.
It's the actual X-Men stuff that feels a bit more forced. Each of Grace's arcs only really lasts one or two issues aside from the Mister Sinister plot in volume 3 that kind of threads its way through the entire mini-series, but even the shorter story structure doesn't help what is mostly lacklustre villain plans. Daken's idea of villainy seems clever at first but relies on some odd one-dimensional characters created just for this series, and while Bobby's way of defeating his enemies is usually innovative given his powerset, I'd rather just forgo all this and get back to Iceman's journey of self-discovery.
The art's also all over the shop. Alessandro Vitti and Edgar Salazar share the first volume, but neither of them make much of an impact - Vitti's art feels clunky and rushed, and Salazar's is sleeker but unrefined. Then there's Robert Gill on Volume 2 which is better, but still not up to par compared with, say, his Valiant work. Finally Nathan Stockman tackles Volume 3, but he also seems all over the place, undetailed and overly sloppy - check out Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows or Spidey and you'll see that he's usually far more impressive.
Iceman is a tale of two halves, and one is far better executed than the other. I wish this book was a) around longer and b) better balanced. Either remove the superheroics entirely and just give me a slice of life X-Men book, or give me some superhero plots that feel just as important s Bobby's journey should be.
So, Iceman's gay. He's always been gay. But it took the time-displaced Jean Grey outting him to make him actually deal with it. That's a lot to unpack for anyone, but for an omega-level mutant like Iceman, it brings with it omega-level problems.
Honestly, this is the kind of book mainstream publishers like Marvel and DC should do more of. There are books like this out there from other companies, yes, but to have a book where the main force driving the story is Bobby coming to terms with himself is such a huge step forward. The plotlines where Grace explores Bobby's newly accepted queerness and navigates the world of being a gay man is super interesting, and it feels authentic (which should be a surprise since Grace is himself a gay man). The involvement of Bobby's parents, and the way ex-girlfriend Kitty Pryde reacts also feel truly real.
It's the actual X-Men stuff that feels a bit more forced. Each of Grace's arcs only really lasts one or two issues aside from the Mister Sinister plot in volume 3 that kind of threads its way through the entire mini-series, but even the shorter story structure doesn't help what is mostly lacklustre villain plans. Daken's idea of villainy seems clever at first but relies on some odd one-dimensional characters created just for this series, and while Bobby's way of defeating his enemies is usually innovative given his powerset, I'd rather just forgo all this and get back to Iceman's journey of self-discovery.
The art's also all over the shop. Alessandro Vitti and Edgar Salazar share the first volume, but neither of them make much of an impact - Vitti's art feels clunky and rushed, and Salazar's is sleeker but unrefined. Then there's Robert Gill on Volume 2 which is better, but still not up to par compared with, say, his Valiant work. Finally Nathan Stockman tackles Volume 3, but he also seems all over the place, undetailed and overly sloppy - check out Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows or Spidey and you'll see that he's usually far more impressive.
Iceman is a tale of two halves, and one is far better executed than the other. I wish this book was a) around longer and b) better balanced. Either remove the superheroics entirely and just give me a slice of life X-Men book, or give me some superhero plots that feel just as important s Bobby's journey should be.
May 27, 2018
This was a lot more fun than I expected. It was also deeper than I thought it was going to be. Which of course means that it got cancelled. Just my luck. I still appreciate that this book exists and I will buy the other two to complete my collection.
From the first page on, the story leaves no illusion as to what this story is going to be about: Bobby learning to be more confident in who and what he is and his fight for more acceptance in the world around him. Especially from his parents who are still not really okay with him being a mutant. He constantly (rightfully) worries about if the bombshell of him being gay would finally make them stop loving him.
He also desperately wants to find a person who loves him and he can love in return. Seeing his younger misplaced-in-time self being much more successful in that regard hurts him and he's full of self doubt.
Luckily he has his friends by his side. Especially (and ironically) his ex-girlfriend Kitty Pride is his staunchest supporter in this volume and their interactions were heartwarming to read.
Of course there was also non-romance related trouble in the mutant world, with one of the students acting out and Daken - who is so many things Bobby isn't but might want to be - trying to win the youngster for his team.
I found Bobby really relatable as a character. I felt and ached for him every time his parents were insensitive or downright cruel. I know that we're supposed to understand that they don't have it super easy either and that they do indeed love their sun, but I still wanted to kick them in the shins in basically every scene they popped up in.
The art was pretty neat, except for above mentioned parents. Somehow the artist apparently thought the more lines the better to make people appear older and ended up making them look 85?
From the first page on, the story leaves no illusion as to what this story is going to be about: Bobby learning to be more confident in who and what he is and his fight for more acceptance in the world around him. Especially from his parents who are still not really okay with him being a mutant. He constantly (rightfully) worries about if the bombshell of him being gay would finally make them stop loving him.
He also desperately wants to find a person who loves him and he can love in return. Seeing his younger misplaced-in-time self being much more successful in that regard hurts him and he's full of self doubt.
Luckily he has his friends by his side. Especially (and ironically) his ex-girlfriend Kitty Pride is his staunchest supporter in this volume and their interactions were heartwarming to read.
Of course there was also non-romance related trouble in the mutant world, with one of the students acting out and Daken - who is so many things Bobby isn't but might want to be - trying to win the youngster for his team.
I found Bobby really relatable as a character. I felt and ached for him every time his parents were insensitive or downright cruel. I know that we're supposed to understand that they don't have it super easy either and that they do indeed love their sun, but I still wanted to kick them in the shins in basically every scene they popped up in.
The art was pretty neat, except for above mentioned parents. Somehow the artist apparently thought the more lines the better to make people appear older and ended up making them look 85?
February 1, 2018
funny, adorable, comforting; things I didnt think this book would be but glad it was.
September 16, 2019
Cute, fun, and with good queer rep (own voices).
July 11, 2020
This was a really fun read. I'm trying to get ~into~ comics, and I remembered hearing about Iceman coming out a couple of years ago. This volume follows the long-time x-man as he comes out to his friends and family, all while being a hero!
A fun read for pride month, let me know if you have any queer-comics in your bag that you could recommend!
A fun read for pride month, let me know if you have any queer-comics in your bag that you could recommend!
June 5, 2018
I wanted to like this, I really did. A whole new series dedicated to Bobby’s experience as a gay man coming out later in life? I wanted to like it, I want it, present tense, to be successful! But god was the execution sloppy.
First, Bobby talks like a 15 year-old girl from 2008. It’s terrible. So cringe. And it’s not just him, it’s all the writing. It’s immature, and trying way too hard to be, I don’t know, relatable? Is this supposed to be relatable? Because I honestly don’t know who the target audience is supposed to be here.
Second, isn’t Bobby like, 30 by now? Why is he trying so hard to impress his parents that obviously don’t give a shit, haven’t given a shit since he apparently manifested his mutant abilities, and don’t seem to be giving a shit any time in the near future? This comic frames the relationship with parents as the utmost important to preserve, but if they aren’t willing to meet you where you are, or at least put in the same amount of effort as you in to making a relationship work, it’s time to re-evaluate the importance of the relationship. I get that dealing with unaccepting parents is kind of a flagstone in LGBT+ stories, but for me it's personally exhausting.
I still want this series to succeed, but I'm not really feeling this first installment.
First, Bobby talks like a 15 year-old girl from 2008. It’s terrible. So cringe. And it’s not just him, it’s all the writing. It’s immature, and trying way too hard to be, I don’t know, relatable? Is this supposed to be relatable? Because I honestly don’t know who the target audience is supposed to be here.
Second, isn’t Bobby like, 30 by now? Why is he trying so hard to impress his parents that obviously don’t give a shit, haven’t given a shit since he apparently manifested his mutant abilities, and don’t seem to be giving a shit any time in the near future? This comic frames the relationship with parents as the utmost important to preserve, but if they aren’t willing to meet you where you are, or at least put in the same amount of effort as you in to making a relationship work, it’s time to re-evaluate the importance of the relationship. I get that dealing with unaccepting parents is kind of a flagstone in LGBT+ stories, but for me it's personally exhausting.
I still want this series to succeed, but I'm not really feeling this first installment.
November 19, 2018
Pretty good! Good character development for Bobby, both personally and with his powers. There IS a "hero" storyline (the new kid they try to bring in) in addition to a couple of personal ones. I think it was a good little arc, and I'm happy Marvel went this direction with Bobby.
June 15, 2023
8/10:
This is truly incredible. This isn’t a story about a Mutant taking on a bunch of baddies, this is a story about a man finally coming to terms with the fact that he’s gay and trying desperately to find his place in the world.
I’m really loving how much involvement Iceman’s parents have had in the story, as well as Kitty Pryde. The inclusion of Juggernaut and Daken also felt pretty charismatic as they all clearly have history with one another. I’ll definitely be continuing to read more about Iceman!
This is truly incredible. This isn’t a story about a Mutant taking on a bunch of baddies, this is a story about a man finally coming to terms with the fact that he’s gay and trying desperately to find his place in the world.
I’m really loving how much involvement Iceman’s parents have had in the story, as well as Kitty Pryde. The inclusion of Juggernaut and Daken also felt pretty charismatic as they all clearly have history with one another. I’ll definitely be continuing to read more about Iceman!
April 27, 2020
It was okay! I appreciated certain aspects of it (gay, superpowered, seeing other x-men) but it didn't really do anything moving for me. It felt almost directionless? The humor was cringe-y at times and I don't think many things were too memorable but it was an enjoyable and interesting quick read!
March 27, 2019
This was just fun and interesting to read. It really fleshes out Iceman's character.
January 2, 2021
Loved this and what it was about ❤️
February 16, 2018
I was already reading this book as mockery fodder when it first came out; I saw some screenshots and said to myself, "Jesus, it can't be that bad". Unbelievably, these books get WORSE after the first trade. I'll be honest, there is maybe one issue out of the six in this trade that doesn't blow (#3) outright. Everything else about this book is so bad that it's easier to just point out the few things that are actually decent (don't worry, I'm still going to point out everything I hated about it).
1. A couple of action scenes
And I mean a couple. When he saves his parents from the Purifiers and when he fights Juggernaut (who is an alt right strawman that talks like a robot programmed to sound like an alt right strawman).
2. Juggernaut's costume
It's cool what can I say
3. One or two decent one liners
That's it. Decent. Not great, but ok. Most of the humor in this book is infuriating rather than funny, so this might be kind of a tolerance effect.
AND NOW THE SUFFERING
1. The art
Bobby's parents are drawn like monsters and often he is crosseyed. Every single scene they are together is just plain eerie. Sketchy and traced buildings and out of proportion characters, bizarre panel choices, and silly costumes abound. Outside of the above mentioned decent action scenes, it's hideous. It's pretty hard to describe just how bad it is. Bobby looks like a Will and Grace character or maybe an extra from Queer as Folk. For that matter, so does Daken and any other gay character. Which leads us into
2. Tokenism
Now, I love the X-men. I have read hundreds of issues and I'm pretty damn invested into them by now, but one character I could never get that invested in was Iceman. He's a solid side character, and I know people love him, but to me he was always just everyone's best friend. He's not much on his own. This book could have been a chance to change my mind, instead it conjures the saddest words ever: "it could have been".
If you think that this book is acceptable because, and only because, it has a gay lead, you have some reading to do. There are thousands of pages of books with homosexuality as a central theme going back hundreds of years that are much, much better. And that is tokenism my friends: exploiting a few characters or a writer for their surface traits rather than telling a good story with characters that feel real.
I should have got it right out of the way in the beginning, but I like dudes too, so you're not getting any objections from me from this angle. The execution here is just awful though. Bobby is a guy whose thoughts we have literally read on panel for 4 decades of publishing, so suddenly having him be gay out of nowhere is a bit strange. In the original reveal, Bendis literally has young time-displaced Jean Grey get inside young time-displaced (it's a long story don't ask) Robert's head and READ HIS MIND AND OUT HIM IN FRONT OF HIS FRIENDS
Yeah, I know, it's in a different book, but it still bothers me.
Many people have pointed out that it would make way more sense for him to be bisexual, given his long history with women, and simply say he lacked the courage or didn't feel the need to act on his feelings until recently. Even more people have pointed out that Jean could have controlled his mind with telepathy and forced him to be gay. Which actually makes a lot of sense, since as soon as Bobby becomes gay he acts like a completely different person. He acts like a bad stereotype from a 90's sitcom, falling over himself to oh-em-gee (yes he actually says that out loud) and have first gay this-and-that. It's goddam insulting. Plus it begs the question; if this is supposed to be a story about discovery and sexuality, and coming out to one's parents, why does it focus on old Bobby, who kind of had his shit together? Young Bobby, like almost all of the young X-men, is completely wasted. Speaking of wasted opportunities
3.The Writing
Jesus Christ the writing. The worst thing I can say about it is the material Grace was handed was so rich and he completely pissed on it; you have a guy grappling with his sexuality and his power while having to confront not only super villains, but a younger more innocent version of himself. It's just sad because I think that there are ways this could have been done that would have satisfied fans and people looking for representation alike.
Sina is absolutely awful with dialogue and throws in dozens of ice puns and awkward clunky exchanges that sound like aliens impersonating humans rather than humans. I should know, I am an alien impersonating a human
4. Humans
Most humans mate with members of a separate sub species called a "gender" or "sex". Some humans mate with their own "gender" and some do not mate at all. This material is unclear on whether or not offspring is produced in this manner but my hypothesis leans negative. Further analysis required.
1. A couple of action scenes
And I mean a couple. When he saves his parents from the Purifiers and when he fights Juggernaut (who is an alt right strawman that talks like a robot programmed to sound like an alt right strawman).
2. Juggernaut's costume
It's cool what can I say
3. One or two decent one liners
That's it. Decent. Not great, but ok. Most of the humor in this book is infuriating rather than funny, so this might be kind of a tolerance effect.
AND NOW THE SUFFERING
1. The art
Bobby's parents are drawn like monsters and often he is crosseyed. Every single scene they are together is just plain eerie. Sketchy and traced buildings and out of proportion characters, bizarre panel choices, and silly costumes abound. Outside of the above mentioned decent action scenes, it's hideous. It's pretty hard to describe just how bad it is. Bobby looks like a Will and Grace character or maybe an extra from Queer as Folk. For that matter, so does Daken and any other gay character. Which leads us into
2. Tokenism
Now, I love the X-men. I have read hundreds of issues and I'm pretty damn invested into them by now, but one character I could never get that invested in was Iceman. He's a solid side character, and I know people love him, but to me he was always just everyone's best friend. He's not much on his own. This book could have been a chance to change my mind, instead it conjures the saddest words ever: "it could have been".
If you think that this book is acceptable because, and only because, it has a gay lead, you have some reading to do. There are thousands of pages of books with homosexuality as a central theme going back hundreds of years that are much, much better. And that is tokenism my friends: exploiting a few characters or a writer for their surface traits rather than telling a good story with characters that feel real.
I should have got it right out of the way in the beginning, but I like dudes too, so you're not getting any objections from me from this angle. The execution here is just awful though. Bobby is a guy whose thoughts we have literally read on panel for 4 decades of publishing, so suddenly having him be gay out of nowhere is a bit strange. In the original reveal, Bendis literally has young time-displaced Jean Grey get inside young time-displaced (it's a long story don't ask) Robert's head and READ HIS MIND AND OUT HIM IN FRONT OF HIS FRIENDS
Yeah, I know, it's in a different book, but it still bothers me.
Many people have pointed out that it would make way more sense for him to be bisexual, given his long history with women, and simply say he lacked the courage or didn't feel the need to act on his feelings until recently. Even more people have pointed out that Jean could have controlled his mind with telepathy and forced him to be gay. Which actually makes a lot of sense, since as soon as Bobby becomes gay he acts like a completely different person. He acts like a bad stereotype from a 90's sitcom, falling over himself to oh-em-gee (yes he actually says that out loud) and have first gay this-and-that. It's goddam insulting. Plus it begs the question; if this is supposed to be a story about discovery and sexuality, and coming out to one's parents, why does it focus on old Bobby, who kind of had his shit together? Young Bobby, like almost all of the young X-men, is completely wasted. Speaking of wasted opportunities
3.The Writing
Jesus Christ the writing. The worst thing I can say about it is the material Grace was handed was so rich and he completely pissed on it; you have a guy grappling with his sexuality and his power while having to confront not only super villains, but a younger more innocent version of himself. It's just sad because I think that there are ways this could have been done that would have satisfied fans and people looking for representation alike.
Sina is absolutely awful with dialogue and throws in dozens of ice puns and awkward clunky exchanges that sound like aliens impersonating humans rather than humans. I should know, I am an alien impersonating a human
4. Humans
Most humans mate with members of a separate sub species called a "gender" or "sex". Some humans mate with their own "gender" and some do not mate at all. This material is unclear on whether or not offspring is produced in this manner but my hypothesis leans negative. Further analysis required.
October 22, 2018
did i buy this mostly so i could stare lovingly at kevin wadas cover art ? perhaps .
April 28, 2018
Marvel finally gave Iceman his own title only to take it away shortly afterward, stating that ‘diverse’ comics don’t sell.
Despite this, there are several characteristics of this short lived Iceman series that deserve notice. The contemporary Iceman is portrayed having to work on work-life balance, finally allowing himself to begin online searches for possible dates. He encounters his parents who had been oppressive toward him for being a mutant and they continue to express their shame for him as he struggles with how to come out to them. He has to navigate the fact that there is another younger version of himself who is much more comfortable with his queer identity. He has to fight members of a religious anti-mutant group that is looking for somewhere to direct their hate. And he has to deal with straight people around him who make assumptions that coming out is easy. This is a comic collection filled with turmoil that delves into the pain of social rejection and loss but it is also a comic about rediscovery, a comic about a character who has finally allowed himself to embrace a part of his identity that he has suppressed for many years by convincing himself it wasn’t as important as his other roles as mutant, team-member, friend, and role-model.
To read more of my review, go to QueerPop at https://queerpopblog.wordpress.com/20...
Despite this, there are several characteristics of this short lived Iceman series that deserve notice. The contemporary Iceman is portrayed having to work on work-life balance, finally allowing himself to begin online searches for possible dates. He encounters his parents who had been oppressive toward him for being a mutant and they continue to express their shame for him as he struggles with how to come out to them. He has to navigate the fact that there is another younger version of himself who is much more comfortable with his queer identity. He has to fight members of a religious anti-mutant group that is looking for somewhere to direct their hate. And he has to deal with straight people around him who make assumptions that coming out is easy. This is a comic collection filled with turmoil that delves into the pain of social rejection and loss but it is also a comic about rediscovery, a comic about a character who has finally allowed himself to embrace a part of his identity that he has suppressed for many years by convincing himself it wasn’t as important as his other roles as mutant, team-member, friend, and role-model.
To read more of my review, go to QueerPop at https://queerpopblog.wordpress.com/20...
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