Brandon Yates
Feb 23, 2002, 04:07 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/icemanv2-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/covers/icemanv2-2t.jpg" align=left alt="Iceman (2nd series) #2"></a>Reviewer: Brandon Yates. brandonyates@zentertainment.com
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Cold Snap
Iceman gains a new ally, the delightful and dangerous Foe-Dog, in his journey to save the son he never knew.
Written by: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Cover Art by: Steve Uy
Art by: Karl Kershchl
Colors by: Color Dojo
Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos
Edited by: Mike Marts & Mike Raicht
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Now that wasn’t too bad at all. This is the first X-Men Icons mini-series, which not only started nicely, but also got even better with the second issue. Just to be clear on one point though: the plot is fairly simple. Those looking for a multi-faceted and intellectually engaging tale would do well to look elsewhere. If you don’t mind empty-calorie-fun then you’ll surely get a kick out of this adventure.
The very first time I read Marvel’s December solicitation for Iceman #2, I was less than anxious to meet any new character that goes by the name “Foe-Dog.” Guess with whom this issue opens up? Chin Hsi is a little old man who, as the captions reveal, is the protector of a little shantytown outside of Hong Kong. There’s nothing to the twerp from the looks of him, but dormant within him lies the power of the Foe-Dog. Sound a little funny to you? It should, and thankfully that’s not a bad thing. Abnett and Lanning’s worst mistake would have been to make Chin your typical Kwai Chang Caine rip-off, begging us to believe how cool he really is. Such is not the case here. Chin Hsi is funny as hell, picking up the comedic slack sorely missing from last issue.
I rarely laugh out loud when reading comics that aren’t written by Brian Bendis or Garth Ennis but this silly old man had me going. Don’t get the wrong idea: once he’s infused with the power of the Foe-Dog (heh...) he’s a capable force to be reckoned with. Chin is also a very wise man (as all old Asian men in fiction are) making him an invaluable assistant to Iceman in his quest to find the X-Man’s son, who is being kept in a lab at the dubious Winterbrand Corportation.
If it seems like I’m focusing too much on Chin Hsi, blame (or praise) Abnett and Lanning because, all things considered, this issue was meant mostly to introduce us to him. Everything else that happens is very much the same as what happened last issue: Alain Weiss, CEO of Winterbrand Corp., sends Augmen after Bobby Drake, as Opal merely watches in sadness, not yet revealing what their plans are for our chilly chum. Outside of Foe-Dog, this installment runs with the same formula as issue one.
Cover artist Steve Uy would usually have been my first choice to illustrate the interiors but I’d be foolish to want to replace Karl Kershchl after this issue’s remarkable display of fight choreography, not to mention ice-power choreography. It seems as though Karl has been drawing Iceman comics for years. I’ll be surprised if this guy doesn’t get offered some high profile projects in the near future. He has a slick, clean style, which is enhanced further by Color Dojo’s hues.
Last issue saw Iceman briefly facing a kid wielding a flame-thrower. This time, he fights a <i>human</i> flamethrower courtesy of Augman implants. It was obviously unintentional but I couldn’t stop laughing at this pyromaniac’s “dialogue.” Fans of DC Comics’ Preacher series should find something especially funny about a young would-be villain who shouts “Yuh! Yuh! Yuh-yuh!”
Iceman stands out from the rest in every way, as far as X-Men solo adventures are concerned. He even gets his own snowy logo on the cover, for emphasis, while every other ICONS hero shares the same font. The cover art is gorgeous, the interior art is wonderfully dynamic, and this is the best work I’ve seen from Andy Lanning & Dan Abnett in quite some time. Forget the angst and inner-monologues cluttering the rest of the line - Iceman doesn’t try overly hard to prove itself. It does just fine as harmless fun and great eye candy, with a well-placed chuckle or two.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Cold Snap
Iceman gains a new ally, the delightful and dangerous Foe-Dog, in his journey to save the son he never knew.
Written by: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Cover Art by: Steve Uy
Art by: Karl Kershchl
Colors by: Color Dojo
Lettered by: Chris Eliopoulos
Edited by: Mike Marts & Mike Raicht
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Now that wasn’t too bad at all. This is the first X-Men Icons mini-series, which not only started nicely, but also got even better with the second issue. Just to be clear on one point though: the plot is fairly simple. Those looking for a multi-faceted and intellectually engaging tale would do well to look elsewhere. If you don’t mind empty-calorie-fun then you’ll surely get a kick out of this adventure.
The very first time I read Marvel’s December solicitation for Iceman #2, I was less than anxious to meet any new character that goes by the name “Foe-Dog.” Guess with whom this issue opens up? Chin Hsi is a little old man who, as the captions reveal, is the protector of a little shantytown outside of Hong Kong. There’s nothing to the twerp from the looks of him, but dormant within him lies the power of the Foe-Dog. Sound a little funny to you? It should, and thankfully that’s not a bad thing. Abnett and Lanning’s worst mistake would have been to make Chin your typical Kwai Chang Caine rip-off, begging us to believe how cool he really is. Such is not the case here. Chin Hsi is funny as hell, picking up the comedic slack sorely missing from last issue.
I rarely laugh out loud when reading comics that aren’t written by Brian Bendis or Garth Ennis but this silly old man had me going. Don’t get the wrong idea: once he’s infused with the power of the Foe-Dog (heh...) he’s a capable force to be reckoned with. Chin is also a very wise man (as all old Asian men in fiction are) making him an invaluable assistant to Iceman in his quest to find the X-Man’s son, who is being kept in a lab at the dubious Winterbrand Corportation.
If it seems like I’m focusing too much on Chin Hsi, blame (or praise) Abnett and Lanning because, all things considered, this issue was meant mostly to introduce us to him. Everything else that happens is very much the same as what happened last issue: Alain Weiss, CEO of Winterbrand Corp., sends Augmen after Bobby Drake, as Opal merely watches in sadness, not yet revealing what their plans are for our chilly chum. Outside of Foe-Dog, this installment runs with the same formula as issue one.
Cover artist Steve Uy would usually have been my first choice to illustrate the interiors but I’d be foolish to want to replace Karl Kershchl after this issue’s remarkable display of fight choreography, not to mention ice-power choreography. It seems as though Karl has been drawing Iceman comics for years. I’ll be surprised if this guy doesn’t get offered some high profile projects in the near future. He has a slick, clean style, which is enhanced further by Color Dojo’s hues.
Last issue saw Iceman briefly facing a kid wielding a flame-thrower. This time, he fights a <i>human</i> flamethrower courtesy of Augman implants. It was obviously unintentional but I couldn’t stop laughing at this pyromaniac’s “dialogue.” Fans of DC Comics’ Preacher series should find something especially funny about a young would-be villain who shouts “Yuh! Yuh! Yuh-yuh!”
Iceman stands out from the rest in every way, as far as X-Men solo adventures are concerned. He even gets his own snowy logo on the cover, for emphasis, while every other ICONS hero shares the same font. The cover art is gorgeous, the interior art is wonderfully dynamic, and this is the best work I’ve seen from Andy Lanning & Dan Abnett in quite some time. Forget the angst and inner-monologues cluttering the rest of the line - Iceman doesn’t try overly hard to prove itself. It does just fine as harmless fun and great eye candy, with a well-placed chuckle or two.
ART:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpg
STORY:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xhalf.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xfull.jpghttp://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/xnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics (http://www.x-worldcomics.com/x/bstore/newbooksmain.html) and save!