Bobby Drake: Iceman Appreciation 2023

[NewMutant]

I read the Annual today as well. Great issue for Firestar but it was amazing to see Iceman in uniform.

[Nicoclaws]

I read the Annual today as well. Great issue for Firestar but it was amazing to see Iceman in uniform.

Yeah, and the characterization was fun. Loved the protectiveness.

[Krakoa]

Y'all what do we think of today's news? I'm both so excited and so nervous.

I really hope that this solo gets to do something cool and core to the Krakoan era, and I hope it has a great creative team. I want to see Bobby out of his comfort zone, and I want to see his love life explored in more depth.

My biggest fear is it gets cancelled quickly and leaves Bobby without a book.

[BobbysWorld]

Y'all what do we think of today's news? I'm both so excited and so nervous.

I really hope that this solo gets to do something cool and core to the Krakoan era, and I hope it has a great creative team. I want to see Bobby out of his comfort zone, and I want to see his love life explored in more depth.

My biggest fear is it gets cancelled quickly and leaves Bobby without a book.

Same to all of the above. Its sounding like Steve Foxe is the one writing it, but that's not 100% confirmed yet....I'd be very optimistic if it is him because I really like his writing and his X-Men Annual was very well-received and I think did well 'despite' being Firestar focused, so if he can do that with a Firestar spotlight I'm thinking he can craft a Bobby solo that sells. Alternatively, if its not him, my next biggest hope is that Orlando's writing it because he did great things with Apollo and Midnighter for DC and I think he could do something similar here.

But yes, mostly I just want to see something NEW for Bobby, narratively, so one hundred percent to the 'takes him out of his comfort zone' bit and also hoping it does have strong ties and relevancy to the Krakoan era or community as a whole.

[JB]

Congrats to Bobby and here's hoping his book does wonder for him. If it's Foxe writing it and Angelica is part of the supporting cast I'll be very excited.

[Daedalus]

Excited for this new run and cautiously optimistic.

I hope most of all for a fun romp, something that mirrors Bobby's lighthearted nature. Write in all the bad jokes, class-clown ideas and dorky moments he can get away with. I'd also really like his perspective on how his oldest friends are currently doing - especially Hank, but also Scott, Jean and Warren.

I'm sure we'll see a new love interest, and my only hope for that is they do away with the human love interest who was needlessly aged up by Vecchio in an online comic I'd much rather forget. Maybe they'll finally pay off the crush on Warren? Bobby's got a big heart, so I hope that it's wholesome, regardless of whoever it ends up being.

Haven't read anything by Foxe outside his X-titles, but his credentials seem quite solid. Has anyone read his independent work?

[Nicoclaws]

I'm really excited !
If the writer is indeed Foxe, I canNOT WAIT, as I wrote like 3 messages ago, I loved the annual and the little Iceman we got there, so I'm really happy. I would be good with Orlando too, as I think he could weave something with Duggan AND Vecchio's directions.
I'm really hoping for a good and inventive and queer artist. I really like Vecchio although I understand his faces are not to everyone's taste. My dream would be Dauterman or Camagni but they're both really busy.
OOOOH. JOSH CORNILLON ICEMAN ! With Slutty Himbo Angel as a regular guest.

[Uncanny X-Man]

I'm excited to read more of Bobby's solo adventures. But I'm sharing Krakoa's fears above that writers won't include him in their teams because he has a solo, then the solo inevitably gets cancelled because frankly Iceman can't really sustain a solo book for long, and then the character is left without a team until the next reshuffle.

[Daedalus]

I'm really hoping for a good and inventive and queer artist.

I don't think the artist absolutely needs to be queer, as long as the guys don't come out ugly. There was an issue in the previous Iceman run with Angel in which both looked like Easter Island statues.

The artist should most of all be a match: Riley Rossimo is an artist I like, for example, but he was a poor fit for the Tim Drake comic over at DC (our most recent queer male-led comic comparison?), and I think sales suffered for that.

OOOOH. JOSH CORNILLON ICEMAN ! With Slutty Himbo Angel as a regular guest.

Cornillon is good at pin-ups - and I own some of his stuff! -, but I don't think his art is at a point where he can ink an entire comic. His anatomy and composition are not as refined as other artists on the line.

I would take him, though, if it meant we got some interaction between Bobby and Warren, or any of the O5, really.

I'm excited to read more of Bobby's solo adventures. But I'm sharing Krakoa's fears above that writers won't include him in their teams because he has a solo, then the solo inevitably gets cancelled because frankly Iceman can't really sustain a solo book for long, and then the character is left without a team until the next reshuffle.

Yes, I echo this as well. I think Bobby's a particularly hard character to write solos for, because he is so markedly defined by his friendships. I hope the run brings in a lot of guest stars, which may translate into sales (hopefully).

[Nicoclaws]

I don't think the artist absolutely needs to be queer, as long as the guys don't come out ugly. There was an issue in the previous Iceman run with Angel in which both looked like Easter Island statues.

The artist should most of all be a match: Riley Rossimo is an artist I like, for example, but he was a poor fit for the Tim Drake comic over at DC (our most recent queer male-led comic comparison?), and I think sales suffered for that.



Cornillon is good at pin-ups - and I own some of his stuff! -, but I don't think his art is at a point where he can ink an entire comic. His anatomy and composition are not as refined as other artists on the line.

I would take him, though, if it meant we got some interaction between Bobby and Warren, or any of the O5, really.



Yes, I echo this as well. I think Bobby's a particularly hard character to write solos for, because he is so markedly defined by his friendships. I hope the run brings in a lot of guest stars, which may translate into sales (hopefully).

Yeah, I love Cornillon and I cannot wait to get the Swimming Demon book, but that was mostly a joke.
I was thinking queer artist because we have MANY nowadays working for Marvel and I'd find it a bit sad that one could not draw the one queer book they produce.
...
Ok it's also for the beefcake. I would take Mann.
(I wish Coipel was ok to do interior art again)
You're right though, it really depends on the tone of the book.


As for the team/solo thing... I think I would agree with Bobbysworld that I'd take one run on solo even if he's not used elsewhere, rather than him being underused in a team where he cannot really progress. I loved the Vecchio mini, and if we can get even only 10 issues like that I will be very happy.

[Icefanatic]

I wonder if this is going to be just straight-to-digital or print, because I thought Iceman's popularity had dipped to such an all-time low that he could no longer support a print series, not even a limited one? I'm hoping for print again...

Totally over the Krakoan era, and the only current X-Books I'm now getting are set before it, but I might make an exception for Iceman.

More curious about this than optimistic.

I know with it being called 'Astonishing' Iceman some people will be wondering if it features the Iceman from Astonishing X-Men that was likely erased from existence, but I wouldn't recommend getting any hopes up for that...

[BobbysWorld]

Where on Earth are you getting the idea that Bobby's popularity is at an all-time low? The only reason Sina Grace got a second mini to wrap up his run after Marvel canceled his solo Iceman series was they were surprised by how well the series did in trade sales after the fact, Bobby's consistently one of the most asked about characters this entire era with people always wanting to know where his character is going like after Marauders Vol. 1 ended, his Infinity mini was simply them trying out a new format for spotlighting characters alongside their X-Men Unlimited series which are similar in form but more ensemble stories and the Iceman Infinity mini is easily one of the most talked about/popular of all the ones they've done so far, etc....

Seriously, I'm incredibly bemused by anyone thinking that Bobby's popularity is at a low point these days, and have no idea what you might be basing that on.

[JB]

Yeah Bobby's Infinity comic was a hit and people have been wondering if there would be a follow-up. I think his Astonishing book is going to get a lot of love.

[Nicoclaws]

I would argue that his lowest popularity came in the Revolution era ? He was appearing nowhere as far as I can remember and the movies were not out yet.
(I'm old I won't remember date and I'm too lazy to check).
Nowadays he is featured on big events, he is on the X-men team and got a I think well recieved mini. He'll probably be in the MCU movies too, if I have to guess.

I also hugely dislike the "Astonishing is alternate reality" theory.

[Til]

Of all the new titles announced, Bobby's is the only one I'm definitely going to pick up. I'm so happy that he'll have a spotlight again, no matter how long it lasts. My guess is it'll pick up the thread of him moving off Krakoa and to the West Coast. If that's the case, it'll be interesting to see if they give him a new, original cast of characters to interact with or if they bring in familiar faces. I'm betting Romeo will at least make an appearance.