Astonishing Iceman #3 - Reviews, Recaps, and Spoilers!

[NewMutant]

And we are back!

The book opens in Los Angeles with Aaron Fischer - Captain America of the Rails recusing some Y-Men before the The Cooler interferes.

Back in Antarctica... Iceman is collecting food in the ocean to back Romeo dinner. The two discuss their connection and Iceman stats he is has been holding himself together longer and longer. Romeo worries if Orchis will be able to locate their base when they are warned of The Coolers attack.

Iceman intervenes and fights. The Cooler hits him with Molecular Napalm - which is what Nimrod used on him as the Gala. Iceman thinks fast and cuts his leg off before the Napalm can spread and is strong enough to regrow a new ice leg. The Cooler targets bombs at CA & the Y-Men and Iceman is able to save them but it allows The Cooler to escape.

Data Page: Cooler Letter giving a recap of the Y-Men and their powers and thinks luring Iceman in public is the best route.

The Y-Men thank Iceman for saving them and Iceman suggest they hit up his ex Judah (from the Sina Grace series) could help them with shelter. Iceman splashes away as he can no longer hold himself together.

Randall's Island... The Cooler is meeting with Agent Pequod from Orchis. The Cooler says he wants to find Iceman's "den" he runs to when he disappears.

Iceman returns to Antarctica and Romeo. A terror attack spike goes off again and they question what Orchis is up to now...

Cut to Union Square in NYC and Iceman's Amazing Friend, Spider-Man is being attacked... by...a Phalanx'd out FERAL????

TO BE CONTINUED....

__________


I thought issue two was better. The inclusion of Aaron Fischer was not really necessary aside from a queer team up. I was bummed to see Madin, the Morlock from Sina's run not mentioned or cameo'd since they mentioned the Morlocks. I'm excited to see what's going on with Feral (did Steve Orlando write her in Unlimited ever?). I really hope next issue ties into the stuff going on with Firestar and the series ties into other series a bit. Always glad for a decent Iceman solo!

[JB]

Oh wow, cool to hear Feral popped up here. She was in Uncanny Spider-Man #1 and being experimented on by Vulture so I like the connection.

[Jackraow21]

Feral? Nice. Haven't seen her in ages.

[Uncanny X-Man]

After a very good #2, I think this issue was quite weak as Orlando seems to be dragging the story and struggling with the pacing.

Which is a shame because last issue was pretty strong. There's a silver lining though and that's Vincenzo Carratú's art, which was pretty good to begin with but that somehow seems to get better with every issue. There's a lot of Pepe Larraz on the figure work, which I love, and an interesting and dynamic approach to the page composition. I see Carratú on the same trajectory as Valerio Schiti, who also drew from Larraz a lot at the start before moving in his own and excellent direction.

[Rift]

I just don't care for Aaron Fischer. He's my aesthetic, and there's nothing really wrong with him outside of being dull. But I don't have fun reading about him, and I wish some of the other bootleg Captain Americas got half as much love as he's been getting. (Which isn't a heavy push or anything, but still pretty notable.) But he probably has his own audience, so I'm happy for his fans.

Oh, and Bobby was in this too. He was neat.

[Micabe]

Aaron Fischer (Earth-616)

[Icefanatic]

The best thing about the series continues to be the art, with out it Astonishing Iceman would be completely sunk.

I gave the first issue a 4/10, the second a 5/10, but any hope of continued improvement is lost with this issue as it's back to a 4/10 at best.

There were a few good isolated moments but otherwise...meh.

Romeo continues to be an anchor, dragging the series down.

The (WH)Y-Men are pathetic people who did pathetic things to themselves, which makes it hard to root for anyone saving them, especially when Iceman's resources are so limited.

I cared nothing for the new gay Cap(Gap!) going into this issue and there was nothing to make me care after reading it. Surely something better could have been done with him and Iceman than just a mindless team-up/diversity showcase?

At least Bobby didn't make out with some rando, but we did get 'and you do look gifted'. Gifted: (slang) well-endowed; having a large penis. Which feels so off alongside scenes of Romeo professing his love for Bobby. Considering Judah got treated like crap by Bobby the last time they saw each other, and was nearly killed because of him, I can't even fathom where Bobby gets the nerve to send the (WH)Y-Men to his door if they get in trouble, bringing that danger with them.

Trajectory of the series seems set, with Clean ultimately killing Romeo and Bobby fading away. I can't even say that would be a bad thing at this point, as it has helped to salvage other characters stuck in progressive decline.

[Huntsman Spider]

Oh wow, cool to hear Feral popped up here. She was in Uncanny Spider-Man #1 and being experimented on by Vulture so I like the connection.

That sets me up for reading the next issue of this. I've been rather stoked for at least a kind of "Amazing Friends" reunion. If Firestar ends up in the mix somehow . . . and yeah, having read Uncanny Spider-Man #1, that's a very nice Chekhov's gun that just got fired.

[Hakka84]

Considering Judah got treated like crap by Bobby the last time they saw each other, and was nearly killed because of him

Could you elaborate? Did it happen in some Unlimited/Infinity comic?
The last time I heard of Judah was... him who ghosted young Bobby if I recollect right?

I would be very against him dying - especially by fading away. While it would make sense for a tragic limited series with OCs and a set ending (where you can get away with permanent character death), I don't see Marvel doing this to one their main queer characters who is (or should be) an A-list mutant.

[Fokken]

Could you elaborate? Did it happen in some Unlimited/Infinity comic?
The last time I heard of Judah was... him who ghosted young Bobby if I recollect right?

I would be very against him dying - especially by fading away. While it would make sense for a tragic limited series with OCs and a set ending (where you can get away with permanent character death), I don't see Marvel doing this to one their main queer characters who is (or should be) an A-list mutant.

Judah and Romeo are not the same person.

Romeo is the Inhuman keeping Bobby alive, currently featured in the solo. When Romeo and Bobby were teenagers (Bobby being time-displaced with the rest of the O5), Romeo eventually Ghosted him until they reunited as adults in Luciano Vecchio's solo.
Judah is a human love interest Bobby met in LA, in a prior Iceman solo, written by Sina Grace.

[Rift]

Judah was a loser. At least Romeo is halfway-cool.

[ARkadelphia]

This book was… fine. The only thing keeping this mini readable is Romeo.

[Icefanatic]

Could you elaborate? Did it happen in some Unlimited/Infinity comic?
The last time I heard of Judah was... him who ghosted young Bobby if I recollect right?

Judah was a guy Bobby was seeing in LA in the Iceman ongoing by Sina Grace. He was latter attacked and disemboweled by Daken. Iceman presumed he was dead for an issue-and-a-half(without actually checking on him), yet kept declaring he wouldn't stoop to Daken's level while fighting him(the same Iceman who was maiming people when he thought they had killed Kitty). Idie ultimately kept Judah alive with her cold and got him to the sickbay to heal him with Shiar tech. Iceman then made out with Daken as a way to defeat him. Judah then ended his relationship with Bobby.

I would be very against him dying - especially by fading away. While it would make sense for a tragic limited series with OCs and a set ending (where you can get away with permanent character death), I don't see Marvel doing this to one their main queer characters who is (or should be) an A-list mutant.

Don't worry, the law of conservation of diversity is fully in effect! Take one/give one! The ORIGINAL X-MEN #1 (2023)(one-shot) out in December is set to strand one member of the Time-Displaced 05 in 'the world we know', and the safe bet is it will be the young version of the current adult Iceman.

[BobbysWorld]

Judah was a guy Bobby was seeing in LA in the Iceman ongoing by Sina Grace. He was latter attacked and disemboweled by Daken. Iceman presumed he was dead for an issue-and-a-half(without actually checking on him), yet kept declaring he wouldn't stoop to Daken's level while fighting him(the same Iceman who was maiming people when he thought they had killed Kitty). Idie ultimately kept Judah alive with her cold and got him to the sickbay to heal him with Shiar tech. Iceman then made out with Daken as a way to defeat him. Judah then ended his relationship with Bobby.



Don't worry, the law of conservation of diversity is fully in effect! Take one/give one! The ORIGINAL X-MEN #1 (2023)(one-shot) out in December is set to strand one member of the Time-Displaced 05 in 'the world we know', and the safe bet is it will be the young version of the current adult Iceman.

I think its just as likely to be young Hank. It really only makes sense to be young Bobby if current Bobby dies at the end of this arc and I'm actually thinking its more likely going to be Romeo who dies given how much focus he's been getting, with Bobby having to pull himself together and survive on his own to carry on their fight rather than it being the end of both of them, etc, etc. The heavy Romeo focus is very much giving me 'this is a doomed love interest we are trying to make you care about so his death makes you sad' vibes.

[Nicoclaws]

I find the endgoal more interesting and incuriositing than the single issues from what I'm reading on the forums. It appears to be a recurring issue I have with Orlando's X-books. Too bad.