Astonishing Iceman #2 Review

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Vincenzo Carratù
Colors by: Java Tartaglia
Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover art by: Jesús Saiz
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: September 13, 2023

Astonishing Iceman #2 sends the reconstituted essence of Bobby Drake to his hometown to stop the elements of Death from killing his mother.

Is Astonishing Iceman #2 Good?

Astonishing Iceman #2 is turning out to be one of the more difficult series to critique because Steve Orlando crafts a competently written script that doesn’t say much of anything at all. Bobby’s here (sorta but not really), he does things, and then it’s on to the next issue with formulaic predictably and not an ounce of drama or tension.

When last we left the reconstituted form of Iceman containing Bobby Drake’s consciousness, he was busy occasionally leaving his Ice Castle periodically to perform superheroic good deeds. Simultaneously, Orchis keeps trying (and failing) to catch Iceman. Now, Bobby leaves his Ice Castle to perform superheroic good deeds (this time to save his mother from Orchis’s hired help) before returning home to his lover, who holds Bobby together.

“Huh? What? What does that mean?” you’d rightly ask. Technically, Iceman isn’t alive. An echo of his consciousness resides in a magically created form of Bobby Drake, continually held together by Remeo’s Inhuman powers. If Bobby strays too far or pushes himself too far, he risks falling apart forever. It’s like putting your deceased grandmother’s memories in a Real Doll that can only work if you keep running on a hamster wheel. If you stop running, say “bye-bye” to MeeMaw. Therefore, Bobby is technically not alive, which makes his relationship with Romeo weird, gross, and verging on necrophilia.

What’s great about Astonishing Iceman #2? The ice battles against the Elements of Death are cool, and Bobby comes up with a clever way to fight Helium that doesn’t involve freezing him.

What’s not so great about Astonishing Iceman? The heavy-handed anti-mutant commentary from the side characters is cartoonishly over-the-top. The plot is formulaic to the point of silliness (Romance >> Leave to fight a battle that’s won handily >> Return for more romance). As mentioned previously, there’s not a drop of drama, tension, or purpose to this issue other than to show you Bobby is great (we already know that), and that he really loves his boyfriend (who cares?).

How’s the art? Too good for this bargain basic story. Vincenzo Carratù puts his all into giving the panels energy and fluidity, especially during the big fight. As a bonus, Tartaglia’s colors are great.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces

Astonishing Iceman #2 is a bargain basic issue that’s formulaic, missing any drama or tension, and serves only to show you Bobby Drake is great and loves his boyfriend. When you factor in that Iceman is technically not alive, the issue takes on a perverse tone with only Vincenzo Carratù’s art to make it worth the effort to read.