Sympathy For The White Queen – Iceman #2 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Emma Frost comes to the X-Mansion to solicit Iceman for help. Her father, Winston, has always been a cruel and oppressive patriarch in the Frost family. Christian, Emma’s brother, has suffered the brunt of his rage in the past. Christian is gay, and Winston never accepted that. He sent Christian to conversion therapy then a mental hospital, and Winston won’t allow Emma to see her brother. She now hopes that Iceman can help her.
Iceman #2 tells another tale of the struggles of growing up gay in a traditionalist household, this time in a wealthy and aristocratic family like the Frost’s.
It also allows for a rare moment of vulnerability from the icy White Queen, and she plays a nice foil to the jovial and chatty Bobby Drake.
As the situation with Christian develops, we learn more about the kind of damage Winston Frost perpetuated upon his son, and things get more complicated. Writer Sina Grace tends to center his Iceman tales around the struggles a young gay man can experience, but he always managed to find new and compelling spins on that theme, which has kept both Iceman series fresh and eminently readable.
We also get a short continuation of the long-standing animosity between Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde. I’ll always be on team Pryde.
Nathan Stockman once again provides an almost classic-feeling aesthetic to Iceman. Bobby Drake is chiseled and has a square jawline. The art tends to focus upon the curvature of characters as opposed to sharp angles. When Bobby ices up he is gleaming and muscular. Federico Blee supplies bright color art balanced by a few darker and more foreboding scenes. It looks good and keeps the atmosphere upbeat.
Iceman #2 is another triumph under Sina Grace’s belt and for the short-lived concept of a Bobby Drake solo series. It’s a compelling and delightful read that deals with real-world struggles for gay men. It’s full of heart, humor, and action, and it earns a recommendation. I definitely suggest checking this comic out.
Iceman #2 comes to us from writer Sina Grace, artist Nathan Stockman, color artist Federico Blee, letterer VC’s Joe Sabino, and cover artist W. Scott Forbes.
