DC Comics reviews 8/24/21 – Robin #5, Checkmate #3

Icon & Rocket Season One #2

Icon & Rocket is proving to be a textbook example of how to revitalize a dormant franchise and make it fresh and relevant to today’s audiences.

Writer Reginald Hudlin skips the traditional origin story and jumps right into Icon and Rocket cleaning up their neighborhood. The setting for this series is interesting as it’s a few weeks before The Big Bang, establishing Icon as this Earth’s first hero.

Hudlin sets up a number of groups leery of vigilantes operating to reduce crime from police departments to shadowy government agencies. And the sense of community Hudlin develops is inspiring.

Doug Braithwhite’s art is solid with a fantastic sense of storytelling. He’s still drawing Rocket like a smaller adult instead of a teenager. Brad Anderson’s colors offer a warm, comforting feeling with the rise of these new heroes.

So far this book hasn’t disappointed and it’s setting up a strong foundation for the Milestone relaunch.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10