Warning! Spoilers for Icon and Rocket: Season One #1
As the Milestone reboot begins, Icon and Rocket are returning to comics after a decades-long hiatus. Created in the ‘90s as a part of the Dakotaverse, Icon’s self-titled series explored the Superman archetype through the eyes of Augustus Freeman, a century-old alien refuge living as a lawyer in the modern-day.
When Augustus’ secret is discovered by teenager Raquel Ervin while she attempts to rob his mansion along with some of her friends, she urges him to use his abilities to become a superhero. After he took Raquel up on her advice, she joined his side and adopted the persona of Rocket. Originally written by the prolific Dwayne McDuffie, Icon and Rocket’s adventures haven’t been seen in comics for the past twenty years. Now, the Dakota duo’s story continues in Icon and Rocket: Season One #1 written by Reginald Hudlin with art by Leon Chills and Doug Braithwaite.
As revealed by a preview of the debut issue, Icon’s origin story will be retold and expanded, with more detail into his alien background on Terminus. When the shapeshifting Arnus lands on Earth, the first person he encounters is a black woman living as a slave in the South, propelling him to take the form of a black man. However, the synopsis revealed by DC Comics hints at major subversion, saying, “A stranded alien falls to Earth, discovering that he possesses remarkable powers… and a disgust with the human race. No, this isn’t the hero you’re thinking of and this sure isn’t Metropolis.” Describing Arnus as a lost alien, he doesn’t seem so sure that humanity is worth saving, even coming to the conclusion that the task is impossible.
After Arnus exiles himself on the new planet for a century, his outlook on life changes when Raquel Ervin enters the scene. Much like the original series, she shows him a brighter side of humanity and inspires him to look at the world’s potential, instead of its war and chaos. Considering the way that Static: Season One #1 remained true to the titular teenage superhero as it managed to set the series apart for a young audience, this fresh take on Icon isn’t too surprising. As a member of Milestone Media’s original creative team, writer Reginald Hudlin has kept Icon’s heart intact in these first pages, while providing an interesting new flair at the same time.
Similar to other Milestone Media titles, Icon’s series in the ‘90s often delved into complex issues with unconventionally nuanced writing. Twenty years later, the relaunch is promising to achieve the same. Within the first issue, it’s being said that Raquel will try to bring Icon to do something regarding the rampant drugs in Dakota. However, he isn’t so fast to answer her with simple agreement this time. Instead, it leads them to face the complicated reality that they face, and doing the right thing for Dakota turns out to be more complex than Raquel had thought. Icon and Rocket: Season One #1 releases in print and digitally on Tuesday, July 27.
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