Cover Dates: December 2017 & January 2018
On Sale Dates: October 2017 & November 2017
Title: "Champions Reunited"
Writer: Sina Grace
Artist: Robert Gill
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Editor: Darren Shan
Assistant Editor: Chris Robinson
Group Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso
On Sale Dates: October 2017 & November 2017
Title: "Champions Reunited"
Writer: Sina Grace
Artist: Robert Gill
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Editor: Darren Shan
Assistant Editor: Chris Robinson
Group Editor: Mark Paniccia
Editor-in-Chief: Axel Alonso
Cover Artist: Kevin Wada
The next day, Iceman meets a man named Judah who asks him out on a date, prompting Bobby to ask his friends to join him at the bar that evening. The date that night is interrupted by a group of attacking Sentinels, who the special effects artist has reanimated in a bid to film them as exposure for her career. The Champions go into action and pretty quickly destroy the Sentinels, allowing Iceman to continue his date with Judah. The next morning, the Champions meet up at a Russian bakery to eat pastries, where Bobby finally tells them about how his first meeting with the Black Widow involved him using some terrible pick-up lines on her and how embarrassing it is to look back on. Later, Iceman visits Leti at her home and, instead of turning her in to the police, gives her contact information for a professor at UCLA who could help her harness her technical skills for something positive. Back in New York, at the X-Mansion, Iceman continues to talk to Judah and eventually decides to move to Los Angeles for good.
I'm gonna go ahead and say things up front: I don't think this comic book is meant for me. In case you didn't know, Iceman is now homosexual, and that is this series' focus, exploring his newfound sexual identity. That's all fine, it's not something I really care anything about reading, but that in and of itself does not make these bad comics. I'm sure there are readers out there that connect to this material in really deep and meaningful ways, and that's fucking awesome. It's also not a problem that Iceman is the one that leads the Champions through all their interactions and combat (what little there is of it); this is an ICEMAN series, so it's only natural that he's the driving force of the narrative. The other Champions are just guest-stars meant to support the main character, again that's all well and fine.
No, my problem is that for a 2-issue arc that uses the Champions' reuniting as its main selling point there's blessedly little for actual fans of the Champions to care about. The nominal reason for the reunion is to mourn the passing of the Black Widow, who died in the last big event comic, but even that is simply given lip service to bookend the Champions' reasons for coming back together. Black Widow is a footnote in this story, and other than the token bit in issue # 7 that ties it all back to Iceman's sexuality the story could seem to care less about her. The Champions are REALLY here to provide Sina Grace some new sounding boards for his take on Iceman, and again, that's FINE. Just don't sell this book as some big Champions story when they're nothing but window dressing.
There is, of course, the obligatory action sequence against the Sentinels, but it's one that that is over in the span of a few pages. Character downtime and conversations are important for any series, but when the Sentinels are defeated in a rush so the story can move on to "Netflix and Chill", my patience was at an end with the comic. Look at that cover for issue # 7, that's absolutely a bait and switch in contrast with the interior comic. Come for the heroes being defeated by the Sentinels...stay for cheese danishes? Now, that's not to say that Grace doesn't do well with his character moments between the Champions, because they all do come off as friends even more than teammates. He gives Blaze/Ghost Rider a few funny lines and action panels, I just wanted more of it. I wanted more Champions in my "Champions Reunited", is that too much to ask?
The artwork, though, is perfectly solid and serviceable to the story that Grace is telling. Robert Gil struggles a bit, I think, with all of the conversation scenes, but he hits some high marks with the Sentinel fight in issue # 7. I actually wouldn't mind seeing him on some Ghost Rider material, because his take on the character looks pretty solid. He also does a really great Don Heck impersonation when he draws Iceman's memory of the Black Widow, which takes place during Heck's Champions # 1 from 1976.
If you're a fan of the Iceman series, more power to you. I get why a lot of people would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I felt a bit robbed that I didn't get what was advertised on the covers, because I was really wanting a new Champions adventure in the modern era. This emphatically was not that, and whether Grace and Gil intended it to be or not, it wasn't what was advertised.
Following the death of the Black Widow, Iceman has orchestrated a reunion of his old superhero team the Champions in Los Angeles to honor his fallen friend's memory. Outside the old Champions building, which Iceman laments has become a gym, he is joined by Hercules, Warren Worthington III (Angel), and Johnny Blaze (Ghost Rider). They move to a restaurant, where they share stories about when they first met Black Widow; all except for Iceman, who dodges the question. They're soon joined by their final old teammate, Darkstar, who like the others is mourning their friend's death. That night, in the Hollywood Hills, Iceman and Angel discover a young lady named Leti with a wrecked Sentinel in her backyard that she's trying to reactivate; they confront her and tell her to get rid of the giant mutant-hunting robot.
The next day, Iceman meets a man named Judah who asks him out on a date, prompting Bobby to ask his friends to join him at the bar that evening. The date that night is interrupted by a group of attacking Sentinels, who the special effects artist has reanimated in a bid to film them as exposure for her career. The Champions go into action and pretty quickly destroy the Sentinels, allowing Iceman to continue his date with Judah. The next morning, the Champions meet up at a Russian bakery to eat pastries, where Bobby finally tells them about how his first meeting with the Black Widow involved him using some terrible pick-up lines on her and how embarrassing it is to look back on. Later, Iceman visits Leti at her home and, instead of turning her in to the police, gives her contact information for a professor at UCLA who could help her harness her technical skills for something positive. Back in New York, at the X-Mansion, Iceman continues to talk to Judah and eventually decides to move to Los Angeles for good.
 |
| I wonder if anyone told the Champions that Black Widow isn't dead? |
THE ROADMAP
Johnny Blaze last appeared in All-New Ghost Rider (2014) # 10 and appears next in Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur (2015) # 24.
Robbie Reyes, who makes a cameo appearance with Blaze, last appeared in Marvel Legacy # 1.
The Champions first formed way back in The Champions (1975) # 1 and the team disbanded not long after in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man # 17. They briefly reunited once before in X-Force/Champions Annual '98.
Black Widow recently died during the "Secret Empire" crossover, murdered by a Hydra brainwashed Captain America.
Robbie Reyes, who makes a cameo appearance with Blaze, last appeared in Marvel Legacy # 1.
The Champions first formed way back in The Champions (1975) # 1 and the team disbanded not long after in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man # 17. They briefly reunited once before in X-Force/Champions Annual '98.
Black Widow recently died during the "Secret Empire" crossover, murdered by a Hydra brainwashed Captain America.
CHAIN REACTION
The Champions make a long-awaited reunion but things aren't quite what they're selling on the covers.
I'm gonna go ahead and say things up front: I don't think this comic book is meant for me. In case you didn't know, Iceman is now homosexual, and that is this series' focus, exploring his newfound sexual identity. That's all fine, it's not something I really care anything about reading, but that in and of itself does not make these bad comics. I'm sure there are readers out there that connect to this material in really deep and meaningful ways, and that's fucking awesome. It's also not a problem that Iceman is the one that leads the Champions through all their interactions and combat (what little there is of it); this is an ICEMAN series, so it's only natural that he's the driving force of the narrative. The other Champions are just guest-stars meant to support the main character, again that's all well and fine.
No, my problem is that for a 2-issue arc that uses the Champions' reuniting as its main selling point there's blessedly little for actual fans of the Champions to care about. The nominal reason for the reunion is to mourn the passing of the Black Widow, who died in the last big event comic, but even that is simply given lip service to bookend the Champions' reasons for coming back together. Black Widow is a footnote in this story, and other than the token bit in issue # 7 that ties it all back to Iceman's sexuality the story could seem to care less about her. The Champions are REALLY here to provide Sina Grace some new sounding boards for his take on Iceman, and again, that's FINE. Just don't sell this book as some big Champions story when they're nothing but window dressing.
There is, of course, the obligatory action sequence against the Sentinels, but it's one that that is over in the span of a few pages. Character downtime and conversations are important for any series, but when the Sentinels are defeated in a rush so the story can move on to "Netflix and Chill", my patience was at an end with the comic. Look at that cover for issue # 7, that's absolutely a bait and switch in contrast with the interior comic. Come for the heroes being defeated by the Sentinels...stay for cheese danishes? Now, that's not to say that Grace doesn't do well with his character moments between the Champions, because they all do come off as friends even more than teammates. He gives Blaze/Ghost Rider a few funny lines and action panels, I just wanted more of it. I wanted more Champions in my "Champions Reunited", is that too much to ask?
The artwork, though, is perfectly solid and serviceable to the story that Grace is telling. Robert Gil struggles a bit, I think, with all of the conversation scenes, but he hits some high marks with the Sentinel fight in issue # 7. I actually wouldn't mind seeing him on some Ghost Rider material, because his take on the character looks pretty solid. He also does a really great Don Heck impersonation when he draws Iceman's memory of the Black Widow, which takes place during Heck's Champions # 1 from 1976.
If you're a fan of the Iceman series, more power to you. I get why a lot of people would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I felt a bit robbed that I didn't get what was advertised on the covers, because I was really wanting a new Champions adventure in the modern era. This emphatically was not that, and whether Grace and Gil intended it to be or not, it wasn't what was advertised.
 |
| That is a sweet team shot. |
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