So here it is another February has come around. All of these
“Top 10” Black superhero lists are around yet many seem to leave out Icon. Sure
Static is on the list because he so effortlessly seemed to cross over into DC’s
universe.
Now if you are unfamiliar with who Icon is that can be
acceptable. Many are probably not so familiar with what was once Milestone
comics. A little more on the golden age
of Milestone in a latter post.
For now back to Icon.
You may be forgiven for thinking Icon is just the black superman. (Emphasis on may because honestly you won’t
be. At least not by me.)
My top 5 reasons why Icon should be in everyone’s top 10
black comic book character lists.
1. His really is the story of a stranger in a strange land
or the story of enslaved people of America.
-
Icon similar to Superman and J’onn J’onzz Icon is an alien. So it’s easy to just want
to write him off as an amalgam of both or even a copy but that would be wrong.
Oh so wrong.
2. He’s an Immortal /lawyer.
-which when you think about it is
kind of both awesome and horrible. This is a character who has literally heard
every lawyer joke ever. Just think of the fun that could be had. Kidding aside, he crashed landed during the
time of slavery. He was transformed into a black infant and raised by a slave.
Thanks to this he has been around a lot of important things that happened and
it changed him a bit.
3. His apathetic
state
-when we meet Icon quite withdrawn
from society. He’s not the do gooder we expect from our heroes. He’s actually quite as some of us become
jaded with our society around us. Particularly the state of the black
community. He’s an elder who has already seen it all and the present isn’t
looking too bright. He is how some older blacks looked down on the younger
generation for not being grateful and wasteful of the legacy. Think Don Cornelius and Rap.
4. He’s IMMORTAL!!! Yes this is a repeat.
- I mean seriously he’s lived
through the tail end of slavery until modern day. The things he has seen and
done. For his knowledge alone there was promise of what could have been. Even
taking up the story at this point the lives and other heroes he could have been
a catalyst.
5. You grew to like
him
- In
the first issue you don’t really like Icon or should I say I wasn’t overly fond
of him. He seemed like a teacher of a cornball for lack of a better word. After
a few issues he grew on you. The opinion of him changed.
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