“Yesterday’s” Comic> Icon #16 (Worlds Collide ch. 11)

Hey, remember when I praised the previous DC comic for NOT having the typical hero vs. hero battle? Yeah, nevermind!

Icon #16

Milestone (DC Comics; August, 1994)

(continued from Superman: The Man Of Steel #36) Rift still wants to see Superman versus Icon, so he tries to sweeten the pot. They don’t have to kill each other but if Superman wins Metropolis is restored and Luthor will be fixed to stand trial while if Icon wins Rift will undo the tidal wave he just dropped on Dakota. The two fight for the futures of both cities but as neither will give up Rift decides both variations of the same superhero type have merit and the problem is two separate universe…so he decides to merge them! (continues in Steel #7)

What they got right: The fight is short but good as it isn’t just fisticuffs but strategy involved. In the end it shows that Icon may be similar to Superman but has his own merits and is his own person.

What they got right: Too bad we needed the far too predictable hero versus hero fight to do it! I gave the last chapter credit for only doing the obligatory and moving on but McDuffie (or whomever was responsible for the arc overall) just insisted on having Superman and Icon fight each other instead of trying to work together as they did last time. That’s just a waste, man. I am so over this cliché!

Recommendation: Since we do get a good study of Superman versus Icon’s histories and the whole merging universes thing matters to the rest of this crossover I do recommend picking it up. I just wish I liked it better.