Some heroes of the DCU have lost their superpowers entirely; Fire and Ice have just swapped theirs. Which is worse? Your Major Spoilers review of Fire And Ice: When Hell Freezes Over #1 from DC Comics awaits!
FIRE AND ICE: WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER #1
Writer: Joanne Starer
Artist: Stephen Byrne
Colorist: Stephen Byrne
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Editor: Andrea Shea
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 9, 2025
Previously in Fire And Ice: Hell Freezes Over: With their powers switched and no solution in sight, Fire and Ice tuck tail and regroup in Smallville, where they realize their predicament makes them something worse than has-been heroes. They’ve become menaces to the local community they’ve come to love. But Fire’s always got a plan, no matter how shortsighted! And when she goes digging around in Zatanna’s bag of tricks for a quick fix in the middle of karaoke night… what could possibly go wrong?
Aside from, y’know, everything.
DEFINED BY YOUR POWERS
Having returned to Kansas, where the rogue island of Koeey Kooey Kooey has taken residence and become the city of New Kooey, Tora Olafsdotter has had a little power emergency. You can’t fault her too much for it, though, as she is dealing with her best friend’s flame powers and not her own ice-generation, and the transition is a difficult one. Bea da Costa isn’t having a much better time, as she can’t quite wrap her head around the idea of Ice’s more defensive powers. Thanks to the help of their friends, including Ma Kent, Grodd’s little sister Linka, and hairdressers Tam and Honey, they are at least getting some support. They even invite over their Justice League friends, though Fire has the ulterior motive of trying to get ahold of one of Zatanna’s magical artifacts.
The fact that she finds a Monkey’s Paw should alarm everyone… but especially Linka.
THAT WENT BADLY
The issue ends with Bea getting her wish that she and Ice get their correct powers back, but there is a pretty big catch. The previous series, Fire And Ice: Welcome To Smallville, established the interesting status quo of having the former Global Guardians in the middle of Kansas, and this issue expands that, including the gentrification of New Kooey. (Blue Beetle is also, once again, trying to launch his casino, which anyone can tell you was a bad idea then and a bad idea now.) Starer’s script is wonderfully character-driven, reminiscent of the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League International days, with a little bit more internal logic. I especially like her take on Martha Kent. As for the art, it’s very good stuff. The layouts are fun, and the characters all have their own body language. I’m not 100% happy with some of the sketchiness of facial expression in the wide shots, but the vivid coloring makes up for some of that.
BOTTOM LINE: VERY MUCH A JLI BOOK
The upshot here is that Fire And Ice: When Hell Freezes Over #1 feels not only like a sequel to Welcome to Smallville, but a continuation of the Justice League International era without the usual mockery and murder than accompanies JLI reunions, with excellent coloring and well-done art rounding out 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. As someone who wants a DC Universe of breadth and depth, with all types of stories coexisting, this book appeals to me greatly, and while I’m disappointed that it’s only a limited series, I want more like this, the recent Doom Patrol book and the best parts of the current run of Titans.
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FIRE & ICE: WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER #1
Bea and Tora return to Smallville and their friends, but their reasons aren't so pleasant.
But of course, things can always get worse.
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Writing6
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Art7
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Coloring7
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.