Icon: A Hero's Welcome (Milestone Comics Library) [Paperback]

M.D. Bright (Author), Dwayne McDuffie (Author)

Book Description

Series: Milestone Comics Library | Publication Date: March 24, 1997

The flagship character from Milestone Comics is back in this new printing of the classic title collecting ICON #1-8. This is the title that introduced Augustus Freeman, a successful lawyer who covertly uses his alien super-powers to help those in need. But when a teenaged girl from the streets convinces him to use his abilities to inspire his people and becomes his sidekick, Rocket, the affluent Augustus embraces his true destiny and becomes Icon, the hero of Dakota.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (March 24, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563893398
• ISBN-13: 978-1563893391
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dwayne McDuffie is the co-creator of the Emmy Award winning television series STATIC SHOCK and of Milestone Media, the most successful black-owned comic book company in history. In television, he was a Writer/Producer for Warner Brothers' JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED and is currently the co-producer/story editor of Cartoon Network's BEN 10: ULTIMATE ALIEN. A leading proponent of multiculturalism in media, Dwayne has created dozens of characters for comics, television and videogames, notably, Marvel Comics DAMAGE CONTROL and DEATHLOK II, and Milestone Comics ICON and HARDWARE. Dwayne is a multiple Emmy and Eisner Award nominee, and is the winner of the 2003 Humanitas Prize.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Icon: A Hero's Welcome": Welcome to the Milestone Universe!, August 14, 2001

By 

M. Faries (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Icon: A Hero's Welcome (Milestone Comics Library) (Paperback)

"In 1839, an alien starliner malfunctioned and exploded. A jettisoned life pod crashed -- in the middle of a cotton field, in the Deep South. The pod was equipped with a unique survival mechanism, which reconfigured the genetic structure of its passenger to resemble whatever life form it first encountered. And so it happened that Miriam, the slave woman who discovered the pod, found inside a baby boy with her mother's eyes."

"In the present, the alien is still with us, in the guise of a successful lawyer, Augustus Freeman IV. Still marooned, he waits for Earth's technology to catch up to his life pod's. He may have a long wait. Secretly possessing superpowers that belie his human appearance, he has always performed quiet acts of charity. Recent events in the City of Dakota, though, as well as a certain opinionated young woman, convince him to become more than just a silent friend to his community. He dons a costume to become Icon, the Hero of Dakota."

"Because Augustus has had so much for so long, he doesn't full understand the needs of those he protects. The teenage girl who insists on becoming his sidekick, Rocket, is a product of Dakota's worst section, Paris Island. She and Icon have a profound effect on one another. Rocket gets a glimpse of Augustus' affluence, and inspiration from his mighty deeds. Icon, in turn, learns of a world of misery and failed expectations that he didn't believe still existed in this country. Together, Icon and Rocket tackle the world's toughest villains -- and some of our biggest problems."

This trade paperback by DC Comics/Milestone Comics (1990s) collects "Icon" issues #1-8. It is, bar none, one of the best comic book endeavors ever produced. It features terrific art by M.D. Bright and superb storytelling by Dwayne McDuffie ("Static Shock"). Do NOT pass up an opportunity to read this thought-provoking, well-drawn "comic book." Icon truly is an "icon" in the pantheon of superheroes, alongside Captain Marvel (Shazam), Superman and Batman. (I hope this book is reprinted again!)

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black, Proud, Pertinent: Icon, The Rocket, and Milestone Media.,, January 24, 2006

By 

Michael F. Hopkins "A Deeper Groove" (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Icon: A Hero's Welcome (Milestone Comics Library) (Paperback)

(edited from a prvious feature, copyright
1996, 2005 Michael F. Hopkins)

Be advised that this is not an underground comic, a la Robert Crumb, exploiting the underbelly of the inner city through racist, sexist caricatures insanely promoted as progressive vision. Nor is this empowered by any of the sadly prevalent images that overground comics have foisted upon Black people for generations, from the happy darky to the murderous savage, from the grinning, kissing slickster of old to the anal-retentive, caramel-colored, honorary Caucasian types of more recent decades. ICON: A HERO'S WELCOME a very special book, a groundbreaking work of sequential fiction about Black people by Black people, to be read and shared and widely spread. The rich, authentic ethnicity of its tale is matched only in the ingenuity by which its authors unveil the immense array of lives, personalities, and temperament which comprise the African-American community presented here.
For those who love well-written, finely illustrated comics, this graphic novel represents the best in the field. For those who have yearned for a more equitable cultural representation in the arena of superheroics, this title and its ever-evolving storyline has been a major breakthrough since its debut in 1993. Bold and engaging, the tale comes on strong with satirical bite, and penetrating insights rarely, if ever, seen on a comic page. Highly unique and very familiar, the adventures of Icon, a proverbial brother from another planet, and The Rocket, a sharp sister from the poor side of town, have captured the imagination of the reading public, winning the plaudits of the most creative talents in the business.
ICON: A HERO'S WELCOME collects the first eight issues of the Milestone Media series into the graphic novel it was conceived to be. On the edge and full of juice, the scenario cuts no slack in presenting its tale of haves and have-nots, along with the gaps that must be faced, and bridged. Writer (and Milestone Editor-In-Chief) Dwayne McDuffie works wonders, presenting the dialogues and situations of people across the boards caught in the daily throes of desperate struggle. Illustrator M. D. Bright imbues the tale with an engraver's depth, giving vibrant flesh and blood and bone to a necessary testimony which runs it mighty like the Blues, funky with Soul, as intriguing and taut as Jazz on the One. No romanticism cum Catfish Row, and no overplayed despair a la Death Row here. Just folks, from high to low and in the middle, portrayed in a presentation worthy of Langston Hughes, Thulani N. Davis, and Octavia E. Butler in its blend of the poignant and the playful.
Through distant stars and slave fields, tenement dreams and indifferent wealth, police brutality, teen pregnancy, legalized conspiracy and wanton gang violence, the topics and perspectives addressed in ICON: A HERO'S WELCOME are met head on, with great style and considerable taste. Best of all, we have a bona fide team in the ageless alien and the youthful homegrown. One is soft-spoken, firm with machismo, and full of power. The other is spike-tongued, fiery with conviction, and full of spirit. No head honcho and sidekick set-up here, these two have much to learn of themselves, and from one another.
In a memorable sequence that bridges the first two chapters, the duo's first meeting with the Law is both hysterical and shocking, a madhouse of mishap, mayhem, and outrageous mirth all in one. All too familiar a scene in our urban areas, the result of confrontation here sets the tone and the call of this tale beyond any shadow of a doubt.
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One of the most monumental efforts in the history of the Sequential Arts, the African American-based, multi-culturally conceptual Milestone Media presented some of the broadest, most profound comics ever conceived. Ranging from the brutally honest to the whimsically outspoken, the Milestone line (distributed by DC Comics) injected a whole new intensity and substance into a field which, throughout the times, has needed just such a shot in the arm. Only the timidities of regional dealers, distributors, and placid readers who fear fresh approaches in comics -especially if it's not chiefly about White folks-, have placed obstacles in Milestone's path where sales and product availability are concerned.
No point denying it. Look at the problems these types have presented to Don McGregor's groundbreaking BLACK PANTHER chronicles at Marvel over the decades. (How many people even know about McGregor's superb PANTHER'S PREY mini-series of the early 1990s, beautifully painted by Dwayne Turner?!!) Jump ahead to the mid-1990s, and look at the undeserved demise of DC's superlative BLACK LIGHTNING series by Tony Isabella and Eddie Newell, due to the same myopic contingency. Yet many of these very types are the ones who cry the loudest for "something new and different." No doubt about it: Much hypocrisy is afoot here.
Thankfully, these obstacles have not stopped Milestone from winning Parents' Choice honors twice. Nor have they prevented the line's continued excellence in presenting gripping series like Hardware and Static (the animated STATIC SHOCK keeping the Milestone banner flying through the years since the company's Sequential shutdown by the mid-late 1990s) or cutting edge, drastically underrated mini-series, such as
THE LONG, HOT SUMMER or WISE SON: THE WHITE WOLF.

Certainly, whimsical societal tastes have neither stymied nor slowed author McDuffie, whose major domo helmsmanship has made Warner animation's JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED a potboiling, multicultural chronicle representing heroic drama at its most imaginative, and very best.
For many, the Icon series still represents Milestone at its finest, and most creatively provocative.
It's about time that A HERO'S WELCOME was placed back in
print; hopefully, a sign of things to come. This first
Milestone graphic novel is a great addition to any library, whether the interest is in African-American culture, superb superhero drama with a heady dosage of real Science Fiction,
or a cunningly conceived measure of the times.

Don't wait for fanboys to tell you it's cool, or for slewfooted Keepers of the Afrocentric Way to inform you if it's "Black enuf." ICON: A HERO'S WELCOME is stone down with it, introducing us to a pair of the most compelling characters in contemporary fiction. Through the harrowing exploits of Augustus Freeman and Raquel Ervin, two highly talented brothers weave a narrative which compels all readers to dispense with their preconceptions of race, gender, and heroic creed. Pick up on this. Then, head for a comix store, check out the series, and see what happened next. The end is yet to be written.

This tale is no game, and these bloods don't play.

5.0 out of 5 stars "I think I just figured out how a black man could be a conservative Republican -- you're from outer space!", July 29, 2011

By 

H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Just moved to posh Marina Del Rey, CA - where if you drop a quarter, why, you just keep on walking) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Icon: A Hero's Welcome (New Edition) (Paperback)

I'm hoping like heck that more of Milestone Media's stuff gets reprinted. I remember there being more intriguing characters in that universe than just Virgil Hawkins (a.k.a. Static). Dwayne McDuffie, gone too soon, did big things in the fields of comic books and television animation, but if - as some have mentioned - Static is his greatest creation, then Icon doesn't trail too far behind. While everyone lauds his work in the Justice League cartoons, I happen to think that McDuffie's most important contribution was in his role as co-founder and co-architect of Milestone comics. Not that I'm going out on a limb or anything. Back in 1993, a group of African-American writers and artists set out to be heard, and they did this by establishing Milestone Media, a comic book company which focused on stories featuring minority characters imbued with super powers. McDuffie's Icon is the Superman analog, except that Icon is a black man. Maybe the most telling difference is that when Superman offers assistance, the authorities willingly step back. When Icon extends a helping hand, the cops immediately point their guns at him, put cuffs on him. There's a weary and palpable weight in Icon's musings: "It's been one hundred years since I allowed myself to be shackled. It hasn't become easier with time."

ICON: A HERO'S WELCOME - and do I sense sarcasm in that title? - collects the series' first eight issues, eight issues of really good storytelling by McDuffie and grittily brought to visuals by M.D. Bright. There's also an intro by film director Reginald Hudlin. ICON starts out in familiar vein: a space vessel crashing on Earth, its passenger fated to be the world's mightiest champion. But, check this out, what if this space vessel - or lifepod - had crashlanded in the year 1839 and in the cotton fields of the deep South? What if the lifepod, to protect its passenger, had automatically altered his DNA to match that of the nearest sentient being, who happened to be a black slave woman?

Icon is the featured superhero in this comic book, yeah, verily, but it's his sidekick who drives the narrative. Augustus Freeman IV has been marooned on Earth for over 150 years, waiting and waiting for local technology to catch up so that he can finally depart. In the meantime, as you may imagine, he's endured a lot. Augustus Freeman IV is one of them stiff personalities, having integrated well into society, having built his fortune, and now prospering as a corporate lawyer. He's not even thinking about making waves. But when a crew of black teenagers burgle his posh digs, thinking it the home of a wealthy white man, Augustus demonstrates his outrage. Along the way, he exhibits his superhuman abilities. He scares off all but the fifteen year old girl, Raquel Ervin. See, Raquel is a dreamer from the projects. She yearns to be a writer. And, somehow, she inspires Augustus Freeman to come out of his protective shell, to become a symbol for his people. She's convincing enough that she even talks him into putting on fancy tights and assuming a code name ("Icon," natch). She finagles her way into becoming his sidekick. And off they go to clean up Dakota City.

Except Dakota City won't clean up so easy. Place is a hotbed of political corruption, escalating gang wars, and civil unrest. Icon's exploits pit him against Dakota's deadly freaks, some of whom actually espouse a just cause. Themes of inner city plight and racial injustice are touched on, but also that credo of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. And, honestly, even though Icon is an awesome hero, your interest is drawn to Raquel's story. She's the glue, the point of view character, the one we easily relate to. Raquel represents the hope of the future, and McDuffie writes her as very believable, especially when it comes to the hard choices she ends up having to make. She not only latches onto Icon as an engine of diversion, as a temporary escape from the 'hood, but also as a means to better herself, to attain a higher level of education. Ultimately, I wouldn't be surprised if Rachel inspires you more so than Icon. Plus, as Rocket, she happens to lay down some serious asskicking.

If you're at all curious, here are the other available trades collecting several of the Milestone comics (not nearly enough):

- Icon Vol. 2: The Mothership Connection (Icon (DC Comics))
- Hardware: The Man in the Machine
- Static Shock Vol. 1: Rebirth of the Cool

Hopefully, someday we'll see the Shadow Cabinet, Xombi, and Blood Syndicate (whO, by the way, guest-star in ICON #4-6), also out in trade. Peace and jellybeans.