Fire and Ice are a dynamite duo ready to take the world by storm. Unfortunately for them, they've been sent to Smallville by the Man of Steel himself after an embarrassingly public mission failure. Ice -- Tora Olafsdotter -- quickly adapts to the quiet life of Smallville, dreaming of a peaceful existence away from superheroics. However, Fire -- Beatriz da Costa -- cannot imagine leaving the hero circuit behind. It doesn't take long for Fire to find a way to heat up the quaint life in Smallville. Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1, written by Joanne Starer with art by Natacha Bustos, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, and letters by Ariana Maher, is a wildly fun first issue diving into a decades-long friendship.
After a rather public fumbling of a mission in the pages of the recent Power Girl Special #1, Superman decided to send Fire and Ice to Smallville for a bit of a reset. The duo sign a lease to rent out an old salon with apartments above it and begin to plot out their new life. This midlife crossroads hits Fire and Ice differently. It takes little time for Ice to embrace the laid-back life of the small town. Fire, on the other hand, can't stand the idea of not being a superhero. This conflict creates compelling, organic tension between the pair and propels the issue forward.
Starer crafts a fun, light-hearted issue that reads like a breeze. It will likely be many readers' first exposure to these characters, and Starer makes sure to give readers all the backstory they need. The issue is laugh-out-loud funny at various points, making full use of the circumstances Fire and Ice find themselves in. Both characters' motivations are compelling and understandable. Fire can't imagine throwing away decades worth of crime-fighting experience and the ability to help people. Ice has died before, and the appeal to settle down for a normal, quiet life makes total sense for her. Their interpersonal conflict tracks perfectly with their personalities without providing any easy answers.
Bustos' art is pitch-perfect for this issue. Thick, bold lines and panels packed with motion bring tremendous energy to the book. It feels classic. Clean-cut panels are used throughout, giving this issue a uniform feel, but Bustos keeps things dynamic by varying panel layouts and sizes. Large, close-up shots drag time out, lingering on the drama of a moment while small panels hit beats in fast succession. Bustos creates motion within a single panel through repeated imagery across the issue, and it works like a dream each time.
Just as Bustos' lines are bold, Bonvillain's colors pop off the page with an incredible vibrancy. The titular Fire and Ice always look striking in their green and white/blue outfits. The rest of the world is populated in rich hues as well. Bonvillain doesn't utilize gradients here, instead opting for solid colors accented with shadows and light. It's a choice that adds to the bold look of the book.
Maher's lettering is top-notch. This is a rather wordy book, but the speech balloons flow like water across each page. Overlapping and back-and-forth balloons are used throughout, and it's always made abundantly clear who is speaking. The reading experience is natural and unbroken.
This issue brings Fire and Ice into the Dawn of DC era with an emphatically fun first issue. Readers find a pair of lovable, complicated characters starting a new chapter in their lives. The issue is friendly to new and old fans alike, welcoming everyone to experience the ups and downs of Fire and Ice's tumultuous relationship. With Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1, Starer and the rest of the creative team deliver a witty, earnest, and striking reintroduction to two fan favorites.