Two former Justice League International members are banished to run a hair salon in Smallville in FIRE & ICE: WELCOME TO SMALLVILLE #1, the debut issue of Joanne Starer and Natacha Bustos’s new “Dawn of DC” miniseries.

TL;DR

After the incident involving Guy Gardner from Power Girl Special #1 earlier this year, Superman banishes Fire (Beatriz da Costa) and Ice (Tora Olafsdotter) to his hometown of Smallville while the fallout from the situation dies down. They’re tasked with managing the town’s hair salon and fitting in with small-town America. The duo’s friendship is put to the test as Ice takes a liking to the slower pace of life, while Fire is looking to redeem her image and is ready to do whatever it takes to prove her might.

REVIEW

I was not expecting to like this issue as much as I did, but it may actually have been one of my favorite DC books of the week! Starer’s script is hilarious and really plays into the campy tone Fire & Ice have established throughout their history in the DC Universe — they are comedic relief without being inept or relying slapstick humor. They have faults, which they acknowledge (sometimes against their own will), yet their intentions are right and their reactions to the world around them are entirely relatable.

Fire’s reaction to being sent to Smallville could easily have become a caricature but Starer’s writing prevents that from happening. Her fascination with social media is one of my favorite gimmicks from the issue, and the video she makes with L-Ron to attract bad guys to Smallville so she can beat them up was hysterical. It may have only been topped by the interaction between Fire and King Shark, who answers the call.

I loved the female-centric presence of this issue. Beyond the main two characters, there are many other women of Smallville who make appearances throughout the book. A cameo by Superman later in the book includes Fire commenting on how she doesn’t need a man to jump in and save herself. It all felt very empowering to see the friendship between two women take center-stage.

In addition to writing Fire and Ice with surprising complexity, Starer establishes supporting characters, including L-Ron, Martha Kent, and Tamarind, equally well. These three characters add depth to the story which complements the personalities of Fire and Ice. L-Ron is the affable servant who helped sign the lease and has an affinity for apple pie. His need to address Fire and Ice with a formal title is a running joke throughout the book that never got old. Without Clark around, Martha instantly becomes a mother figure persona for Ice who becomes increasingly frustrated with Fire’s need to make a scene. Tamarind seems to be the level-headed friend that can help to balance out Fire and Ice, if they’d only let her. She’s an experienced stylist who needs the salon to survive so she can make ends meet. At 19, she’s of a different generation than Fire and Ice and provides a Gen Z perspective on the world around them.

Bustos’s art and Tamra Bonvillain’s colors are a great fit for the campy story. Characters have a 90’s animation design and color palette that give this the feeling of a Saturday-morning cartoon version of the Odd Couple. There is so much drawn into the environment that brings Smallville to life. I loved Bonvillain’s greens for Fire, especially as she flying through Smallville in her fiery blaze.

FINAL VERDICT

What a hilariously pleasant surprise this issue was and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this story plays out! It’s not easy to maintain it consistently, but we could be in store for an epic miniseries if Starer can maintain this perfect level of camp.

Rating: 8.5/10