Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

Believe it or not, Emma Frost, the White Queen herself, was once an awkward, socially inept teenager.   It doesn't help that her father is incredibly rich and overbearing: he expects perfection from all the Frost family and is cruel when he doesn't get what he wants.   His daughters are a mixed bag of that perfection - Adrienne - and disappointment - Emma.   Cordelia, Emma's other sister, seems to bring out neutrality despite her instance on a nose piercing - which I can't see him approving of - and her penchant for blackmailing family members.   (At least Christian tells Emma that this is the case.   So far, Emma's brother Christian is the most sympathetic character, barring Emma herself.   He's fighting back against the enormous pressure to conform both for himself and his younger sister; he wants respect and freedom for both himself and Emma.   He shows disdain for his parents, especially his father, for making Emma toe the line and piling the pressure on top of him.   So far, Emma's mother has shown silent approval of her husband: the belittling and anger at failure come out and she sits by and says nothing.  Christian also dismisses Cordelia as a busybody and someone who shows low moral character.   Then again, her spying on and blackmailing other family members allows her father's bullying to continue, and in fact makes it easier for him by aiding that atmosphere of fear he creates.)

Emma Frost has always come off as cold, blunt to the point of rudeness, and even uncaring at times.   This couldn't be father from the truth in some ways: she shows a great deal of affection for her students, and is distraught when they're harmed.   She does hide it all behind a rather stoic facade.   I think I've never been able to get into her, because there was never really any connection.   She seemed to loom larger than life in her own mind, sneering down at everyone else below her.   Even as a reader, I got the distinct sense that she would consider me as a peon and that in turn made me cold towards her as a character.   Who looks being looked down on?   That's not what I read fiction for!   At least with some characters, they were villains, so I didn't feel like I was meant to like them, or they had backstories that showed why the character was this way. 

Emma Frost's series delves into her past, and shows the family dynamics that made her the character she is today.   I've read part of this a while ago, but wanted to refresh because I didn't buy the whole series and want to read it on Marvel Unlimited.   Also, this knocks off a square on single-issue bingo, the local comic.   (This takes place in Massachusetts.   Maybe they meant locally made, but it just says 'local comic' and I'm interpreting it this way because I wanted to read this comic anyway.)