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Ice Cream Man
Ice Cream Man, Volume 2: Strange Neapolitan
The critically acclaimed series of not-so-sweet singular stories continues with four more tales of woe and wonder. Here: the ballad of a falling man; a three-flavored silent meditation; a young girl’s quest with her dead best friend; a potpourri of suburban emergencies. Plus: more is revealed about the mischievous Ice Cream Man and his history with the dark cowboy, Caleb. Collects ICE CREAM MAN #5-8
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2018
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1347 people want to read
About the author
W. Maxwell Prince
108 books188 followersW. Maxwell Prince writes in Brooklyn and lives with his wife, daughter, and two cats called Mischief and Mayhem. He is the author of One Week in the Library, The Electric Sublime, and Judas: The Last Days. When not writing, he tries to render all of human experience in chart form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
August 8, 2022
W. Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo return with another grim volume of Ice Cream Man that’s even better than their already spectacular first one, as they both continue to build up this interesting world they created last volume. Joined by colorist Chris O’Halloran and letterer Good Old Neon for every single chapter, Prince and Morazzo serve up four more flavors of misery that all range from great to amazing.
We get a good balance between satisfying horror one-offs that can stand on their own and parts in those one-offs that move the ongoing narrative with the Ice Cream Man and the Cowboy forward in an interesting way. I was happy to find Prince was able to do this since I was admittedly worried after the ending of the last volume that he wouldn’t be able to strike a good balance between the two, but he does.
I did prefer chapters six & seven since they are more about the characters and less about spurts of gore, but all anthologies will hit different for different folks. I liked eight a lot too since it had a cool HAHA reference (which I would also recommend to any ICM fans), but even Five has some amazing moments. You really just can’t go wrong with this volume since all the stories are strong.
Recommended to any and all horror fans. Just like my last volume, each story can be found with an individual review down below:
Chapter Five: “Ballad of a Falling Man” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
A strong start to this volume. We get a story following a young woman trying to escape a corporate office building where the workers within have begun going insane. While all this happens, an accountant narrates his regrets in life as he falls to his death after jumping from the building.
Morazzo’s art is incredible this issue, as it always has been in every issue so far, but this one gets quite a bit gory at points, proving he can handle that type of material when the series calls for it. The story also has a great balance between advancing the ongoing narrative established last issue and being an enjoyable horror one-shot that can stand on its own. Liked this a lot.
Chapter Six: ”Strange Neapolitan” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Super innovative use of the silent comic format. We are given three separate storylines, each colored like Neapolitan ice cream to indicate three different timelines, each showing a different path one man’s life could go after he eats ice cream from the ICM himself.
I’ve praised the art a lot, but both Martín Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran, the colorist, are the true stars of this issue, doing all of the heavy lifting to make Prince’s story work on an emotional level. O’Halloran was given an especially difficult task to do, so I’m glad this turned out as well as it did.
Chapter Seven: “My Little Poltergeist” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The best issue so far. Incredibly sad, fucked up, yet slightly hopeful. This is the perfect showcase of this series and if you are on the fence about checking it out, try this issue.
A young girl’s parents begin to worry after their daughter begins to say she can speak to her friend Kayla, who recently passed away from cancer. The story is wonderful but I really liked Morazzo’s choice to never actually show Kayla except on the cover. And that last page crushed me.
Chapter Eight: “Emergencies” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Another fantastic issue, this one about the darker thoughts each of us has and what happens when we listen to them. Quite a shocking ending there too, and I like how this volume as a whole slowly unveiled who the narrators were.
This also had a cool tie-in to Prince and Morazzo’s collaboration issue in HAHA with it’s similar message and story, but it’s able to stand on its own since it handles the overall execution way differently than HAHA did. I would recommend reading HAHA #6 after this though.
TLDR; Ice Cream Man continues to impress with one dreadful story after another that are impossible to put down. This is one of the best horror anthologies on the market and I cannot recommend it enough. Prince and Morazzo really need to work on more books together.
We get a good balance between satisfying horror one-offs that can stand on their own and parts in those one-offs that move the ongoing narrative with the Ice Cream Man and the Cowboy forward in an interesting way. I was happy to find Prince was able to do this since I was admittedly worried after the ending of the last volume that he wouldn’t be able to strike a good balance between the two, but he does.
I did prefer chapters six & seven since they are more about the characters and less about spurts of gore, but all anthologies will hit different for different folks. I liked eight a lot too since it had a cool HAHA reference (which I would also recommend to any ICM fans), but even Five has some amazing moments. You really just can’t go wrong with this volume since all the stories are strong.
Recommended to any and all horror fans. Just like my last volume, each story can be found with an individual review down below:
Chapter Five: “Ballad of a Falling Man” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
A strong start to this volume. We get a story following a young woman trying to escape a corporate office building where the workers within have begun going insane. While all this happens, an accountant narrates his regrets in life as he falls to his death after jumping from the building.
Morazzo’s art is incredible this issue, as it always has been in every issue so far, but this one gets quite a bit gory at points, proving he can handle that type of material when the series calls for it. The story also has a great balance between advancing the ongoing narrative established last issue and being an enjoyable horror one-shot that can stand on its own. Liked this a lot.
Chapter Six: ”Strange Neapolitan” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Super innovative use of the silent comic format. We are given three separate storylines, each colored like Neapolitan ice cream to indicate three different timelines, each showing a different path one man’s life could go after he eats ice cream from the ICM himself.
I’ve praised the art a lot, but both Martín Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran, the colorist, are the true stars of this issue, doing all of the heavy lifting to make Prince’s story work on an emotional level. O’Halloran was given an especially difficult task to do, so I’m glad this turned out as well as it did.
Chapter Seven: “My Little Poltergeist” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The best issue so far. Incredibly sad, fucked up, yet slightly hopeful. This is the perfect showcase of this series and if you are on the fence about checking it out, try this issue.
A young girl’s parents begin to worry after their daughter begins to say she can speak to her friend Kayla, who recently passed away from cancer. The story is wonderful but I really liked Morazzo’s choice to never actually show Kayla except on the cover. And that last page crushed me.
Chapter Eight: “Emergencies” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Another fantastic issue, this one about the darker thoughts each of us has and what happens when we listen to them. Quite a shocking ending there too, and I like how this volume as a whole slowly unveiled who the narrators were.
This also had a cool tie-in to Prince and Morazzo’s collaboration issue in HAHA with it’s similar message and story, but it’s able to stand on its own since it handles the overall execution way differently than HAHA did. I would recommend reading HAHA #6 after this though.
TLDR; Ice Cream Man continues to impress with one dreadful story after another that are impossible to put down. This is one of the best horror anthologies on the market and I cannot recommend it enough. Prince and Morazzo really need to work on more books together.
November 1, 2018
Vultures feast on corporate executives’ innards, knife-wielding psychos in bird masks torture random strangers, a cowboy battles a demon, paramedics get high and drive around ignoring injured peeps, a clown commits suicide, and everything’s on fire - it’s the 2018 state of mind Ice Cream Man is back with a second volume: Strange Neapolitan!
Annnnnd the series is still just ok. Like most anthologies, the quality varies. The opening story of nihilistic office chaos is entertaining for its unpredictability and goriness, but feels gratuitous. We are introduced to the cowboy character though who’s on a mission, so there’s a hint of an overarching storyline finally emerging as opposed to just aimless tales of horror.
One story riffs on the ice cream theme where a man eats some Neapolitan and then lives three different lives. Another features a girl with an imaginary friend – or is she? And the final story is like the first in being unbridled, disconnected madness.
I wouldn’t say any of the stories were brilliant though none of them were boring or unimaginative either. I liked the office chaos story the best followed by the paramedics’ tale, both for their over-the-top craziness. The Neapolitan story was clever but meh and the imaginary friend story was kinda dull, though we find out more about the Ice Cream Man and the cowboy so it was worth it for that.
W. Maxwell Prince is slowly building his world with characters from the first book reappearing in the background here: the junkie on the park bench, the cops from the first issue, the music guy in the diner, and of course the Ice Cream Man himself. Martin Morazzo’s art remains decent and the swatch designs are amazing.
On the one hand I’d like more of a cohesive narrative tying all these stories together but I also like the grab-bag approach as, if I’m not enjoying one story then I might prefer the next, and the content always remains unpredictable. Maybe the creative team will manage to find a better balance in the next one? At any rate, Ice Cream Man continues to be a decent horror anthology series with this ok second book.
Annnnnd the series is still just ok. Like most anthologies, the quality varies. The opening story of nihilistic office chaos is entertaining for its unpredictability and goriness, but feels gratuitous. We are introduced to the cowboy character though who’s on a mission, so there’s a hint of an overarching storyline finally emerging as opposed to just aimless tales of horror.
One story riffs on the ice cream theme where a man eats some Neapolitan and then lives three different lives. Another features a girl with an imaginary friend – or is she? And the final story is like the first in being unbridled, disconnected madness.
I wouldn’t say any of the stories were brilliant though none of them were boring or unimaginative either. I liked the office chaos story the best followed by the paramedics’ tale, both for their over-the-top craziness. The Neapolitan story was clever but meh and the imaginary friend story was kinda dull, though we find out more about the Ice Cream Man and the cowboy so it was worth it for that.
W. Maxwell Prince is slowly building his world with characters from the first book reappearing in the background here: the junkie on the park bench, the cops from the first issue, the music guy in the diner, and of course the Ice Cream Man himself. Martin Morazzo’s art remains decent and the swatch designs are amazing.
On the one hand I’d like more of a cohesive narrative tying all these stories together but I also like the grab-bag approach as, if I’m not enjoying one story then I might prefer the next, and the content always remains unpredictable. Maybe the creative team will manage to find a better balance in the next one? At any rate, Ice Cream Man continues to be a decent horror anthology series with this ok second book.
January 1, 2019
The Ice Cream Man, Volume 2, is better than the first volume! I think both the writing and the art seem better, more coherent, like it is finding its true center. This is horror, featuring an evil Ice Cream man and a dark cowboy, Caleb, that suggests an over-arching narrative. Each of the four stories attempts something different, differently scary/creepy and creatively entertaining.
The first is the story of a man falling off a 100-story building, who is sorry for everything he has done, but as he falls, he sees various horrors in the office building; another story is about a little girl who claims she can still see her friend, who has passed from cancer. One continuing theme is that you think that love will conquer all but there is an evil underlying voice that suggests—in true horror fashion—that things will not get better. Your sweet little assumptions about people being truly good at heart? Sorry. The very fact of the Ice Cream Man himself as an iconic Good Guy, bringer of treats, well, again, sorry. These are quality horror comics.
The first is the story of a man falling off a 100-story building, who is sorry for everything he has done, but as he falls, he sees various horrors in the office building; another story is about a little girl who claims she can still see her friend, who has passed from cancer. One continuing theme is that you think that love will conquer all but there is an evil underlying voice that suggests—in true horror fashion—that things will not get better. Your sweet little assumptions about people being truly good at heart? Sorry. The very fact of the Ice Cream Man himself as an iconic Good Guy, bringer of treats, well, again, sorry. These are quality horror comics.
September 9, 2020
I went back and looked at my review of volume 1 of this series. Other than different pictures, I could pretty much copy and paste my review!
First similar point: This is Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Creepshow, etc. If you enjoy those, you may enjoy this series.
Second similar point: Stories were okay, but not super tight or mind blowingly awesome. This is a bit understandable with the limitation of getting every story in within the limitations of one comic book issue. But, some of the stories in this collection so far have handled that limitation better than others. Positive note: there is some really interesting creativity in this series.
Third similar point: The artwork doesn’t do much for me in this series. Overall, feels a bit sloppy. There will be one really awesomely drawn frame followed by one where the proportions of the faces and the bodies feels off. As I stress in my review of volume 1, it is not that I can do better, but, then again, I don’t draw comic books at all! 😉
Worth a look if you like horror comics, but so far haven’t found the “WOW!” factor with this series.
First similar point: This is Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Creepshow, etc. If you enjoy those, you may enjoy this series.
Second similar point: Stories were okay, but not super tight or mind blowingly awesome. This is a bit understandable with the limitation of getting every story in within the limitations of one comic book issue. But, some of the stories in this collection so far have handled that limitation better than others. Positive note: there is some really interesting creativity in this series.
Third similar point: The artwork doesn’t do much for me in this series. Overall, feels a bit sloppy. There will be one really awesomely drawn frame followed by one where the proportions of the faces and the bodies feels off. As I stress in my review of volume 1, it is not that I can do better, but, then again, I don’t draw comic books at all! 😉
Worth a look if you like horror comics, but so far haven’t found the “WOW!” factor with this series.
August 7, 2020
Ice Cream Man: Strange Neapolitan collects issues 5-8 of Ice Cream Man.
Just like the first collection, there are four unrelated tales in this collection, linked together by the mysterious Ice Cream Man, although the Ice Cream Man doesn't do as much in these tales as in the first collection.
Martin Morazzo's art is still odd and unsettling. It reminds me of Steve Dillon and Frank Quitely at times. His panel configurations do a lot for the stories, adding to the sense of unease.
W. Maxwell Prince serves up some tales that remind me of much darker versions of DC's House of Mystery. A man contemplates his life as he falls to his death, even as the rest of his office goes mad. A man buys three scoops of ice cream and experiences three possible futures. A little girl mourns the passing of her friend to cancer. Two paramedics take drugs and drive around.
While the Ice Cream Man wasn't in this collection quite as much as the first, he made his presence known and the metaplot advanced quite a bit. I think the series needs a lead protagonist at some point but I'll trust W. Maxwell Prince for now.
The second serving of Ice Cream Man was almost as delicious as the first. Four out of five scoops.
Just like the first collection, there are four unrelated tales in this collection, linked together by the mysterious Ice Cream Man, although the Ice Cream Man doesn't do as much in these tales as in the first collection.
Martin Morazzo's art is still odd and unsettling. It reminds me of Steve Dillon and Frank Quitely at times. His panel configurations do a lot for the stories, adding to the sense of unease.
W. Maxwell Prince serves up some tales that remind me of much darker versions of DC's House of Mystery. A man contemplates his life as he falls to his death, even as the rest of his office goes mad. A man buys three scoops of ice cream and experiences three possible futures. A little girl mourns the passing of her friend to cancer. Two paramedics take drugs and drive around.
While the Ice Cream Man wasn't in this collection quite as much as the first, he made his presence known and the metaplot advanced quite a bit. I think the series needs a lead protagonist at some point but I'll trust W. Maxwell Prince for now.
The second serving of Ice Cream Man was almost as delicious as the first. Four out of five scoops.
December 22, 2018
HOLY SHIT!
Talk about a upgrade. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed some of volume 1 of Ice Cream Man but some of the stories didn't do much for me. This one? Goddamn, every story hit me hard.
So what is Ice Cream Man? It's basically a bunch of stories broken up, and sometimes slightly connecting, but all centered around this evil entity known as Ice Cream Man. He's always in the background, or the main threat in each story. In this title we have the first story of a man jumping off a building and as he falls he begins to question his life. The next one is about a man's life, or journey through life in three different life choices. One meeting his wife, one taking care of a dog, and the last being kidnapped and tortured. The next story is about a little girl who claims she can still see her friend, who has passed from cancer. Last but not least is a story of two EMT drivers on a night out and every horrible moment around the city with them driving.
Good: Talk about hard hitting stories that catch you on an emotional level. I especially felt a strong sadness reading the story about the little girl who lost her friend. Dealing with death is never easy and by the end you see childhood coming TO a ending. It hits hard. I also thought the EMT story, despite how dark it was, showed the true nature of humanity. The last two stories are very enjoyable even if not as good as the others, but that's okay, because all 4 are engaging. I'd also like to note the artist here hits the nail on creepy tones and atmosphere.
Bad: TOO SHORT!!!
Overall, a EXCELLENT volume of Ice Cream Man. While volume 1 was good, with moments of greatness. This whole volume sucked me in from the start. A 5 out of 5.
Talk about a upgrade. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed some of volume 1 of Ice Cream Man but some of the stories didn't do much for me. This one? Goddamn, every story hit me hard.
So what is Ice Cream Man? It's basically a bunch of stories broken up, and sometimes slightly connecting, but all centered around this evil entity known as Ice Cream Man. He's always in the background, or the main threat in each story. In this title we have the first story of a man jumping off a building and as he falls he begins to question his life. The next one is about a man's life, or journey through life in three different life choices. One meeting his wife, one taking care of a dog, and the last being kidnapped and tortured. The next story is about a little girl who claims she can still see her friend, who has passed from cancer. Last but not least is a story of two EMT drivers on a night out and every horrible moment around the city with them driving.
Good: Talk about hard hitting stories that catch you on an emotional level. I especially felt a strong sadness reading the story about the little girl who lost her friend. Dealing with death is never easy and by the end you see childhood coming TO a ending. It hits hard. I also thought the EMT story, despite how dark it was, showed the true nature of humanity. The last two stories are very enjoyable even if not as good as the others, but that's okay, because all 4 are engaging. I'd also like to note the artist here hits the nail on creepy tones and atmosphere.
Bad: TOO SHORT!!!
Overall, a EXCELLENT volume of Ice Cream Man. While volume 1 was good, with moments of greatness. This whole volume sucked me in from the start. A 5 out of 5.
August 26, 2019
Update! Here's the full review: https://bookishrealmreviews.blogspot....
I think that I'm a little confused on how the ice cream man is tied to all of these stories. He seems to be evil or some sort of demon. I can't tell just yet. And because it isn't clear on what he is, it makes it extremely difficult to figure out what the purpose of the comic is. I like the stories though. They're pretty gruesome and they reveal some interesting facts about humanity or the lack of humanity. I'll pick up the next volume to see if I get some clarity.
I think that I'm a little confused on how the ice cream man is tied to all of these stories. He seems to be evil or some sort of demon. I can't tell just yet. And because it isn't clear on what he is, it makes it extremely difficult to figure out what the purpose of the comic is. I like the stories though. They're pretty gruesome and they reveal some interesting facts about humanity or the lack of humanity. I'll pick up the next volume to see if I get some clarity.
June 28, 2022
Okay, first volume, kinda so-so. This one, absolutely knocks it out of the park.
These four issues are brilliant. Again, they're all one and done stories linked by the presence of the Ice Cream Man and his nemesis (?) Caleb, but each one takes a different approach to storytelling and really stands on its own two feet.
Issue 6, Ballad Of A Falling Man, shows the downfall of a literal falling man, as well as the chaos that ensues inside his office building. It's a chilling descent into madness, and the final page 'twist' with Caleb and the Ice Cream Man actually made me swear out loud, it was so clever.
The titular Strange Neapolitan is issue 7, and perhaps the best of the bunch. It tells three stories about the same character at the same time, each 'flavoured' according to neapolitan ice cream. Each of them has their own brand of creepy, although one actually manages to have a bit of a happy ending. Just the ambition of the storytelling here is excellent, and it really pays off in all three stories.
My Little Poltergeist is perhaps the weakest of the four, but not by much. This one goes right in on the horror, with the Ice Cream Man and Caleb taking centre stage for the last quarter of the story, while the A plot about childhood trauma and the pain of losing a friend at a young age plays out really well too.
And then finally, Emergencies follows the crew of an ambulance as they weave through a town destroyed by insanity. This one gets worse and worse (in the good way) as you flip through the pages, and the final page reveal is both a great callback to the previous issue and a superb way to end the volume in that it really changes the game for the recurring characters we've seen.
Maybe I'm used to it already or maybe Martin Morazzo's artwork has improved, but the characters here didn't feel as lifeless or empty as they did before. Again, I'm not sure if that's a conscious choice or just a skill he's picked up between volumes, but everyone actually feels alive now rather than just puppets in the Ice Cream Man's story.
Four distinct flavours of horrible, all mixed up into a perfect sundae of sadistic pleasure. I hope the next few courses are as tantalising as this. (I'm not going to stop with the food puns, you can't make me.)
These four issues are brilliant. Again, they're all one and done stories linked by the presence of the Ice Cream Man and his nemesis (?) Caleb, but each one takes a different approach to storytelling and really stands on its own two feet.
Issue 6, Ballad Of A Falling Man, shows the downfall of a literal falling man, as well as the chaos that ensues inside his office building. It's a chilling descent into madness, and the final page 'twist' with Caleb and the Ice Cream Man actually made me swear out loud, it was so clever.
The titular Strange Neapolitan is issue 7, and perhaps the best of the bunch. It tells three stories about the same character at the same time, each 'flavoured' according to neapolitan ice cream. Each of them has their own brand of creepy, although one actually manages to have a bit of a happy ending. Just the ambition of the storytelling here is excellent, and it really pays off in all three stories.
My Little Poltergeist is perhaps the weakest of the four, but not by much. This one goes right in on the horror, with the Ice Cream Man and Caleb taking centre stage for the last quarter of the story, while the A plot about childhood trauma and the pain of losing a friend at a young age plays out really well too.
And then finally, Emergencies follows the crew of an ambulance as they weave through a town destroyed by insanity. This one gets worse and worse (in the good way) as you flip through the pages, and the final page reveal is both a great callback to the previous issue and a superb way to end the volume in that it really changes the game for the recurring characters we've seen.
Maybe I'm used to it already or maybe Martin Morazzo's artwork has improved, but the characters here didn't feel as lifeless or empty as they did before. Again, I'm not sure if that's a conscious choice or just a skill he's picked up between volumes, but everyone actually feels alive now rather than just puppets in the Ice Cream Man's story.
Four distinct flavours of horrible, all mixed up into a perfect sundae of sadistic pleasure. I hope the next few courses are as tantalising as this. (I'm not going to stop with the food puns, you can't make me.)
March 4, 2019
Oka, trochu lituji že jsem jedničce napálil plné hvězdy když tohle jí ještě převyšuje. Prince se tady už neskutečně rozjel a žádný z příběhů tady není slabý. Jeden je o chlápkovi co se rozhodne skočit z mrakodrapu a rozjímá o životě, přičemž v kancelářích toho mrakodrapu sup požírá lidi. Poté němé issue kde sledujeme tři variace jak mohl proběhnout život jednoho chlápka, příběh o holčice co se smiřuje se smrtí své kámošky svým způsobem a závěrečný brutální ale za to upřímně kritizující příběh o dnešní době. Vše má samozřejmě v sobě Ice Cream Mana, o němž se zase dozvídáme něco víc.
Je to mnohem lepší než první volume a v to jsem upřímně ani nedoufal že to půjde. Prince je génius.
Je to mnohem lepší než první volume a v to jsem upřímně ani nedoufal že to půjde. Prince je génius.
May 18, 2022
The first story was meh, but the next two were quite good and creepy.
March 14, 2019
Still a very weird book, although the stories verge on dark and depressing this time out. We also get introduced to a cowboy character, Caleb, who seems to be there to balance out the darker impulses of the Ice Cream Man, whose name is Riccardus. I think the story I liked best was the one that gave this volume its title, as we follow three different variant story possibilities for a man's life. This is the closest Prince gets to allowing any kind of hopeful, happy ending as one of the three shows the man living happily with a stray dog he has recovered (although he also knows it's a lost dog and that its owners are looking for it, so even that bit of happiness is tempered somewhat). The artwork continues to be strong. I'm not sure I really "like" this comic, but I think I'll keep reading it.
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August 10, 2023It's hard to know what's real...
The second volume feels like a day in the life of blue collar worker, or anybody. Weird things are happening everywhere regardless if it's a biracial girl who keeps asking for a seat for her deceased friend that died from cancer, an old lady yelling at her friend, two paramedics taking a patient to the hospital, or someone talking to himself as he's falling from the rooftop of a skyscraper...
Plus the cowboy, Caleb, is still after the friendly Ice Cream Man, Riccardus. This volume is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction: The scenes don't make sense, until the end when you realize everything is connected.
December 28, 2024
Still no much info about Ice Cream Man, but stories are getting crazier and work with panels in first two issues is great.
2024:
After second read I liked it more, Ice cream man is nice exercise, mixing genres, playing with comics medium. Short stories serving as mirror to the society and its problems.
Is Ice cream man real, is he just an idea or metaphor? Sometimes is hard to tell. This is one of the series you want to read as a whole to get the whole concept and idea behind it. Reading it book by book or issue by issue doesn't work that much.
Art is simple, but colorful and crazy as ice cream. Authors are not playing with story telling but also with visual side of the book
2024:
After second read I liked it more, Ice cream man is nice exercise, mixing genres, playing with comics medium. Short stories serving as mirror to the society and its problems.
Is Ice cream man real, is he just an idea or metaphor? Sometimes is hard to tell. This is one of the series you want to read as a whole to get the whole concept and idea behind it. Reading it book by book or issue by issue doesn't work that much.
Art is simple, but colorful and crazy as ice cream. Authors are not playing with story telling but also with visual side of the book
December 22, 2018
As good as the first, maybe even better!
So far the Ice cream man has done a nice job of keeping a creepy pace. Its still an anthology and you dont even really need to read the first to know whats going on. Multiple lives, real imaginary friends and creepy clowns are just a few things we take on this round. The art continues to amaze and daze. Really, my only complaint is that we havnt found out a little more about the Ice creams origins or what that cowboy wants from him. hopefully the next vol will answer some questions.
So far the Ice cream man has done a nice job of keeping a creepy pace. Its still an anthology and you dont even really need to read the first to know whats going on. Multiple lives, real imaginary friends and creepy clowns are just a few things we take on this round. The art continues to amaze and daze. Really, my only complaint is that we havnt found out a little more about the Ice creams origins or what that cowboy wants from him. hopefully the next vol will answer some questions.
November 16, 2019
I think this writer needs an intervention.
The anger and cynicism involved in this series is thoroughly unpleasant and provided no redeeming qualities. The stories start dark (the first issue is a man falling to his death, contrasted with a woman dealing with insane moments inside the building), and get darker. The second story tells three variations on the same story, but none of them are even interesting. The third story about an invisible friend is the 'best' of the collection. The final issue is just a series of disconnected stupid/violent events with no rationale or value. There's still a sense of a larger story between the Ice Cream Man and a cowboy, but it's not developed.
Maybe someone can get pleasure or value out of this nihilism. I've got a limited amount of time to read, and there's nothing here I want to spend any more time with. And I strongly recommend others avoid this as well.
The anger and cynicism involved in this series is thoroughly unpleasant and provided no redeeming qualities. The stories start dark (the first issue is a man falling to his death, contrasted with a woman dealing with insane moments inside the building), and get darker. The second story tells three variations on the same story, but none of them are even interesting. The third story about an invisible friend is the 'best' of the collection. The final issue is just a series of disconnected stupid/violent events with no rationale or value. There's still a sense of a larger story between the Ice Cream Man and a cowboy, but it's not developed.
Maybe someone can get pleasure or value out of this nihilism. I've got a limited amount of time to read, and there's nothing here I want to spend any more time with. And I strongly recommend others avoid this as well.
December 3, 2019
"The mosquitoes are collecting your blood so that, eventually they can replace you."
This is one of the best comics to come out of last year! Its like Junji Ito, but for the western world. I love that there appears to be a thread through the comics regarding the cowboy, Caleb, and his battle against Ice Cream Man, Riccardus, there is certainly something brewing there. Issue six was a bit of a let down but the rest, brilliant...4🌟
This is one of the best comics to come out of last year! Its like Junji Ito, but for the western world. I love that there appears to be a thread through the comics regarding the cowboy, Caleb, and his battle against Ice Cream Man, Riccardus, there is certainly something brewing there. Issue six was a bit of a let down but the rest, brilliant...4🌟
September 14, 2019
A crazy collection of hodgepodge horror stories. I absolutely love the aesthetic of this series, as most of the creepy reveals are a trip to look at, but the stories themselves seem to be all over the place. I think if the storytelling was a bit more focused, the collection as a whole would have been stronger. The art is great though, and that's probably the main reason why I'm going to read the next installment.
November 6, 2023
3.5 Stars
Felt kind of on the short side. I guess the silent issue factored into that. This is basically the perfect horror book for a nihilist. Hate the world or hate yourself just a little, or if you have a dark sense of humor, I recommend picking this series up.
Felt kind of on the short side. I guess the silent issue factored into that. This is basically the perfect horror book for a nihilist. Hate the world or hate yourself just a little, or if you have a dark sense of humor, I recommend picking this series up.
August 30, 2024
This edition had a story in it that made me cry.
February 12, 2020
There's something oddly soothing about these comics. To delve into this world of sheer absurdity and nihilism and see that, though there may be this supernatural battle between good (the cowboy in black) and evil (the ice cream man), evil always wins--or, at the very least always finds a way to wheedle inside the heads of humans and turn them evil--creates this sense of relief. Let me explain: for someone who doesn't believe in some cosmic grand plan or who doesn't have faith, seeing all the objective bad in the world--climate collapse, hunger, suffering, etc.--and hearing shit like "God always has a plan" or "everything happens for a reason" or "everything will be okay in the end and if it's not okay then it's not the end" can put a massive amount of pressure on them. Pressure to ignore reality and "just be happy" because everything is intrinsically good and good things happen to good people and it'll all work itself out.
Bull fucking shit.
Bad things happen to good people all the goddamn time and it's about time something recognizes that. Massive amounts of people are bad and evil and selfish and wrong and they get away with it all the damn time. There's no supernatural good force in the world and there's not evil force either, but there is this proclivity in human nature to just wreck shit, to Otherize, to hoard wealth and resources. We're barely civilized. Take away our electricity or access to the internet or fresh water and see how swiftly madness descends across the world.
Do I think everyone chooses to be like this or to do bad shit? Of course not. But those are also the kinds of people who the majority of folks would call mad or foolish or stupid or weird. And those aren't the kinds of people seeking power or positions of power. As illustrated by this comic, everyone has a good and bad side, and I think the cowboy in black and the ice cream man are supposed to represent this. It's like that American Indian folktale: everyone has two wolves inside them, a black wolf and white wolf, who are constantly in battle with each other. Which one do you think will win? Whichever one you feed the most. Look at the state of society. What are people feeding? Empathy? Altruism? Justice? Or is it narcissism, greed, gluttony?
But, in the end, does any of this matter? Does it matter if someone chooses to be kind or not?
I think the Triptych (Neapolitan) part of this comic illustrated this the best. No matter what path you choose, it always ends the same way: with uncertainty, pain, suffering, isolation, and death.
One way or another...
I think it does. I think we always have a choice. And I think choosing to be virtuous despite it all is the only way to live well. But I also think that this is a choice very few people make. It's hard. And ignorance, willful or not, is bliss.
Bull fucking shit.
Bad things happen to good people all the goddamn time and it's about time something recognizes that. Massive amounts of people are bad and evil and selfish and wrong and they get away with it all the damn time. There's no supernatural good force in the world and there's not evil force either, but there is this proclivity in human nature to just wreck shit, to Otherize, to hoard wealth and resources. We're barely civilized. Take away our electricity or access to the internet or fresh water and see how swiftly madness descends across the world.
Do I think everyone chooses to be like this or to do bad shit? Of course not. But those are also the kinds of people who the majority of folks would call mad or foolish or stupid or weird. And those aren't the kinds of people seeking power or positions of power. As illustrated by this comic, everyone has a good and bad side, and I think the cowboy in black and the ice cream man are supposed to represent this. It's like that American Indian folktale: everyone has two wolves inside them, a black wolf and white wolf, who are constantly in battle with each other. Which one do you think will win? Whichever one you feed the most. Look at the state of society. What are people feeding? Empathy? Altruism? Justice? Or is it narcissism, greed, gluttony?
But, in the end, does any of this matter? Does it matter if someone chooses to be kind or not?
I think the Triptych (Neapolitan) part of this comic illustrated this the best. No matter what path you choose, it always ends the same way: with uncertainty, pain, suffering, isolation, and death.
One way or another...
I think it does. I think we always have a choice. And I think choosing to be virtuous despite it all is the only way to live well. But I also think that this is a choice very few people make. It's hard. And ignorance, willful or not, is bliss.
March 28, 2022
Wow this was even more intense! I LOVED the neapolitan storyline and the concept Martin did with his art. Mind blowingly good.
I will say this one definitely had more gory panels that were quite unsettling. I don't know what that says about me enjoying it 😅.
The info at the end, explaining the different panels and Martin's art was super interesting as well.
I'm hooked to say the least.
I will say this one definitely had more gory panels that were quite unsettling. I don't know what that says about me enjoying it 😅.
The info at the end, explaining the different panels and Martin's art was super interesting as well.
I'm hooked to say the least.
February 20, 2019
It improves quickly and it's still just so far out in front of so many other comics. It's original and taking real chances.
July 23, 2020
A very bizarre but compelling volume. Some disturbing and enthralling imagery. An excellent continuation to the first volume. Can't wait to read the third!
January 19, 2021
(3.4/5)
April 14, 2021
Great addition to this horror gem. I can't wait to see where Vol. 3 goes. This collection of stories seemed extremely dark.
October 27, 2022
(Zero spoiler review for the Sundae edition, collecting this volume) 3.25/5
I'm fairly sure Mr. W. Maxwell Prince wasn't hugged enough as a child. I'm also sure this wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I cracked open this rather lovely and well put together OHC. If there is one long suffering genre within the entertainment lexicon, it would have to be horror. Yes, entertainment in general is suffering circa 2022 (and for a few more years yet unfortunately). I'm not sure if there has been an original idea since 1998. Most movies are the most tiresome and tropesome of snoozefests. Either a bland and boring gorefest, with nothing approaching plot, characters or genuine suspense, or a discount retelling of something that had already been done to death anyway. I'm guessing you were expecting me to say Ice Cream Man is a breath of fresh air, pouring fresh blood into a genre on life support these last couple of decades, but I'm not going to. At least not for the most part anyway.
This certainly isn't your straight up horror, which was pretty much what I expected it to be. There's nothing even remotely atypical about this whatsoever, though the originality and ingenuity doesn't instantly equal good. More unsettling than scary, and more depressing than depraved. This is like Trainspotting, but horror, and weird. Sometimes it works, sometimes its doesn't.
There are some genuinely decent ideas here, though some average execution often lets them down at times. The art too, is hit and miss, with its very indie leanings working at times, and looking a bit amateurish at others. One thing you can credit this book for is its originality. I don't think I've ever seen such an original collection of 'horror' stories ever assembled together in one place. But again, originality doesn't always equal good. If some of these more middling issues had been better executed, even with more traditional stories and settings, I would have finished this book enjoying it more than I ultimately did.
It's certainly worth a look, although going in knowing its well different from your traditional horror fare will help you to appreciate and absorb this for what it is. Though its unpleasantness at the cost of more compelling characters and storytelling will probably prevent me ever rereading. 3.25/5
OmniBen.
I'm fairly sure Mr. W. Maxwell Prince wasn't hugged enough as a child. I'm also sure this wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I cracked open this rather lovely and well put together OHC. If there is one long suffering genre within the entertainment lexicon, it would have to be horror. Yes, entertainment in general is suffering circa 2022 (and for a few more years yet unfortunately). I'm not sure if there has been an original idea since 1998. Most movies are the most tiresome and tropesome of snoozefests. Either a bland and boring gorefest, with nothing approaching plot, characters or genuine suspense, or a discount retelling of something that had already been done to death anyway. I'm guessing you were expecting me to say Ice Cream Man is a breath of fresh air, pouring fresh blood into a genre on life support these last couple of decades, but I'm not going to. At least not for the most part anyway.
This certainly isn't your straight up horror, which was pretty much what I expected it to be. There's nothing even remotely atypical about this whatsoever, though the originality and ingenuity doesn't instantly equal good. More unsettling than scary, and more depressing than depraved. This is like Trainspotting, but horror, and weird. Sometimes it works, sometimes its doesn't.
There are some genuinely decent ideas here, though some average execution often lets them down at times. The art too, is hit and miss, with its very indie leanings working at times, and looking a bit amateurish at others. One thing you can credit this book for is its originality. I don't think I've ever seen such an original collection of 'horror' stories ever assembled together in one place. But again, originality doesn't always equal good. If some of these more middling issues had been better executed, even with more traditional stories and settings, I would have finished this book enjoying it more than I ultimately did.
It's certainly worth a look, although going in knowing its well different from your traditional horror fare will help you to appreciate and absorb this for what it is. Though its unpleasantness at the cost of more compelling characters and storytelling will probably prevent me ever rereading. 3.25/5
OmniBen.
January 5, 2026
Absolutely terrifying and that cliffhanger… I need more! 😱
August 8, 2022
I'm not sure why, but I liked this one W-A-Y more than the first volume.
Perhaps it was the one happy ending that involved a dog . . .
I'm actually looking forward to volume three.
Perhaps it was the one happy ending that involved a dog . . .
I'm actually looking forward to volume three.
November 23, 2021
Another collection of barely connected horror shorts, two quite good and two painfully disjointed.
Loved the issue cover in the back showcasing the ice cream man in a dress with his bare ankle censored for indecency by the Comics Code Authority. Random and delightful.
Not a bad volume, but the series isn't really doing anything for me. I'll be stopping with v2.
Ballad of a Falling Man
A man jumps off a hundred story building and philosophizes all the way down. A woman working in the building experiences all manner of disconnected horrors: a vulture maiming suits, who don't seem to notice; a declaration of love from a coworker holding a severed head; a disemboweled man with nonsensical questions.
Strange Neapolitan
Best short story of the series so far. The POV character orders a neapolitan triple scoop from the ice cream man. We then view three possible futures at once, washed in neapolitan colors, as he takes three paths home.
1) He meets a woman, marriage, baby, baby dies, woman goes catatonic with grief.
2) He finds an injured puppy, adoption, they happily live out the dog's long life together. (Bonus points for naming the dog Triptych.)
3) The cone is filled with maggots, his groceries give birth to a monsterbird, he receives a sinister package, he's kidnapped by a bird-headed man, a birdmonster chews its way out of his chest.
My Little Poltergeist
A 9yo girl loses her best friend to cancer. Her parents are concerned that she continues to play with the dead girl. She's kidnapped by the ice cream man in monstrous form then rescued by Caleb. When she gets home she finally acknowledges that her friend is dead.
Emergencies
A bizarre collection of surreal non-sequiturs. A polar bear eating a man in the suburbs. An EMT describes feeding bleach to her pet hamster. A man covered in leeches and worms. A robber shoots himself in the head just because. Four kids throw a dead clown in a river. A jealous girlfriend sets her house on fire. And finally Caleb in the back of an ambulance with a knife in his neck. What does that mean for the good people of...whatever town this is?
Loved the issue cover in the back showcasing the ice cream man in a dress with his bare ankle censored for indecency by the Comics Code Authority. Random and delightful.
Not a bad volume, but the series isn't really doing anything for me. I'll be stopping with v2.
Ballad of a Falling Man
A man jumps off a hundred story building and philosophizes all the way down. A woman working in the building experiences all manner of disconnected horrors: a vulture maiming suits, who don't seem to notice; a declaration of love from a coworker holding a severed head; a disemboweled man with nonsensical questions.
Strange Neapolitan
Best short story of the series so far. The POV character orders a neapolitan triple scoop from the ice cream man. We then view three possible futures at once, washed in neapolitan colors, as he takes three paths home.
1) He meets a woman, marriage, baby, baby dies, woman goes catatonic with grief.
2) He finds an injured puppy, adoption, they happily live out the dog's long life together. (Bonus points for naming the dog Triptych.)
3) The cone is filled with maggots, his groceries give birth to a monsterbird, he receives a sinister package, he's kidnapped by a bird-headed man, a birdmonster chews its way out of his chest.
My Little Poltergeist
A 9yo girl loses her best friend to cancer. Her parents are concerned that she continues to play with the dead girl. She's kidnapped by the ice cream man in monstrous form then rescued by Caleb. When she gets home she finally acknowledges that her friend is dead.
Emergencies
A bizarre collection of surreal non-sequiturs. A polar bear eating a man in the suburbs. An EMT describes feeding bleach to her pet hamster. A man covered in leeches and worms. A robber shoots himself in the head just because. Four kids throw a dead clown in a river. A jealous girlfriend sets her house on fire. And finally Caleb in the back of an ambulance with a knife in his neck. What does that mean for the good people of...whatever town this is?
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