Comic Review: Ice Cream Man (2018-) #13

Ice Cream Man (2018-) #13

Image Comics

Writer: W. Maxwell Prince

Artist: Martin Morazzo

Ice Cream Man is definitely up there in my list of favorite comics of all time. I’m not too big of a fan of horror or Twilight Zone type things, but this series had me hooked from the first issue. The individual stories are all fantastic and one nearly made me cry. It’s a good book, is what I’m saying.

This issue of Ice Cream Man is titled “Palindromes” and it’s a very accurate description. The comic can be read forward as any regular comic would be. But you can also read it in reverse, kind of like a manga. This issue is good, and I think a good portion of it comes down to the presentation of it. The cover and back cover are the same image but flipped. There’s a credits page, a title page, a page introducing the palindromes. But then, it all gets mirrored again, from the last page moving backward. 

The comic doesn’t lie in its introduction. It is a palindrome. About halfway through, the comic starts reversing itself. The same dialogue, the same panels, again, just flipped. The story on its own is good. It’s on the darker side, but with that Ice Cream Man mystery to it. There’s a guy, who’s just lost the love of his life. Seeking answers, he decides to go to the Underworld. Literally a world in the sewers under his street. I won’t go more into details, but it’s definitely a tale of loss and acceptance, in a certain kind of way.

Again, a lot of this comic comes from the presentation, and I think it nails it. Martin Morazzo is one of my favorite comic artists. His style is recognizable for me, and if his name is on a comic, I know I’ll at least enjoy the art. His art here carries a big task, having to read one way, and then another. And the thing is, it works really well. The panels are the same, but they carry two tones for each half of the story. I’d also be remiss not to mention Chris O’Halloran. His colors just add to the whole feeling of unease this issue (and the series as a whole) has.

This series always ranks high on my scale. It’s easily one of my favorite comics ever, and this issue is up there for being one of the best issues. The concept of being a complete palindrome is something I’m sure isn’t easy. But the team behind Ice Cream Man pulls it off and pulls it off well. If you aren’t already reading this series, there’s no better time to start than now.