Comic Review: Ice Cream Man Presents: Quarantine Comix Special #1

Ice Cream Man Presents: Quarantine Comix Special #1

Image Comics

Writer: W. Maxwell Prince

Artist: Martin Morazzo

Back towards the beginning of the pandemic, the creative team behind Ice Cream Man decided to start a new project. The goal was to raise money for brick-and-mortar comic book stores that were struggling due to the virus. Once a week for six consecutive weeks, they would release “mini-comic” and donate half the profits to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. After the six weeks, they had a four-week stretch where they had guest creators put together mini-comic of their own. The entire industry was on pause so the project also helps appease readers while they waited for more content. This week they are putting out all of those mini issues into a physical issue. Ice Cream Man Presents Quarantine Comix Special will be six dollars, contain ten short stories, and half of the profits will once again be donated to support brick-and-mortar comic book stores.

Most of the short stories in this issue are related to the quarantine in a direct or indirect way. Some are to make you smile and others are there for the writer to convey the hardships of the pandemic. Regardless of the angle, I found almost all of the stories to be very effective. The shorts that deal directly with the problems people are facing are downright relatable. In a time of social isolation, having the human connection really goes a long way. Even the ones that aren’t as specifically about quarantine leave me feeling a little more connected to others.

Because of how short each story is, explaining the premise of them feels a bit like a spoiler. For that reason, I’m not going to go into any detail about the mini-comics. Half the fun for me was just finding out what each premise was and where it was headed. With only a few pages to set up and pay off a story, the writers had to get pretty creative. Ice Cream Man has always felt like a-gimmick-an-issue kind of book, and I mean that in the best possible way. Challenging the same writer to come up with mini-comics pushes that creativity even further.

The first six mini-comics are exactly what you would expect – short versions of Ice Cream Man issues. That’s not to say they’re by any means played out or expected. They are just what you are probably looking for when you pick up this issue (which you should). The final four short stories, however, are all a very pleasant surprise. It was exciting to go to the next page just to see what art style you were going to find. I won’t spoil it but one stood out as the most unexpected and I am so thankful for its inclusion. Not only does it highlight some creators you may not know but it also spices up this issue.

This issue is one of my favorite reads from this year. Half the profits go towards a cause anyone who might read it can get behind which just give you more reason to pick it up. And while I may have glossed over it, ten short stories for six dollars is a deal. It’s a fun experience that really should not be missed. I highly recommend this issue to everyone who enjoys comic books and wants to help out their stores.