Ice Cream Man #6 Review

A Neopolitan Trilogy

Written by: W Maxwell Prince
Art by Martin Morazzo / Chris O'Halloran
Publisher: Image
Release Date: 15 August 2018
Reviewed by: Andrew McAvoy  

After a brief break, the Ice Cream Man has pulled his van back into the suburbs to sell his wares to the unsuspecting neighborhood. The first arc of this series (or at least the first volume  - arc suggests a greater level of direct interconnection between the stories) was very interesting and curious. Will we get more answers here as to what connects the stories involving this sinister ice cream vendor? Let's see. 

The layout of the art in this book is all important to the storytelling. Color-coded into three prominent colors, each is used to tell the story. What is unclear is whether the tale depicted are three alternative universes or three stages in the main character's life. I suspect the latter. The color separation allows us to read them, compare and contrast the stages/stories and there is an added poignancy which stems from that. There is also the usual quirky art style, with its sinister undertones and wobbly smiles. 

The story itself is one which shows the main character purchasing a Neapolitan ice cream from the van, the story that fractures in three. In the first story we see how the lead character meets his partner and the story of the birth and death of a young child, before their lives fall apart. The second tells a story of the man and his canine companion - seemingly in his older years. The third is the horrific tale of how the ice cream consumed from the vendor lays a parasite in the man's body which hatches and leads to his torment in a torture chamber. 

Bits and Pieces:

As has been the case in this book all along, we get more questions than answers. Like a comic book equivalent of Twin Peaks. This sense of pervading mystery is coupled with enough information to build a curious story around. I like the formula and each issue is intriguing. 

8.4/10