Advance Review: What We Leave Behind In `Ice Cream Man’ #29

It is sometimes said that a person’s life can be measured by what they leave after they have died. If that’s the case, Will Parson had a pretty rotten life, as told in Ice Cream Man #29.

Sure he had a wife and daughter, parents who loved him as well as a best friend to share his experiences, but Will’s person effects left a lot to be desired: a couple of DVDs with no player, some beaten-up boots, a stash of illicit drugs and an ill-fitting suit.

During this issue’s story, the reader is ping-ponged between the reading of the deceased’s will and his best friend Corey’s journey to the acceptance of Will’s death. This being Ice Cream Man, it’s not exactly a pleasant journey.

As is usually the case in these one-off stories, writer W. Maxwell Prince tells a though-provoking tale. This issue though is a bit more confusing the usual given the narrative’s interwoven storylines. The story with Corey following his deceased best friend’s life through a carnival and a museum add to the confusion. Still, Prince weaves everything together in the end, providing what could loosely be seen as a rare happy ending for a character in the series. (Again, it’s Ice Cream Man, so that happy ending should be taken with a grain of salt.)

Artist Martin Morazzo has fun with the carnival and museum imagery, depicting a man’s ups and downs as well as his insecurities through the lens of roller coasters and games of chance. He is ably assisted by Chris O’Halloran’s colors. As a bonus in this oversized issue, the reader is treated to some concept drawings.

Ice Cream Man keeps serving up thought-provoking stories of terror that keep the reader asking for another scoop.

Ice Cream Man #29 will be available for purchase on April 20, 2022.