REVIEW: Ice Cream Man #32

3.33/5.0 Stars 
Rating if the Book Were a Movie: R

Creative Team:

Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
Artist: Martin Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran
Letters: Good Old Neon
Cover: Martin Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran
Publisher: Image Comics 

Ratings:

Story: 3.4 Stars
Artwork: 3.2 Stars
Cover Artwork: 3.6 Stars
Dialogue: 3.2 Stars
Mechanics: 3.3 Stars
Editing: 3.3 Stars

About the Book:

Ice Cream Man #32 introduces us to Doug. Doug is a patient at the Cassandra Rehab Center. Over the course of this issue we see Doug endure the emotional trials and tribulations of going through the process of getting clean and sober. We see everything from Doug admitting he has a problem to his visitation with his family to relapsing to being blessed to go home.

Reader’s Notes:

I have always liked how Ice Cream Man is a series of short stories that, with the exception of the Ice Cream Man, have little to no character continuity from issue to issue. Each month is a new cast of characters in a new story. I like that because if you’re less than enthralled with the current story, you know you’re getting a new one the following month.

Every issue of Ice Cream Man I’ve read has left me thinking, “That was awesome” or “That was weird”. Issue number 32 was no exception. The story may take a different route than I would; but it gives us a very plausible storyline for what someone in rehab could be experiencing. Going through withdrawal one can have visions like the Shadow Man. People will make deals with God to make the pain go away. That’s how so many people end up relapsing. They know drugs/alcohol are bad. They also know it will take the pain, be it emotional or physical, and make it go away.

This cover is very fitting given the nature of this book. Everyone talks about recovery being a 12 step program. It’s not. Addicts very seldom make it from admitting that they have a problem to being completely clean and sober on the first attempt. Having multiple sets of stairs is fitting because odds are someone seeking treatment is going to need to go through the first few steps more than once.

The artwork on the interior pages does a great job of conveying the message of the story. I’d prefer to have a little bit more detail on some panels. With that being said, I’m okay with not having extremely vivid panels of Doug getting sick. I did like the drawings Ginny did.

There are a few good jokes in this book, and if stories that are a bit out of left field are your thing this one might be up your alley. As a geek on a budget I would say you can probably pass on Ice Cream Man #32. I like unusual, out of left field stuff, and this one is a bit too out there for me. It’s a lot like What to Expect When You’re Expecting, only for addicts. That’s great if you or someone you love is getting the help that is needed. Otherwise it just doesn’t resonate with the reader.