Ice Cream Man Vol. 8: Subjects & Objects
W. Maxwell Prince, writer; Martín Morazzo, artist; Chris O’Halloran, colors
Image Comics, 2022
This compilation continues the pattern of presenting four stand-alone stories. "Living Will" is set at a funeral service. The Ice Cream Man is the executor, and reads prepared remarks. Will Parsons was an average man, albeit one with a penchant for anxiety. His material assets don't amount to much, but along with them he passes along valuable things like the ability to fully heal from your trauma; self-sufficiency, self-possession, and clear purpose. And peace and love for everyone. "Experimental Storytelling" is a wild tale about a drug trial with multiple levels of deception, full of surprises right till the end. "A Scale (Sort of a Poem)" takes a rare voyage into sentiment. It follows a young family through divorce and the aging process. Both parents try dating again without success, and at age forty their daughter does the same. Finally, she is called to the hospital to say goodbye to her father. Beautiful and emotional, with none of the ironic tones so characteristic of the series. The final story "Recovery" comes with a Prelude, which establishes how troubled protagonist Doug is. The main story opens with him as a resident of the Cassandra Rehabilitation & Detox Center. He is not making much process: ironically, part of the treatment is the drug Neuramaze that featured in the drug trial story; he also reads the novel that featured in the previous family story. But he somehow completes the therapy and heads home, full of the hope he has found. Yet another dark story with a welcome burst of light.
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