Review: Ice Cream Man #24

Something is rotten in Jerry’s life and Ice Cream Man 24 bemoans the lack of empathy in our society towards those suffering. Jerry’s life is falling apart between depression, isolation, losing his job, losing his health and divorce. The telethon to save his life runs throughout the issue and notes just how little emotional economy we have to spare.

The telethon continues on with comic futility even as commercials emphasize the growing depression, dependence on pills, and simmering anger at a world that ignores pain. The issue brilliantly draws the audience into the crowd of guilty bystanders by offering to help Jerry if we simply stop reading the comic and put it down. It then adds the classic trope of asking us to not shoot a dog if we stop reading.

But continue reading we do, just as complicit in our apathy towards violence and suffering as the caregivers pronouncing Jerry dead. The issue ends with vapid obituaries for Jerry and the Dog.

The writing by W. Maxwell Prince is as glib and ironic as you’d ever want. The points being made are repeated over and over in different ways. It does create a bit of exhaustion but clearly that’s the point. It’s easy to care about someone for a moment and move on, it’s much harder to give up something for them, be it time, money, energy or even reading a comic.

The art by Martin Morazzo is detailed and brilliant in its nuances. His art serves as a great parody of humanity with false emotions and smiles that aren’t ever truly joyful, helpful or kind. It has a bit of Frank Quitley to it. The art style and colors vary just the right amount to make the commercials their own stories without being jarring.

This book is about our own exhaustion and despair but also serves as a call to action to all of us as readers to take the time and make the effort to show those around us and around the world that they matter and that we truly care and want to help them get through these tough times.

Writing: 3.8 of 5 stars
Art: 3.6 of 5 stars
Colors: 3.8 of 5 stars

Overall: 3.7 of 5 stars

Writer: W.Maxwell Prince
Art: Martin Morazzo
Colors: Chris O’Halloran
Publisher: Image Comics

Check out an interview with Martin Morazzo via Awesome Sauce Radio on Comic Crusaders world on You Tube

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.