ICE CREAM MAN #44: Performance Review

Ice Cream Man #44: Craig has his year-end performance review! Is he up for a promotion or something far worse?

Creative Team:

W. Maxwell Prince: WRITER

Martin Morazzo: ART and COVER

Chris O’Halloran: COLORS and COVER

Good Old Neon: LETTERS

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Story:

If you are familiar with the anthology series of Ice Cream Man, then you know how clever the writing can be.

Prince delivers another hit with his tongue-in-cheek office banter and allusions to real life in the office. Poor Craig, many people will be able to see themselves in Craig working a dead end 9-5 job and feeling as though they are one bad day away from going off the deep end.

There is a cleverly creepy manner in which the two interviewing Craig for his review speak to him which is where the creepiness of this story really sinks in. T

he issue ends in what I imagine is another tongue in cheek reaction to American work culture as Craig sits back down at his desk amongst bodies lying about.

The Artwork:

This issue is full of artistic easter eggs in the back, such as our devilish Ice Cream Man drawn in Craig’s cubicle and how his family is dressed like the mailman. I love the flashback sequences between the grey and the brutal fashion of red and black, in which Craig is using his chainsaw on his co-workers.

There’s a way the overly joyful daughter and her executive dad are overly cheerful in an unsettling manner that hits home in this issue. The art proves you don’t always need to full on show the horror or gore to make a horror story land.

Final Thoughts:

Ice Cream Man #44 is a blend of tongue-in-cheek humor for modern American work culture and slowly delivers an unsettling feeling that you cannot quite put your finger on. If you need a good new comic to read pick this up!

For more reviews by Matt and links to his podcast head to http://linktr.ee/hopsgeeknews