Review: Ice Cream Man Vol. 3- Hopscotch Melange
Quick Summary
Pros: The horror is just as dark and frightening as before. The horror stories also explore some intriguing topics. This volume finally starts providing answers about what this series is about. The artwork looks good and suits the comic well.
Cons: The stories here feel slightly less meaningful than they did in previous books.
Overall: This comic is another successful example of a horror comic book done right. The storytelling and artwork here are still creepy and give readers the well-thought-out horror for which the series is now known. Plus, it doubles down on the secrets and mysteries that were hinted at in the past, giving readers just a taste of satisfying resolution. Readers who enjoyed previous entries in this series, especially those intrigued by its background story, will enjoy this volume as well.
Story
Ice Cream Man Vol. 3: Hopscotch Melange, by W. Maxwell Prince, feels similar to its predecessors but contains a unique twist that really helps it stand out. Once again, this collection mostly centers around individual and unrelated horror stories. These stories are all a successful mix between dark dives into frightening horror and meaningful glances at reality. However, this volume also devotes a significant portion of the read to exploring a mysterious subplot that has been slowly developing since the series began. It doesn’t reveal too much right now but gives readers some assurance that this subplot is going to be good and instills some additional excitement for the future. All of this helps make this collection a solid continuation of the series and makes it worth reading in general.
(spoilers start here)
Hopscotch Melange starts out by immediately addressing the enigmatic battle centered around the titular Ice Cream Man. Up to this point, this battle has been a background feature of this comic. Hints about it pop up here and there but nothing significant is actually revealed. This volume takes a more active approach and actually spends a whole chapter detailing what appears to be the origin of the Ice Cream Man, Rick, and the Ice Cream Man’s cousin, Caleb. While it is tremendously satisfying to learn something of substance about what is going on, this volume also makes sure never to reveal too much, keeping the reader in a place of tense but entertaining suspense.
The aspects revealed about Rick and Caleb’s struggle are dark, intense, and fit this series perfectly. The two appear to be godlike beings with powers that go far beyond human comprehension. Their story appears to be addressing issues relating to death and the potential pitfalls of nihilism that are interesting, even if these themes are just starting to form. The result is a captivating read that left me wanting more, which, I’m sure, is exactly what this comic was going for.
From here, Hopscotch Melange returns to detailing individuals stories that are only vaguely connected by Rick’s presence in them. These stories are shocking, existentially frightening, and all well-written. Essentially, they feel very similar to the stories from the previous two volumes. In particular, I enjoyed “TV Story”, which took provided a criticism of reality television that feels more nuanced and effective than most other criticisms I’ve seen.
The only disappointing aspect of these individual stories is that they tend to be less intensely meaningful than before. Stories here are still steeped in meaning and allegory, searching for understanding behind life and death, but the end result doesn’t stop you in your tracks as suddenly as it did in prior volumes.
(spoilers end here)
Art
Much like the previous two volumes, the artwork in Hopscotch Melange is an integral and successful piece in making this series what it is. Martín Morazzo’s illustrations look great and detail a creative array of environments. They also show the ability to effortlessly shift between beautiful and creative to shocking and grotesque. The effect works wonders for instilling the creepy tone that this book is going for. Colors from Chris O’Halloran also help in this regard and further establish this comic’s unique mood. The volume doesn’t quite push the limits on what comics can do, like some earlier chapters did, but it does accurately tell the stories in ways that are interesting. In the end, the artwork here is a great compliment to the series as a whole.
Continuity
Ice Cream Man Vol. 3: Hopscotch Melange continues the story from Ice Cream Man Vol. 2: Strange Neapolitan (Review).
The story here continues in Ice Cream Man Vol. 4: Tiny Lives.