r/ImageComics • u/creepshowens • Jul 17 '26
Discussion Picked up Ice Cream Man #1
I just sold an Absolute Batman #1 that I bought when it came out, and made enough to buy this while still keeping some cash from the sale.
In recent months, I’ve been kicking myself for missing out on this book for so long. That was exacerbated when Deadman #2 came out. Ultimately, I’m not worried about value and am just happy to have it, but I feel like this book will be a better value over time. Agree? Disagree?
And I’m not trying to flex, I’m simply excited and don’t have many friends (maybe one?) who would care to discuss it.
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u/Ready_Player_ Jul 17 '26
My 2nd favorite issue. My favorite is the Mortal Coil Shuffle deck of cards they did last year. So cool.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I did pick those up when they came out. Such a great concept and execution
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u/Mas_tapatio Jul 18 '26
I have those and haven't played them yet! Thanks for the reminder to give them a go.
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u/Ready_Player_ Jul 18 '26
It’s a comic told in card form, not so much a card game. It’s really quite neat and the first of its kind. Highly recommended.
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u/chknsdntclp Jul 19 '26
They’ve announced a black and white reprint of the first issue that has a cover you have to use a decoder to see. It’s called the Chocolate/Vanilla Twist and I think it’s scheduled to release 10/14/26. Love all the gimmicks and ideas they come up with.
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u/markjmendoza Jul 17 '26
Hell yeah! Love the series, been a fan since the beginning (or very close to it). Unfortunately, my #1 is a 2nd printing. Almost worse, my store got shorted #17 when it came out (damn pandy) so I never got one despite my subscription. C’est la comix. You should also check out Art Brut and their Superman run!
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I’ve been meaning to pick up that Superman TPB. I bought the first issue when it came out and still wasn’t hip to them, so I never even read it and then forgot until they were all sold out. I’ll look into Art Brut. Thanks!
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u/MannequinRaces Jul 17 '26
Think you for mentioning the Superman run! I had no idea they did that! I haven’t been following comics closely for a year or two but but love ICM and the creators! I’m going to order this!
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
They’re doing Deadman right now, as well, in case you missed that. It’s outstanding
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u/lapinatanegra Jul 17 '26
Bro how much did you sell it for?
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
Just over $300
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u/markjmendoza Jul 17 '26
Can I ask how you sold it? I have one and don’t really care to hold on to it.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I sold it on eBay. I actually bought Ice Cream Man first and then used the packaging from that to ship AB
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u/SkoomaForSale Jul 17 '26
same here glad i got it on release lol
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u/trolleyblue Jul 17 '26
I always say I’m lucky I had a good comic shop because of ICM #1. The guy who worked there told me check it out based on other shit I liked. It became a monthly pull for me but also having a first print of issue 1 is pretty cool.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I’ve got a great shop like that, too. They even put a few copies of books like that aside so they don’t get swooped by people flipping them
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u/manicgraphic Jul 17 '26
How was it worth that much? Was it a variant cover or something?
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
Nah, cover A. They’ve been consistently selling for $250-350 since the animated series got announced. They were about $150 before that
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u/BoogKnight Jul 17 '26
That’s crazy, they printed 400,000 and then 10 more printings
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
Yeah, that’s why I sold it now. I’ve been buying comics since the eighties, so I’ve been around the block. I think there’s still room for it to go up, but there’s always a chance this is its peak
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u/BoogKnight Jul 17 '26
Yeah it definitely feels like an artificial price based on deserved hype, fomo, and the investor/flipper market but who knows I guess
Congrats on ICM 1! Absolutely love that series
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u/BoogKnight Jul 17 '26
Absolute Batman is worth that much more??? They printed like a zillion
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u/xComicX Jul 17 '26
Batman has an established worldwide fan base. AB also has the potential to downswing after FOMO passes in a couple years.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
Yeah, I’m curious to see what it settles at in a decade or so
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u/xComicX Jul 17 '26
Depends on how well the animated series is received. If it flops, it could fall fast. If it does well it might have staying power as long as the series is in print.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
For sure, and the future is unknown beyond that. If it does well they could expand. Video game, movie, etc.
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u/BoogKnight Jul 17 '26
I know, it just always baffles me seeing a single issue with such an insane first print run selling so high. You’d think they’d still be readily available for like 10-15$. I really hate the current collector market, ruining comics and so many other hobbies
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I don’t see how it ruins it. Hot books always end up collected in TPBs. If you’re super into it, you can do what most of us do and go to your LCS or order online and get new books every week!
I’m personally stoked to see so many young people getting into comics these days. I’ve been reading for forty years and I think the stories and art are arguably at an all time high. Personally, collectors aren’t ruining anything for me. I’m stoked when a book I bought the day it came out is worth money and I can sell it to fund my habit. Grateful we have so many good comics!
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u/BoogKnight Jul 17 '26
It makes it prohibitively expensive to collect singles for series you like when flippers/scalpers buy them up. That’s what ruins it imo, and maybe ruins is being too harsh. My old shop (before it closed down 😢) would always have these awesome books on consignment on the wall (early walking dead, saga, siktc) and the owner, who is an awesome guy, said they were all from a sports card flipper who was trying his hand at comics. That puts a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve found plenty of YouTube channels about “investing” in comics with no mention of actually reading them (“you gotta pull this book, it’s gonna be a 50$ book in a few months!”) which also saddens me.
I do understand hot books have higher value, and that often does happen naturally, but a lot of the prices are inflated due to the collector craze like in video games and Pokemon right now. Absolute Batman sold 400,000 first print #1,followed by 10 more printings, there’s absolutely no reason it should be 150-300 dollars on eBay.
I do buy singles every week and agree it’s awesome to see more people getting into it, specifically reading them. I want publishers and shops to do well but it bums me out a bit when people just see them as investments to sell later
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u/creepshowens Jul 18 '26
Totally understand being a little bummed by it, and as you said, that’s a far cry from ruining it!
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u/M0torC1tyMaver1ck Jul 17 '26
The AB #1 will go down as a major modern key...but it really just depends on what you enjoy 👍
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I still have a couple left. I’m not sure I think it will be a major modern key in 10-15 years, but I’ll make sure to hold onto them in case it does! I’m also sure ICM #1 had a way lower print run
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u/enjoiYosi Jul 17 '26
100% it will be a major key for Batman collectors. Absolute Batman has more momentum than anything like it in years and years.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I agree it has momentum, but I compare it to Ultimate Spider-Man (which is why I bought multiple copies when it came out). If you look at the value of USM #1 25 years later, it’s good, but nothing crazy. I think ABM #1 hit its first plateau right now. It might drop a little, then will go back up when the cartoon gets a trailer and/or comes out. If they make other adaptations, it could keep going up, but in 25 years, I’m not sure it will be any more important that USM #1.
I sure hope you’re right though, as I will have at least 1 or 2 copies for many years to come
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u/Killerwit Jul 17 '26
Mmmmmaybe. I feel like AB is a much more original take on Batman than USM was on Spider-man but, yeah, you can never really tell
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
100% agree with all of that, though I did love reading USM back in the day when it was coming out. Very similar though in terms of people hunting down first appearances and paying a premium for them, just kinda on steroids, almost like Absolute Batman himself
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u/M0torC1tyMaver1ck Jul 17 '26
I think Ice Cream man has potential. I see its been going since 2018 and has 45 issues, so people definitely like it. I probably need to read more than one issue before i make a judgment 👍
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
Yeah, I think the value on this issue will continue to go up, as long as the series continues, which will hopefully be for a long, long time, because it rules!
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u/FreeAd2458 Jul 17 '26
I picked up the variant of 1 a few weeks after it came out. Not minty mint but hey its there to read.
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u/Don_Quixotel Jul 17 '26
I just got vol. 1 from the library yesterday and read it last night. Incredibly creepy and fun. The first volume raises more questions than answers. I’m excited to see where the story goes from there.
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u/kornnut Jul 17 '26
Love the series. For later volumes, you might get lucky with a future Humble Bundle (it's been there twice already). However, I bet the Eli Roth movie doesnt do the book series a justice and only builds off of the book title. Note: I am going off the movie trailers.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I have no intention of watching the movie, and to be honest, from the trailer, I wasn’t entirely sure if that was the movie based on the comic, though I had heard it was optioned. Roth doesn’t do it for me anymore, so it’s too bad he’s the one who made it
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u/markjmendoza Jul 17 '26
So it’s a bit confusing but the Ice Cream Man trailer that’s out right now is NOT the adaptation of the comic. It’s a totally different thing. I was confused as well and then discovered that little tidbit. I was a bit bummed they decided to make a movie and not a series but oh well.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
Oh, nice! Alright, that’s great. I would definitely prefer a series, but as long as the movie is strange and good, I think I’ll be happy!
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u/enjoiYosi Jul 17 '26
Is this valuable? I have 1-12 first editions but I never paid attention to the value
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
Yeah, this issue routinely goes for a couple hundred these days. A lot of the early issues are worth a decent amount, too
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u/Killerwit Jul 17 '26
This is awesome. I think AB 1 has legs but ICM is a mighty fine comic as well. You did good, man. Enjoy it!
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u/Informal_Ad8683 Jul 17 '26
It’s such a good series! I’m caught up on trades and waiting for the next one. I did buy The Mortal Coil issue that was formatted as a deck of cards. This is truly one of the most innovative storytelling comics I have read.
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u/Misanthropy_and_Cats Jul 17 '26
Great pickup. I kick myself for missing that #1 issue. One of three Image #1s I crave for my collection.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
What are the other 2? Invincible, I’m guessing. I sold my run of early issues many years ago unfortunately
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u/mmolla Jul 17 '26
Wow didn’t know these were going for that much, I have like 6 or 7 issues I think. Is this due to the Eli Roth movie? Are they related or just same name?
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u/PressFtoPanic Jul 20 '26
Also in October the Ice Cream Man #1: Chocolate Vanilla Twist is fixing to drop and it looks really fun tbh. Can’t wait to see what they do for issue 50. Also Martín Morazzo illustrated a story titled "Mukbang" in Hello Darkness #3 for any fans out there.
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u/thenewestrant Jul 21 '26
I read a chunk of issues but found so many ended in a way that just made me feel sad!
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u/M0torC1tyMaver1ck Jul 17 '26
So, is Ice Cream Man kind of like Creepshow or The Twilight Zone? Anthology horror?
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u/markjmendoza Jul 17 '26
Yes. There are little Easter eggs that add consistency to the world but you could pick up any issue and you’d have a complete reading experience. It’s more like Twilight Zone than Creepshow because it’s just one story, barring a few exceptions. One of the issues is a deck of playing cards even!
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u/M0torC1tyMaver1ck Jul 17 '26
So I just read #1 on Comixology.....I think he should have held on to the AB #1 🤣
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u/markjmendoza Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
It’s fine that you didn’t like but you don’t have to be shitty about it.
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u/creepshowens Jul 17 '26
I still have some copies left of AB # 1
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u/M0torC1tyMaver1ck Jul 17 '26
Nice! Well then you didn't lose anything, you gained something you wanted 👍
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u/FamousWerewolf Jul 17 '26
Despite how much praise ICM gets, it takes a long time to get going. The good stuff is literally like 20 - 25 issues in which is a huge downside of the series. The first issue really doesn't sell the concept at all.
It's not really like Creepshow or The Twilight Zone - it's a sci-fi/horror anthology series, but it has a very different feel from that kinda stuff, and gets more and more weird and experimental as it goes along.
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u/Funriz Jul 17 '26
Couldn't disagree more, the good stuff is just the horror ice cream man on earth stuff, when it jumps the shark and he starts becoming silver surfer is when it lost interest for me.
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u/FamousWerewolf Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
That's not really that stuff I'm talking about. The cosmic mythology stuff is a pretty brief phase before the series goes back to one-off stories.
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u/Funriz Jul 17 '26
Oh maybe I need to revisit it again the cosmic stuff lost me.
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u/FamousWerewolf Jul 17 '26
I do think it's a very hit and miss series overall and quite overrated, but there is some very good, creative stuff later on for sure.
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u/platorithm Jul 17 '26
I didn’t like #1 either, but it gets much better as it goes
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u/creepshowens Jul 18 '26
Yeah, I enjoyed #1, bit of the first collection, I liked the other issues more
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u/Fanfavorite Jul 17 '26
Fantastic series! Every issue is great. And some fun variant covers for most issues.