Ice Cream Man #1: Chocolate/Vanilla Twist (2026) | Polybagged Decoder Cover Edition with Lookety Split Lens | Image Comics

Ice Cream Man #1: Chocolate/Vanilla Twist is Image Comics' October 14, 2026 special edition of the 2018 first issue by W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo and Chris O'Halloran. It reprints the issue in stark black and white, adds an all-new short story, and ships polybagged with a "Lookety Split" Ice Cream Decoder lens. Out of the bag the cover is a near-blank silver field with only the logo; hold the lens over it and the classic Morazzo cover art appears, sprinkled with hidden messages and images.

Quick Facts

• Title: Ice Cream Man #1: Chocolate/Vanilla Twist
• Publisher: Image Comics
• Release Date: October 14, 2026
• Cover Price: $6.99 — Rated M / Mature
• Writer: W. Maxwell Prince
• Art: Martín Morazzo
• Colors (original) / Co-creator: Chris O'Halloran
• Remastered lettering: Good Old Neon
• Format: Polybagged with decoder lens; black-and-white interior; new bonus short story
• UPC: 70985304894700111

The Story

"Rainbow Sprinkles," the story that started it all: a sugar-sweet suburban cul-de-sac, a kid with a pet spider, and a smiling ice cream man whose truck brings something far worse than a sugar crash. Stripped of O'Halloran's pastel palette, Morazzo's linework turns the neighborhood into something closer to an old EC horror book — which is exactly the point of the "vanilla" half of the title. The new short story from the same team is exclusive to this edition.

Why Collect This Issue

• A true gimmick cover, done well — focal-decoder printing with a physical lens is a 1990s-style stunt applied to one of the most acclaimed horror books of the last decade. Sealed copies with the lens intact are the ones that hold value.
• New Prince/Morazzo story — not a straight reprint; the bonus short is first-print material for completists tracking every Ice Cream Man story.
• Ice Cream Man #1 is a key — the original 2018 first printing is one of Image's pricier modern #1s, and this edition is the first time the full issue has been reissued in a new format.
• Series momentum — Image is pairing this with a redesigned second printing of the Mortal Coil Shuffle and the run-up to the landmark 50th issue, per the back-cover house ad.

Is the comic sealed?

Yes. It ships factory-polybagged with the Lookety Split decoder lens inside. We do not open bags, so the lens and hidden cover are untouched.

Is the interior the original story?

Yes, the complete Ice Cream Man #1 in black and white with remastered lettering, plus the new short story. It is not a facsimile of the color printing.

What does the decoder reveal?

The original Morazzo cover art — the crowd of neighborhood faces around the cone — along with secret messages and images printed into the halftone that are invisible without the lens.

Condition and Shipping

New, factory sealed in publisher polybag, additionally bagged and boarded. Ships from St. Louis, MO.