Here at Card Gamer, when it comes to comic books, we thought we’d seen it all. After all, we lived through the 90s, where comic book gimmicks got so out of control that they glowed in the dark, had 3D hologram covers, issues shaped like the protagonist’s head, and even issues which had a bullet hole through every page.
We’ve also seen card games go both ways, with Yu-Gi-Oh! starting out as a manga before becoming a long running trading card game, and Magic: The Gathering making the leap from card game to being adapted into comic book stories (as well as being the subject of a popular manga). Plenty of comic books have provided source material for card games too, including Fantasy Flight’s current Living Card Game, Marvel Champions.
Yet we’ve never seen an issue of a comic book actually become a card-based experience, certainly not in the way that Ice Cream Man: The Mortal Coil Shuffle has done. That is to say that this is a one off, special issue of the dark, compelling horror anthology Ice Cream Man, with the story told across a deck of 55 cards.
Though we don’t know a great deal about exactly how Ice Cream Man: Mortal Coil Shuffle will work, the first two cards to be revealed do hint at a narrative-based experience that plays with the card game format, including an homage to Magic: The Gathering with the Leaver of the Hearth card.
We do know that narrative cards will be joined by spells such as Leaver of the Hearth (which will “magically” change the story), that some cards will need to be pieced together like a puzzle to complete a picture, and that other types of cards, including “wild cards” will be included, and can change the direction of the narrative when they appear!
When Will Ice Cream Man: The Mortal Coil Shuffle Be Released?
With the release set for October 1st, 2025, we don’t have long to wait in order to find out exactly how this issue of Ice Cream Man will play out, but be warned: Image Comics have said that The Mortal Coil Shuffle will never be reprinted, so once the print run of these decks have sold out, it’s likely going to be very difficult to get your hands on this one-of-a-kind experience.
So if this sounds like something you might be interested in, be sure to reserve yourself a copy of Ice Cream Man: The Mortal Coil Shuffle at your local comic store, before it’s too late!
