End Of Life #5 Review

 

End Of Life #5 Review

Writer: Kyle Starks

Artist: Steve Pugh

Colorist: Chris O’Halloran

Letterer & Designer: Becca Carey

Cover Artist: Gerald Parel

Variant Cover Artist: Matt Taylor

Editors: Matthew Levine & Chris Conroy

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (cardstock)

Release Date: June 17, 2026

 

Richard Smiley hasn't had much reason to smile lately. After losing his status as a national treasure and the income from his Wrong Dog theme park, the cartoonist forms a gang to terrorize his hometown. Then, into Pluto walks Eddie Stallion. And when he protects Leona and her son Trent from Richard's thugs, Eddie gains two friends for life.

 

Unfortunately, Eddie's received a death sentence from his former employer. After he helped the Murder Brothers raid the Raven's home, all the Menagerie's hired killers are gunning for him. Can Eddie evade the masked murderers long enough to rescue Trent from Richard Smiley? And after the Menagerie's top tracker visits George Stallion's home, does Sophie, Eddie's ex-girlfriend and a hospice nurse, need to visit Eddie's father in the future? Let's grab a gun and a mask, leap into End Of Life #5, and see!

 

Story

Eddie’s life used to make sense. But now, nothing adds up. He can’t adjust to small-town life. Nor is Eddie used to rescuing people or tracking them down. When Leona demands that he find Trent and bring him back to her, Eddie declaims any responsibility for Leona’s woes. So, Leona reminds him why she won’t let her son play in the woods anymore. And with the corpse of the Menagerie’s latest arrival near the gas pumps outside her minimarket, the police are only one phone call away. If Eddie hasn’t returned her son by the time they arrive, she may suggest the cops take a tour through the surrounding woods.

 

Without a handler to handle the details, Leona puts Eddie in a pressure cooker in End Of Life #5. The clock is ticking until the police descend on Pluto and create enough radio traffic to let everyone in the Menagerie know his whereabouts. Eddie realizes he must cobble together a game plan fast. He may not be a Menagerie tracker like Drahthaar. But even if he didn’t want to be there and tried not to get involved in people’s lives, Eddie listened to them and discovered their interests.

 

As Eddie gathers information, formulates his strategy, and launches into action, Richard Smiley also struggles to think on his feet. Like Eddie, he thought money could solve all his problems. As he rose to prominence, Richard believed his success would last forever. He may not have raided a Menagerie boss’s mansion. But after he lost his career through his poor choices, Richard realizes he’s made another one in Kyle Starks’ story. 

 

He abducted Trent in the heat of the moment. Now, the cartoonist doesn’t know what to do with the boy. As both men scramble to make the best out of a bad situation, Eddie Stallion and Richard Smiley both stand to lose in End Of Life #5.

 

Art

While Leona lashes out at Eddie, Kodiak’s corpse lies between them as Richard Smiley’s signature creation looms in the background. When she responds to his question with shock, Eddie’s jaw drops as realization strikes. As she demands he act, Eddie rubs his styled hair and looks away. Steve Pugh shows the SUV leap over a rise like a Rally car. While Rico urges calm, his boss has a meltdown. But Trent, who longs to tap on trees with sticks, gazes around and enjoys the ride.

 

As Chris O’Halloran lavishes bright colors on End Of Life #5, Leona’s green blouse links with Richard Smiley’s sweater as both people grow determined to resolve the situation. While Rico drives the indigo SUV, he urges Richard to let Trent go. Like another person who wears a blue shirt, Trent ignores their conflict and looks forward to what the next minute will bring. A person wearing an orange shirt misses the good old days when she had more than she has today, while a yellow map reminds Eddie that little time remains before the worst occurs. He may be angry that everyone blames him for the situation. Yet as violet fills the sky, Eddie races to save the day in his red suit and sneakers.

 

Becca Carey fills white dialogue balloons with black, uppercase letters. The words grow bold for intonation and shrink for whispers. Fear swells words while shock turns them red. Metallic clicks signal danger, while booms signal that death has arrived in Pluto. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

After his mother left, Eddie Stallion never got along with his father. Growing up, he felt fatally flawed. Becoming a Menagerie killer helped Eddie develop a sense of self-worth. But after mastering his job skills and living the high life, Eddie discovers that his father invested his earnings much more wisely. Sadly, it may be too late for this Wrong Dog to learn new tricks in End Of Life #5.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of End Of Life #5. 

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of End Of Life #4.

For what happened before that, see my review of End Of Life #3.

For how this series began, see my review of End Of Life #1.