Writer: Ryan Haddock, Andrew Wheeler, & Corinna Bechko
Artist: Kano, Andrea Mutti & Tyler Jenkins
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith
Cover Artists: Lee Bermejo, Liam Sharp, Albert Monteys &
Malachi Ward
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 3, 2025
Life may not be easy on planet Earth. But living on the
planet's biosphere is far easier than surviving in the cold, dark void. Space
offers Humans nothing they need to survive. People take what they need with
them and hope that's enough. What happens when it isn't? And even on Earth, how
do you respond when others prey on you? Let’s leap into Cruel Universe 2 #5 and
see!
Hope Endures: Story
James Bond loved his Beretta and didn't want to part with
it, even when it let him down. In Hope Endures, Ryan Haddock introduces Captain
Cole Queller, a pilot who forms a bond with his fighter. Like Bond, Cole stuck
by the ship, even when newer models became available. But when he's stuck on an
alien planet, he's glad he stuck by her. Like Cole, "Hope" feels the
same and cherishes their time together.
Hope Endures: Art
Kano shows Cole sitting on a sandstone boulder near his
shattered ship in Cruel Universe 2 #5. Surrounding him are the toothlike spikes
symbolizing the mineral wealth beneath a surface incapable of supporting life. The
events that forged Cole’s friendship with his ship play through Cole’s mind in
black and white. A limited palette of light colors adorns the lone figure in a
spacesuit, as seen from an empty cockpit. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith
place black uppercase text in white dialogue balloons. The ship's thoughts
appear as white uppercase letters in black narrative boxes.
Byproduct: Story
Andrew Wheeler introduces us to Marcus Keane. He’s a man who
gets what he wants. Anyone who fails to provide that is superfluous to
requirements. When his doctor tells him that all the money in the world won't
solve his problems, Marcus opts for a radical cure. Byproduct puts
overachievers who treat people like appliances under the microscope, while
reminding us how tempting it is to hang onto the things that harm us.
Byproduct: Art
Tattoos entwine like double helices along Marcus' neck. His
doctor's hair and glasses evoke an absent-minded scientist. Andrea Mutti
introduces Marcus to Vida Cash. Vida wears similar clothes, shows him graphic
displays, and guides Marcus through their facility. Michael Atiyeh adorns
Byproduct with a vibrant palette. Yet the doctor and his patient become
silhouettes against a stormy sky when Dr Ash delivers his prognosis in Cruel
Universe 2 #5. The red, yellow, and green double helix display suggests more years
to enjoy the tropical paradise in which Marcus lives. Richard Starkings and
Tyler Smith deliver black, uppercase lettering in white balloons, and off-panel
conversation in colored narrative boxes.
Some Time to Reflect: Story
Do you ever wish that you had more resources and time? What
if you could split yourself in two? Or, like Lord Voldemort, hide away other
copies of yourself and have them help you with your work? Corinna Bechko
introduces us to a scientist who finds a way to maximize her productivity. As
in David Brin's novel Kiln People, a woman uses versions of herself to pursue
necessary tasks that she can capitalize on. But in Cruel Universe 2 #5, her
golems are flesh and blue, and don't carry an expiration date. Even more than
Byproduct, Some Time to Reflect seems a metaphor for ignoring those around us
in search of productivity and achievement.
Some Time to Reflect: Art
Tyler Jenkins shows a woman sitting outside her mountain
cabin. Inside, she finally notices another version of herself in a mirror. As
in Phantasm, the window opens a portal to her other self. Tyler’s scenes showcase
pink and green. Along the way, red seeps in and splatters. Richard Starkings
and Tyler Smith open with uppercase words in dialogue balloons and sound
effects that introduce the woman and the instigating event. But the colored
narrative boxes relay the actor behind the scenes, manipulating events for her
own benefit. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
As people explore space, visit pocket universes, and delve
into the potential of the genome, some reveal their inhumanity, while a machine
makes a very Human choice in Cruel Universe 2 #5.
Rating 8.8/10
For more see my cover preview of Cruel Universe 2 #5.
