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.
