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.
