End of Life #7 is written by Kyle Starks and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Steve Pugh, colours by Chris O’Halloran and letters by Becca Carey. Main cover art (left) is by Gerald Parel.
End of Life #7 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Eddie Stallion has had his butt beaten, and now he’s locked in some sicko’s shack. With Eddie sidelined, things are falling apart in Pluto, George’s health is getting worse, and the Menagerie is closer than ever. But Eddie is going to get a big hand from the littlest of allies…
Review
It’s been a little while since we caught up with Eddie Stallion…and boy does he seem to be in a pickle. A lot has happened over the last few issues. Eddie saved the gas station’s owner’s son from a bunch of lunatics; his dad killed a Menagerie member, and Eddie is now left to fend for himself after being kicked out of his childhood home. Oh, and he’s currently being held captive by two weirdos who are beating the crap out of him.
Now, considering Eddie is yet again in a dire situation, you’d think he would maybe cut back on the insults and wisecracking….nope. Despite being tortured regularly by Neils and Rumplemindt (yes, that is their names), he still finds the time to crack jokes at their expense. Whether it’s implying that Neils is an Oompa Loompa or threatening to beat the two psychos into a pulp, Eddie once again doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, which makes matters worse for him as he proceeds to get boiling oil poured over his hand.
From the absurd violence and wacky character designs to the more grounded conversations, Steve Pugh’s artwork and Chris O’Halloran’s colouring continually give the series a needed visual flair and style that rides the line between gritty and over the top in just the right ways. The art and colour work have been a highlight of the series since issue one, and thankfully Pugh and O’Halloran are still keeping that unhinged and frenetic energy alive seven issues later. Colour palettes will change drastically between pages and really accentuate the strange nature of everything going on.
Even during End of Life’s more brutal or dramatic moments, the series never forgets its unfiltered sense of humour. Aside from Eddie’s loud-mouthed abuse, there is a hilarious moment where Karla tries to get one up on the Menagerie, only for the hitman she hired to completely screw up his one job, nearly killing himself in the process.
As we’re quite far into this series, Starks manages to bounce all these varying characters and plot threads with ease. Though it can be tricky at times to remember who is who and what their immediate purposes are, there is no doubt that they are there purely to set up a later conflict or situation that will either impact Eddie or someone he supposedly cares about.
End of Life only gets funnier and more insane as it goes on. The violence is intense, the story keeps on evolving in new, exciting ways, and no matter what happens, Eddie always somehow puts his foot in it. The cogs, new and old, are starting to turn in a manner that is slowly but surely building tension, and you just know that something explosive is right around the corner.
Verdict
Seven issues in, End of Life continues to prove why it is one of the best comics of the year with its frantic energy, nihilistic humour and stylised artwork. This series keeps finding new ways to make the scenarios stranger and the characters even angrier at Eddie, all of them weaving in and out to create a truly chaotic yet entertaining story.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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