End of Life #2 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 #2 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
Okay, so maybe hiding out in this podunk town with his sick father, estranged ex, and nauseatingly pleasant townsfolk was a bad idea. But Eddie has a plan to make things right. If he can just give back what he stole from the Raven, no harm, no foul, right? His accomplices, the Murder Brothers, will help him out…right? Wrong, dog. Very wrong.
Review
With its first issue, End of Life came out of the gate swinging with a breakneck pace and an endlessly entertaining, if rather dim, protagonist in the form of Eddie Stallion. Now, with the Menagerie in pursuit, Eddie has to get used to his new surroundings…a mundane little town where his sick father lives and is literally the last place he wants to be.
Moreso than its predecessor, this second issue relies heavily on its humour as things slow down and Eddie attempts to lay low. There is a singular page that opens the comic where we see agents looking for him in various cities across America, only to abruptly cut to a location that is referred to as ‘A Middle-of-Nowhere, Shithole Town, where they definitely aren’t looking for him’.
Despite its self-aware captioning, the majority of the comedy in this issue comes from Eddie’s frustration and reluctance to talk to the people in town. His rudeness proves just how out of touch he is with normal people, and it’s his interactions with the town’s market traders that lead to some of the funniest lines in the issue. Whether he’s referring to a wood carver as a ‘wood pervert’ or refusing some jerky because he has ‘self-respect’, Eddie’s dialogue here is both brutal and uncalled for, which makes it that much funnier in the moment.
But once again, Kyle Starks’ writing showcases very clearly how Eddie is only out for himself and consistently talks before he thinks about anything. Even going as far as to give away his position to the Menagerie, all because she ordered a pack of rare cigarettes only he would want. Thankfully, Starks also balances the humour with well-executed character drama as he arrogantly tries to justify to his ex Sophie why his life is more important than his dad’s…thus confirming how self-centred he is.
The sporadic violence that does occur throughout this issue feels almost like a more stylised take on a Coen Brothers film, most notably Fargo, where over-the-top and insane violence starts affect the goings on of a seemingly quiet town. The action, though brief, is well earned and bursts from the page with O’Halloran’s bright colour work. It’s also through this brawl that we see a bit more into Eddie’s vulnerable side and how he continues to make matters worse for himself despite the already dire situation he already happens to be in.
This second instalment focuses less on the action and more on the character tensions that wouldn’t exist in the first place if it weren’t for Eddie. The emphasis on its sharp writing and sarcastic sense of humour is a needed change of pace, allowing the suspense of the larger situation to brew in the background and come to a head later down the line.
Verdict
Issue 2 of End of Life doubles down on the pitch-perfect writing and, most of all, its comedy. What this instalment lacks in action, it more than makes up for with some genuinely hilarious dialogue and honest character moments.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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