END OF LIFE #9 – Far From Over

Creative Team – Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, Chris O’Halloran, Becca Carey, Gerald Parel

Published by DC Comics

Catch up with End of Life #8!

The Story

Eddie Stallion has gone through just about everything during his time in Pluto, and of course, the hits keep comics. When one door closes, another one opens, and if you’ve kept up with End of Life, you know that you’ll never be able to guess what’s next. That’s how I felt reading End of Life #9. I truly didn’t know what was coming next as Kyle Starks is a master at keeping you on your toes. Big Cock was on the verge of beating Eddie’s brain in when Little Cock made his grand entrance. Remember, Big Cock wanted to kill Eddie because he believed he killed Little Cock. To be fair, Eddie thought the same so this was a big surprise to all. In the confusion, Rumplemindt made his presence known as well and had every plan to kill Little Cock. It’s a smorgasbord of violence and confusion and could possibly work in Eddie’s favor.

I don’t think it’s been said yet how truly funny some of the moments are in End of Life. It’s certainly filled with action and violence, but there were a few moments in this issue that made me chuckle. Kyle Starks has the timing down perfectly and you get caught off guard in the best way by something as funny as “you boys up to some weird white people sex stuff in the woods”. On the opposite end of that, we also get to here from Sophie who is at her wits end with Eddie, understandably so. She has been tending to his father who just spent the week in the hospital and was very aware of Eddie’s absence. We finally get to see where her head is at when it comes to Eddie, and it’s not in a great place. Rightfully so, she believes nothing of Eddie’s story and blames him for leaving her a decade ago alone. It seems everyone is at their limit emotionally but of course, the story is far from over.

The Art

What can I say about this team of incredibly talented artists that brought the story of End of Life #9 to life that hasn’t already been said? Steve Pugh and the fantastic linework he brings yet again? Perfectly capturing the high emotions of the different situations? Having the ability to draw the violence and action that makes the reader feel they’re apart of it all? End of Life #9 is another example of the excellent work Pugh brings to the pages of the comic and doesn’t have any chance of slowing down. How about Chris O’Halloran and his beautiful work with the colors? The bold and striking colors in a story so dark is beautifully handled, bringing light and vibrancy to the pages of a story that’s drenched in violence. Becca Carey does another outstanding job with the lettering, perfectly capturing the many emotions of the characters through their dialogue. You can feel the relief of Eddie when he isn’t killed and you can certainly feel Sophie’s anguish as she makes her feelings known. Together, these artists truly outdid themselves yet again and the readers will benefit heavily from it.

Final Thoughts

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, End of Life #9 continues the excitement of the story and the wonderfully high quality work the creative team has put in.

Overall Grade – 10/10

Let me know in the comments what you thought of End of Life #9!