End of Life #5: Around the Carousel Again

Eddie’s misadventures continue as he finally comes face to face with the mad cartoonist Richard Smiley. A showdown in the amusement park results in more than a few bodies being piled up, and Eddie perhaps even being worse off than he was before, if that’s even possible.

This issue is perhaps the first low point in what has otherwise been a fun series. The action is still suitably gory and stylish, and the humor still hits its marks, but it’s the emotional beats that start to fall short. We’ve had five issues with Eddie Stallion, and outside of one or two moments he still feels like he is in the same place he was at issue one. That isn’t to say he should have done a complete 180, but some progress feels like it should have been made at this point. There was a moment to have an emotional pivot with the death of his father, but it’s pretty quickly revealed (in a manner very reminiscent of the cleaner scene in the first John Wick) that George survived his encounter with Drannthurr. While I like the character, I feel like something drastic as that happening might have been the kick in the pants Eddie needed to finally start being serious, another time perhaps now that he is out on his ass.

Kyle Stark’s script remains entertaining despite my complaints as the confrontation in the amusement park is fun, even if Smiley stays a one-note villain throughout. His problems with Eddie never escalate and the fact that even in the end he still feels like a background character is honestly pretty funny.

Steve Pugh’s art remains a visual feast with a few creative shots to keep the pencils dynamic and easy to follow throughout the gunslinging chaos.