End of Life #8
Writer: Kyle Starks
Artist: Steve Pugh
Colorist: Chris O'Halloran
Cover Artist: Gerald Parel
Publisher: DC Comics, Vertigo Imprint
In End of Life #8, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Except when he hates you so much that he'd rather die trying to kill you than live by working together.
Wow, that's some serious hate.
Prisoners
Eddie Stallion is still being held prisoner by the weird and creepy Neils and Rumplemindt. However, he has a "roommate" now in the form of Sparrow, aka Little Cock. LC reveals that he knows Eddie killed his best friend Big Cock, to which Eddie tries (and fails) to play dumb.
Their jailers focus much of their torture efforts on LC, seeing how Eddie doesn't handle other people being tortured in front of him very well. Eddie makes another escape attempt and is returned to his cell by Rumplemindt thirty minutes later. And LC refuses to work together; that's how badly he wants to kill Eddie.
Meanwhile, the folks in Pluto are still having issues with a bear stealing all kinds of food, especially pie. They can't ask George for help, since he's in the hospital. And of course, Eddie "split." And knowing what kind of book this is, you know damn well it's not actually a bear...
Yogi Bear
This "prisoners" arc is just the shot in the arm End of Life needed. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed it from the start, but it had settled into a pattern of "Eddie is dumb and selfish, someone causes trouble in town (often looking for Eddie), Eddie nuts up and takes care of the problem." By taking him out of his element and giving him an opponent that he can't just shoot at while quipping, it's forcing Eddie to face his limitations.
One of which is still keeping his mouth shut.
It was funny seeing him try so hard to tell Little Cock that he had no idea who Big Cock was, then one page later slip and say something like, "How could you be so attached to someone who literally only says Big Cock?" That's classic Eddie at this point.
Rumplemindt and Neils fit the series mold of extremely bizarre and eccentric criminals, but they're much more competent than most of the others that Eddie has faced. This makes them so much scarier. And the fact that Rumplemindt looks like Dietrich Bader from Office Space is just funny.
It's interesting to see how the citizens of Pluto handle things without either George or Eddie around. They've gotten used to having at least one of the Stallion men on hand for when things get weird, and the "bear" problem is definitely weird. Speaking of George, I'm really hoping that when he finds out what happened to Eddie, he'll be a little more understanding, but I'm sure that won't be the case. Leopards and spots and all that.
Either way, I think Eddie will be changed by this experience. Maybe he'll be a little less fast to run his mouth at all times. Maybe he'll be a little less arrogant. Whatever the change ends up being, I think this whole chapter will be good for his growth.
That is, if he survives the duo of Little Cock and the not-dead Big Cock (who is most definitely not a bear).
Pieces of Flair
Kyle Starks tones the humor down this month and allows the darker tones of this story arc to settle in. That's not to say that there aren't still funny moments, mostly at the expense of Eddie, but overall the tone is much more serious. Captivity and torture will do that. He keeps the issue well-paced, focusing primarily on Eddie and Little Cock's situation but still taking moments to check in with the folks in Pluto and with George. It can sometimes be distracting to cut away to somewhat less serious characters in the middle of such intense moments, but he handles it well here.
Steve Pugh's art adapts well to the darker tone of this story as well. His expressive faces carry much of the heavy lifting as far as the humor goes. As for the tortures that Eddie and LC endure, he leaves many of the details to our imagination here—this is a smart move, because I guarantee the readers can think of way worse things than anything he can put on the page. The quieter moments with the rest of the cast are handled well and nicely contrast the horrible ordeal that Eddie and LC are going through.
Colorist Chris O'Halloran follows the rest of the team's lead and darkens the palette this issue. Eddie's obnoxiously red suit is gone, and without it his whole pallor seems less bright. The color tones used overall are much darker than what we normally see in this series, with the interlude scenes being the closest to the "standard" style. The handful of flashback panels have a washed-out tone to them that makes them stand out as different than the present-day ones.
Brokeback Mountain
End of Life #8 is a strong issue that puts Eddie and Little Cock through hell. Eddie is starting to have to face the consequences of his actions, and it doesn't seem as though he likes everything he sees. If he manages to survive his current situation, it looks like the Menagerie is getting ready to send more trouble into Pluto. I still wonder how long this series can keep it up overall, but when the issues are of this quality, I'll keep coming back for more.