To The Edges Of Deathspace With Euthanauts #5
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Diane shot Circe in the head, and it it looks like Oscar, Diane’s father and Mercy’s husband, has taken hold of Diane. Thalia survived and is trying to help Circe’s family make arrangements. Indigo finds Thalia, and the two return to the lab to try and pry Mercy free from Oscar. With Gui’s help, they may just be able to get in touch with Circe too.
Euthanauts #5 concludes this volume of the series, and it does so with loss as well as an ambitious trek back into Deathspace. Both Thalia and Indigo dive in this time, and they have a beast to slay in the form of Oscar holding Mercy in Deathspace.
In true Euthanauts fashion, it’s a strange issue. While the conflicts and stakes are more clear and grounded compared to the previous issues, there is still this strange sense of uncertainty in terms of what we are heading towards.
This might come from the fact that we don’t know what exactly Deathspace is, it’s relation to death as we know it, or what our characters are hoping to accomplish there. Mercy seemed to know it existed before her own death, but we don’t really know what it does. Much of it is described in metaphor, but the metaphors are broad.
That is what leaves the ending, despite there being a clear and concise conflict in this issue, a little hollow. We accomplished something, but I don’t really know what it means. We have some context of what it means to the characters, and that is worth something. That said, it just doesn’t quite reach satisfaction or deliberate dissatisfaction.
Nick Robles’ artwork continues to be gorgeous. The realm of Deathspace truly comes alive this issue, even if you’re still not quite sure what it is. The strange void envelopes the reader and drags them to this strange world between worlds our characters visit. Eva de la Cruz and Robles’ color work is quite powerful too, adding to that cold feeling the linework conveys.
Euthanauts #5 isn’t a bad comic. There are some interesting ideas floating in the Deathspace, and Thalia, Indigo, Gui, and Mercy are entertaining characters. That said, I’m left at the end of this volume unsure of what the takeaway was intended to be. If you liked the first four issues, you will likely love this finale to the first arc. If you’re new to it, I definitely wouldn’t jump on here (I made that mistake with Kid Lobotomy).
Euthanauts #5 comes to us from writer Tini Howard, artist, cover artist, and variant cover artist Nick Robles, color artists Eva de la Cruz and Robles, letterer Neil Uyetake, and variant cover artist Marley Zarcone.
