End of Life #1, the new DC Vertigo thriller from Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh, hit shops this week and has already sold out at the distributor level, according to DC Comics. DC is sending the issue back for a Second Printing after strong early buzz. We here at AIPT praised the debut for its rapid-fire dialogue, brutal action, and emotional punch, while other outlets highlighted its sharp humor, slick visuals, and chaotic energy.
The Second Printing is on the way and will arrive in stores April 15, 2026, giving new readers another shot at the breakout first issue as word continues to spread.
The series follows Eddie Stallion, a stunted hitman who makes a disastrous move by robbing the Raven, a powerful figure in the Menagerie assassin network. With a bounty on his head, Eddie hides out in Pluto, the quiet Midwestern town he once escaped, where his estranged father is nearing the end of his life. Instead of laying low, he finds himself surrounded by former friends chasing the reward, rival killers closing in, a disgraced cartoonist turned crime boss, and the first love he never moved past. Dragged back into the life he abandoned, Eddie is forced to confront his past in the only way he knows how.
Copies of the first printing are still available while supplies last, and readers can contact their local comic shops to secure both the debut and the upcoming Second Printing. Anticipation is also building for issue #2, which arrives on March 18.
The Second Printing will feature Gerald Parel’s original main cover with updated logo colors, along with a new variant showcasing Rafa Sandoval’s artwork in an inks-only presentation.
End of Life joins a growing slate of new Vertigo titles rolling out this year. Upcoming launches include 100 Bullets: The U.S. of Anger by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, A Walking Shadow by Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell, Fanatic by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer, Necretaceous by Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson, Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy by Ram V and Mike Perkins, and The Crying Doll by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell.
Written by Kyle Starks, illustrated by Steve Pugh, and colored by Chris O’Halloran, End of Life stands alongside fellow new Vertigo releases Bleeding Hearts, The Nice House by the Sea, and The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery as part of the imprint’s latest wave of creator-driven series.
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