It’s Never Really The End: Reviewing ‘The Cull’ #5

Sometimes you just have to join up with your besties and find a way to Kaiju battle giant dimensional invaders. That’s just part of having friends.

Behold the power of friendship and overcoming loss as The Cull #5 brings the miniseries (mostly) to a close. A final issue from Kelly Thompson, Mattia De Iulis, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

What an adventure this has been. A sci-fi horror mashup with some hints of all the fantasy-tinged coming-of-age/teenage-focused stories of yesteryear. Rich character development, relatable emotional and mental health-related concerns, and a whole whopping box of wild-dimensional stuff. All wrapped up in beyond-gorgeous mind-blowing artwork.

Previous issues spent a lot of time following the characters as they explored, conversed, and dealt with what was before them. There is some of that here, but Thompson pushes a lot of it aside to just go all out for the kids cutting loose with their powers. Taking out all that pain, rage, and loss on the massive being that brought death to their world (or not…).

Everything that Thompson serves up, De Iulis runs with and delivers spectacularly. Here’s to the hope that not only is there more to this story (after the way it ends) but just more from these two (and Otsmane-Elhaou) as collaborators. There is a natural connection felt here. That powerful energy which sometimes really resonates with the right creative duo or team.

Every big of the action feels just as epically massive and weighty as it should, the scale and perspectives spot on. Characters’ emotions are clear in every fiber of their being, from their expressive faces to the body language that might as well be screaming their thoughts and feelings. Every panel takes care to use every bit of space, making areas feel appropriately realistic and deep.

Even with that wide-screen feeling, our perspective is kept with the characters. We are not just passive distant observers. No, we are right there on the ground and elsewhere with these teenagers. Experiencing what they are going through firsthand.

Helping anchor, alongside all the rest, is the color palette. More natural toned-down closer to nature types of colors, enhancing the feeling of realism. It stands as the contrast to the more vibrant popping colors coming from the sci-fi elements, and the darker more washed-out ones that speak to the horror vibes. All three of these tonal color styles swirl together and create something even bigger and better together.

All of this energy bleeds into what Otsmane-Elhaou is delivering lettering-wise. Bubbles, dialogue fonts, and more that feel big and bold and loud. Shifting styles, sizes, and colors in order to hit whatever feeling is required in the moment. Volume and tone are always clear, letting us hear the weighty emotions with every single word that is uttered.

It flows smoothly through the panels, dancing with the rest of the artwork. Never detracting or pulling away from a moment, only supporting or boosting. Distinct beats can be felt by each character, allowing us to hear these unique voices as if we’ve known the characters for years.

Five issues feels like a short run, but hot damn did Thompson find the way to make five issues feel like ten. In the best way possible mind you. Two series worth of things were creatively fit into five issues, with the character moments the big sci-fi/horror and the action stuff feeling perfectly balanced. Not a single bit of the story feels short-changed, with multiple characters having full arcs before this issue closes out.

Oh, and that cliffhanger. It would be too simple to just end this story in a happy way that leaves the characters mostly back where they started. No, it’s way more powerful and trippy to play with the idea of the multiverse and realize that their struggle was not even for their own home. Whether they’ll make it back or if their own world is fine or not, it’s all a mystery. Yet, if we don’t get another chapter of the story what we receive is a neat package that speaks for itself.

Sometimes the best endings are not those that are tidy little conclusions that answer every question. Often the best endings are those that leave us asking more questions and wondering. That’s a story that will stick with you if it’s done right.

This is a story that was done right.

The Cull #5 is now available from Image Comics.