In crime fiction, debt and gambling go hand in hand as much as guns and femme fatales, which is why I was curious about The Loose End. A new series from Titan Comics launching its first issue on February 19th, it’s a story about an average guy with a gambling problem but not a single violent bone in his body. That’s a major problem for screenwriter Steven Hollis, as he has to commit a hit for the mob or die. It’s a tough bargain, which is unfurled well in the first issue.
The Loose End #1 opens with a frantic car chase as Steven drives with his friend bleeding out in the back seat. The captions relate that even Steven isn’t sure how he got into this situation, and we soon learn we’re getting a piece of the story before we go back a few days. It’s a good opening, first showing us intense action and stakes, going back two days and showing Steve tied up, and then going back three days to show everything was calm.
The zippy pace is constant in the issue, even when it spends a considerable amount of time catching us up on how Steven got into such a dangerous situation. That’s thanks to writer Dave Dwonch’s well-written dialogue, which doesn’t read like there’s any fat.
He’s in quite a pickle.
Credit: Titan Comics
The general premise isn’t exactly fresh, but it doesn’t have any holes. For instance, why would a mobster with hired guns pick Steven to perform a hit for him? This makes logical sense, given the Hollywood connection. Steven’s also a bit of a loser, unable to hold down a license due to his drinking and his gambling being a major reason he’s picked at all to do the hit.
The art by Travis Hymel is dynamic, with lots of clever visual ideas at work that feel fresh and new. A nine-panel grid page of Steven’s gambling captures the essence of his very bad night, and a stand-out page of Steven’s eyes covered by a blindfold are just two examples. There’s a slight cartoony look to the art, but it’s not distracting nor does it take away from the realism of the story.
By the end of the issue, you’ll want more, even with a familiar premise and likely too much setup for a story like this. Could it have jumped into the mission prior to the cliffhanger? Probably, and it would have got us even more interested, but as it stands the character work is good enough to make us feel invested in Steven’s very bad day.
The Loose End #1 delivers an entertaining, well-crafted introduction to a classic crime premise. It blends a zippy narrative, logical character motivations, and dynamic visuals. While it relies heavily on setup and familiar tropes, the creative team’s execution ensures readers are invested in Steven’s high-stakes predicament and eager for more.
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