The Loose End #3 Review

 

Writer & Letterer: Dave Dwonch

Artist: Travis Hymel

Colorist: Geraldo Filho

Editor: Charles Ardai

Cover Artists: Claudia Caranfa, Robert Hack & Travis Hymel

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 16, 2025

 

Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Steven Hollis fled a shootout with a mystery man bleeding out in the minivan. Then Dave Dwonch said Be Kind Rewind and took us back to Steven’s interview with Lucca Burlusconi. The crime boss offered to clear Steven's debt. He even threw in a free pliers manicure! All Lucca asked in return was to see Benny Blevins dead.

 

Now, Dave Dwonch takes us Back To The Future. The survivors of a drug den shootout want to disappear. Johnny Tarantula, the writer, director, and “best-looking drug mule in the western hemisphere," has a bullet in his gut. Tim's friend, Dickey, and Benny's Head of Security, Marcus Perkins, are dead. Will Steven, Diedrich, Tim, Benny, and Johnny survive Que Viva Mexico? And if Steven kills Benny, who will produce his screenplay about “the full Mexican experience?” Let's pack our roller bags, leap into The Loose End #3, and find out!

 

Story

Steven disapproved of Johnny’s taste for the sweet Cokecanya. So, when Johnny and the others sampled "the local flavor," Steven stayed in the van. In The Loose End #3, Johnny wants to conclude his El Dorado Assassins reunion with a hospital visit. Steven's childhood friend Diedrich, who he encouraged to pursue acting, directs Steven to one nearby. But when they arrive, the guys discover they've arrived at a veterinary hospital.

 

 

 

In Dave Dwonch’s fast-paced action plot, the boys feel their time in Mexico ticking away. Steven and the others soon learn that Señor Hernandez wants them dead or alive. The cartel general rules this region of Mexico, and everyone functions as his eyes and ears. So Steven, Benny, Diedrich, and Tim face a dilemma in The Loose End #3. Do they stand by their injured friend or flee for their lives?

 

While the deadly shooting on the set of “Rust” reminded us that accidents can happen, Dave Dwonch compares action heroes with their fictional counterparts. Diedrich, Tim, and Johnny garnered extensive firearms training in preparation for their movie roles. Yet, unlike police and soldiers, the actors aren’t thinking of the consequences of taking a life. Instead, defending their lives delivers the ultimate high as Diedrich, Tim, and Johnny emulate their big-screen heroes.

 

 

 

Art

A headshot left behind in Cisco and Jorge’s apartment gives Señor Hernandez a lead. The police officer’s sweaty face demonstrates the power wielded by the cartel leader. In his pink jacket, Diedrich looks even more of a poseur than he did on the flight to Mexico as he whips a gun around, then does a double take when a woman hides her face behind praying hands. Despite Tim’s continual worrying, he reacts coolly in a crisis. Travis Hymel uses cutouts instead of silhouettes to focus on people in crisis, whether questioned by a cartel general or pursued by his lieutenants.

 

 

 

Geraldo Filho lavishes bright colors on interiors and outdoor scenes. The exception is inside the van. Pink tinges the outside and blends with gray and white inside. The gray and faded tones imbue the Hollywood clan with a newspaper photograph appearance. Johnny proves the standout, shining with healthy skin and a green shirt. The Loose End #3 turns the tables on the Hollywood crowd, with Steven clad in gray while Benny, Diedrich, Tim, and Johnny all display bright colors.

 

Uppercase letters fill white balloons and colored narrative boxes. The words grow bold and italicized for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Dave Dwonch’s sound effects help us hear displaced air, kicked-down doors, physical trauma, and gunfire as blood sprays and two lords of their domains say, "Don't mess with my boys." Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Steven's dilemma started with his addiction to gambling and Lucca Burlusconi’s demand he assassinate Benny Blevins. Lucca alleged that Benny raped his daughter on his casting couch. But despite actions that seem to support Lucca's assertion, Benny holds those around him in sway. His late bodyguard regarded him as a saint. His loyal talent worships Benny like an icon.

 

While the spotlight in The Loose End #3 shares time with everyone in his circle, Benny emerges as a leader. All this reminds us how hard it is to dislike people who care for their friends and produce the entertainment we enjoy. To paraphrase Blink 182, how can we punish people who deliver the best trip, bring us to the show, and carry us home?

 

Rating 9.4/10

The Loose End #2 Review

 

Writer & Letterer: Dave Dwonch

Artist: Travis Hymel

Colorist: Geraldo Filho

Cover Artists: Claudia Caranfa, Robert Hack & Travis Hymel

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 19, 2025

 

Steven Hollis stands between a rock and a hard place. Crime boss Lucca Burlusconi wants Benny Blevins dead. Movie star Diedrich Ryan invited Steven to Benny’s bachelor party. All Steven must do is slip one little pill into the movie producer's drink, and the crime boss will erase his debt and give him ten grand in cash.

 

Killing Benny won’t help his screenwriting prospects in Hollywood, but at least Steven won’t get evicted from his apartment. Easy peasy, right? So why does Steven end up fleeing a murder scene in Mexico City? Let's pack our roller bags, leap into The Loose End #2, and find out!

 

Story

Steven encouraged Diedrich to pursue his dreams. So after The Talented Arguile Arbuckle became last year’s blockbuster, Diedrich sought a way to reward his friend. Benny’s bachelor bash for his star actors Diedrich and Tim seems the perfect opportunity. Better yet, when Steven arrives at John Wayne Airport, Benny welcomes Steven with a hug. All of which reminds Steven that the pill in his pocket will kill the movie producer.

 

While Steven has struggled to make ends meet, Diedrich has been living his dreams. He rarely auditions for roles, drives an exotic sports car, and happily poses for selfies with fans. He promises Steven a lavish weekend in sunny Mexico. Instead, the group hangs out by Benny’s pool, drinking and taking drugs in The Loose End #2.

 

Dave Dwonch’s story contrasts the illusion of the Hollywood elite with reality. Steven feels like an outsider at Benny's home. Of everyone there, Steven identifies with Benny's bodyguard, Marcus Perkins. He is the voice of reason when Diedrich and the others decide to take their party into the streets. When Steven sides with Marcus, Benny encourages Steven to live a little and consider it research for a script.

 

The Loose End #2 feels like an accident waiting to happen. Which it is, as the first issue started with how this story ends. Everyone looks down on Steven because he refuses to play along with their juvenile antics. But in the end, Steven is the one Benny, Diedrich, and the others look to when they get in trouble.

 

Art

Steven arrives at the airport, pulling his roller bag with his bandaged fingers. Clad in a Hawaiian shirt and beige shorts, he meets Diedrich, Benny, and the others dressed like Sonny Crockett clones. The white-clad friends sit and drink together on the plane. Steven seeks a seat beside Marcus, who tunes out the group’s conversation with his earbuds. While everyone on the airplane has good things to say about Benny, the movie producer’s actions show why Lucca Burlusconi wants him dead.

 

Geraldo Filho lavishes a palette of bright colors on Travis Hymel’s art in The Loose End #2. Memories appear in Black & White, while a red pill in a glass vial hides in Steven’s pocket. Steven’s lavender shirt underscores how the others regard him when he doesn’t want to get involved in Risky Business. The yellow sky, green pool, and sickly green hills glimpsed through a window foretell later snapshots from the party featuring purple people.

 

Uppercase letters fill white balloons and colored narrative boxes. The words grow bold and italicized for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Dave Dwonch’s sound effects help us hear gunfire drown out the laughter and schoolboy antics, which ends with someone bleeding out in the back of the panel van. Trigger warnings include hard partying, language, and acts that would enrage the Me Too Movement. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While Steven Hollis encouraged Diedrich Ryan to be the best version of himself, Hollywood has brought out the worst in him. As his movie star friend tries to repay him with a shot at the big time, Steven wonders if he wants to be a big success in The Loose End #2.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more covers and a look inside see my preview of The Loose End #2.

Heat Seeker: A Gun Honey Series #1 Review

 

Writer: Charles Ardai

Penciller: Ace Continuado

Inker: Jose Zapata

Colorist: Asifur Rahman

Letterer: David Leach

Cover Artists: Argerm; Bill Sienkiewicz; Ace Continuado; Claudia Caranfa; Ang Hor Kheng;

Publisher: Titan

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 5, 2023

 

Marked for death, Joanna Tan and Brook Barrow travel to New York. They hope her friend Dahlia Racers can help shake intelligence agents off their trail. But can a former magician's assistant make them disappear? Let’s burn into Heat Seeker #1 and find out!

 

Story

Dahlia deals with lies and deception. The hotter people are, the more they need her help. Deceiving power brokers and paid assassins isn't easy. The high prices Dahlia commands give her the tools she needs to fool the most jaded killers.

 

 

 

While this is a humdinger of a story, I initially found events hard to follow. A beautiful redhead saves a magician. Joanna and Brook visit Dahlia. She gives them extreme makeovers. Then she and her assistant dress up as them. The people who want Joanna and Brook dead hire a woman to kill them. The identity swaps and inadequate introductions confused me. I still don't understand how the magician's rescue relates to the rest of the issue. Still, something kept drawing me back to Heat Seeker #1. Thus, three days—and several attempts later—I finally wrote this review.

 

It would have been easier to review another comic. Yet it reminds me of stories I love, such as the Mission Impossible movies and the TV series Bosch. While I've never read Gun Honey, Heat Seeker #1 feels like a natural successor to Peter O'Donnell and Enric Badia Romero's Modesty Blaise comics, which I discovered through Titan Books' oversize trade paperbacks.

 

 

Art

Heat Seeker #1 boasts strong portrayals of characters, and page layouts are dynamic. I especially like the page when Dahlia confronts assassins in Vicente Boracchio’s theater, chats with the hired killers, shoots Vinnie, and blows up the theater. Amid these panels, a stylish Dahlia pops into the foreground, pointing her gun at the reader. Vehicles and buildings invoke realism, with equal attention paid to interiors. The Mature art reveals a woman unashamed of her body without portraying sex, excessive swearing, or glorifying violence.

 

Full spectrum color gives Heat Seeker #1 a cinematic appeal. Skin tones, clothing, and interiors have richness and depth. New York City's bustling streets shine with vitality. The Las Vegas Strip glows with color while quiet solemnity bespells the surrounding desert. The first page could have been less steeped in gray as Dahlia prepares to save Vincente. Her motorcycle scenes look hyper-real. But while the story and art confounded me, the coloring only made me applaud.

 

 

Heat Seeker #1 uses small uppercase letters and an appealing font style. The narrative appears in colored boxes, while dialogue materializes in white balloons. Sound effects explode like Vicente's theater hurtling colored words toward you. Had the creators conjured up better time/space markers, I wouldn't have been so mystified by how all the moving pieces fit together.

 

Final Thoughts

Heat Seeker #1 may confuse Gun Honey virgins, but this appealing, high-octane espionage thriller will pull a rabbit out of the hat for Mission Impossible and Modesty Blaise fans.

 

Rating 7.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.