Writer: Dave Dwonch
Artist: Travis Hymel
Colorist: Geraldo Filho
Letterer: Dave Dwonch
Cover Artist: Andy Belanger
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $17.99
Release Date: October 7, 2025
Steven's world has gone to hell. Or at least, to Mexico. He didn't want to come here, but his friend Diedrich talked him into it. And unlike Diedrich, who is living the high life as an actor, Steven is still looking for a way into the studio system.
Producer Benny Blevins could give Steven a chance to make it in Hollywood as a scriptwriter. But first, Steven will have to live and not die in Mexico. Can Steven help Diedrich, Benny, and the Hollywood elite flee a shooting and return to the United States? And will their adventures make for a great story? Let’s lay our cards on the table, leap into The Loose End Vol 1, and find out!
Story
Steven encouraged his friend to pursue his dreams. When Diedrich graduated from Juilliard and began starring in movies, Steven left Utah to join him in Hollywood. But instead of selling scripts and making a name for himself, Steven started drinking and gambling.
When Benny Blevins decides to get married, he invites his inner circle to a bachelor party in Mexico. Casino owner Lucca Burlusconi learns that Diedrich invited Steven along in The Loose End Vol 1. After kidnapping the aspiring screenwriter, Lucca says, “Let’s make a deal.” Benny will likely be drinking and taking drugs over the weekend. All Steven must do is slip one little pill into one of Benny's drinks. Benny dies, and no one connects the death with Lucca. In return, Lucca will wipe out Steven’s debt and give him a little extra. But if Benny doesn’t die, Lucca’s goons will pay Steven another visit.
Dave Dwonch utilizes Quentin Tarantino's signature out-of-sequence storytelling. Steven's fellow guests on Benny's bachelor bacchanal enjoy alcohol and illegal drugs. While everyone wants to have fun, Johnny Tarantula tries to outcool everyone else. Steven may be on the outside. Still, he sees how they care about each other. Dickie stands up for Johnny. Diedrich ribs Tim when his friend worries about his marital problems. Benny thinks that no woman, including Lucca's daughter, is off-limits. Still, he looks out for his "boys." That includes people like Marcus Perkins, a former actor, whom Benny gave a second career.
As in a Quentin Tarantino film, bullets and profanity fly when things go wrong in The Loose End Vol 1. But this is a story about boys who never grow up, and struggle to comprehend how their actions may harm others. It's a comment on how money and fame propel people into a fantasy world where they believe they can have whatever they want, and nothing else matters.
Art
Travis Hymel's retro art lends B-movie appeal to this story about stardom and the parties that grease Hollywood's wheels. Diedrich's car slices through traffic on the freeway, while Steven barges a minivan through crowded Mexican streets. Lucca Berlusconi and his goons smile when Steven, tied to his chair, stares up at them with pleading eyes. Yet Benny Blevins smiles and embraces Steven to ease his nervousness. As The Loose End Vol 1 pays homage to classic movies and music videos, a self-aggrandizing flyer garners more attention than its maker desires.
Geraldo Filho brightens the fun, breezy art with a limited color palette. Page borders often sync with dominant colors in the panels. Pastels soften the heavy themes of torture, rape, and addiction. As he races to the airport, Steven’s pink shirt links him with memories of Lucca’s torture. The suits Benny and the “boys” wear link him with a man who can give them “the full Mexican experience.” While Steven’s bloody fingers initially loom large, they pale in importance when crimson splatters the pages.
Uppercase letters fill white balloons and colored narrative boxes. The words grow bold, italicize for intonation, and rarely shrink. Block letters evoke screenplay descriptions while situating us in time and space. Vibrant sound effects help us hear phone calls, honking vehicles, hand-to-hand combat, gunfire, and explosions, as the rulers of two realms plot to take down a third. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Steven will do anything to make his dream come true. But first, he must kill the goose that could lay his golden egg. The Loose End Vol 1 is a vivid reminder that we all need benefactors, and that the opportunity to prove ourselves may arrive in ways we never imagined.
Rating 9/10
To look inside see my preview of The Loose End Vol 1.
