Comics Review: LOOSE ENDS #1 (Image Comics)

Title Loose Ends #1
Writer/s Jason Latour
Artist/s Chris Brunner, Rico Renzi

Publisher Image Comics

Guest Contributor

Published February 1, 2017

The following review has been compiled by Guest Contributor PadaJuan

Remember as a child how an 8 o’clock movie would start on ETV (before the glorious days of DSTV for you millennials) and you would be dying to watch it ?

Alas, because it was rated 18 SNVL (and every other letter of the alphabet) your parents unceremoniously sent you off to bed? You know, to protect your innocence?

Well, this comic lets you make up for lost time so to speak.

Whats it about?

Loose Ends is a new 4 issue mini-series from Image comics written by Jason Latour (of Marvel’s Spider Gwen fame).

He joined by Rico Renzi, his partner in crime from Spider Gwen and Chris Brunner (Southern Bastards) to bring us a gritty, slow-cooked crime romance that promises to take readers on a journey spanning a multitude of locations.

I have to be honest, this comic was a paradox that even Dr Strange would have trouble deciphering.

On many levels it worked really well, while it still manged to miss its mark in some respects.

Think chocolate flavoured ice cream… but topped with broccoli.

Why it worked

Having worked with both artists before, Latour was able to state his vision to both artists and to their credit they pulled it off.

This was a refreshing take from Rico Renzi as his artwork on other titles sometimes left fans feeling frustrated with panels that lacked a certain “depth”.

Renzi and Brunner created this psychedelic vibe that makes it feel like you are getting high on artwork (Don’t worry mom, no drugs here!) and each page pulls your attention right in.

Why it didn’t work

The story is presumably meant to be this “American Deep South” drama. Unfortunately, the characterisations seem a little forced. With vague dialogue and very few text boxes it falls to the reader to fill in the gaps to decipher most of the story.

We are given introductions to a myriad of characters, who are all interlinked in some fashion by an event that is never fully discussed. While this approach may work in some mediums, to my mind, the story lost some of its flow and felt contrived to a point where it feels like just had to get it out regardless of whether it was complete.

As a result, you have a beautiful book with the promise of a gripping tale that falls slightly flat because there isn’t enough substance to keep you engaged past that initial bite .

To be fair though, this is only issue #1 and while I feel that it was a missed opportunity to lure readers into what is promised to be a masterpiece, there is still hope.

The artwork was visually creative enough to warrant a look through, just don’t go expecting to have a full grasp of what’s going on.

That being said perhaps issue 2 will fill in some of the blanks and give the story some depth and spice up the characters so it doesn’t feel like a piece of Twilight fan fiction.

The following review has been compiled by Guest Contributor PadaJuan Remember as a child how an 8 o’clock movie would start on ETV (before the glorious days of DSTV for you millennials) and you would be dying to watch it ? Alas, because it was rated 18 SNVL (and every other letter of the alphabet) your parents unceremoniously sent you off to bed? You know, to protect your innocence? Well, this comic lets you make up for lost time so to speak. Whats it about? Loose Ends is a new 4 issue mini-series from Image comics written by Jason Latour (of Marvel's Spider Gwen fame). He joined by Rico Renzi, his partner in crime from Spider Gwen and Chris Brunner (Southern Bastards) to bring us a gritty, slow-cooked crime romance that promises to take readers on a journey spanning a multitude of locations. I have to be honest, this comic was a paradox that even Dr Strange would have trouble deciphering. On many levels it worked really well, while it still manged to miss its mark in some respects. Think chocolate flavoured ice cream... but topped with broccoli. Why it worked Having worked with both artists before, Latour was able to state his vision to both artists and to their credit they pulled it off. This was a refreshing take from Rico Renzi as his artwork on other titles sometimes left fans feeling frustrated with panels that lacked a certain "depth". Renzi and Brunner created this psychedelic vibe that makes it feel like you are getting high on artwork (Don’t worry mom, no drugs here!) and each page pulls your attention right in. Why it didn’t work The story is presumably meant to be this "American Deep South" drama. Unfortunately, the characterisations seem a little forced. With vague dialogue and very few text boxes it falls to the reader to fill in the gaps to decipher most of the story. We are given introductions to a myriad of characters, who are all interlinked in some fashion by an event that is never fully discussed. While this approach may work in some mediums, to my mind, the story lost some of its flow and felt contrived to a point where it feels like just had to get it out regardless of whether it was complete. As a result, you have a beautiful book with the promise of a gripping tale that falls slightly flat because there isn't enough substance to keep you engaged past that initial bite. To be fair though, this is only issue #1 and while I feel that it was a missed opportunity to lure readers into what is promised to be a masterpiece, there is still hope. The artwork was visually creative enough to warrant a look through, just don’t go expecting to have a full grasp of what’s going on. That being said perhaps issue 2 will fill in some of the blanks and give the story some depth and spice up the characters so it doesn’t feel like…

Comic Books: Comics Review: LOOSE ENDS #1 (Image Comics)

2017-02-01

Guest Contributor

Total - 6.5

65 6.5

A beautiful book that holds the promise of becoming a true epic.

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