Story: Jason Latour
Art: Chris Brunner
Color: Rico Renzi
Loose Ends is a 4-issue mini series by Jason Latour that is dubbed as a southern crime romance. Let’s just say right off the bat that this is no comic for children. While there isn’t too much “romance” per say in this first issue, it is intriguing. There are two different little story lines going on in this issue, with one having to do with the main characters past and the main story having to do with his current situation.
Jason Latour crafts a gritty and grime story. It’s downright despicable at times, but that’s what makes it work. The main man of the story is one Sonny Gibson. He shows up at a seedy bar to give some money to the mother of his child. Things quickly go south from there and the night turns into one of complete mayhem. The secondary story is the one that seems to line up more with Sonny’s past after we get a two-page glimpse of it early in the issue. It’s one that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense right now, but will presumably play out by the fourth and final issue.
The art by Chris Brunner probably won’t be winning any awards in this, but it emulates the writing to perfection. He brings across that grit and grime of the story and can be jolting at times with how visual it gets. Some things in this comic won’t be pleasant to see, but they’re crucial to the issue and how it all plays out. Rico Renzi gets to have fun with some of the colors in this issue, especially on the page where Sonny is drinking at the bar. There are some fun, bright colors there, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is not meant to be a fun story in any way.
The story is an interesting concept and that’s what drew me to it. There’s quite a bit to unpack in this first issue, but it just might be worth it. Jason Latour can draw and write. Here, he does a great job of flexing those writing skills.
Verdict: Check it out. Overall, it’s a solid comic, but it won’t be for everyone. It’s violent, brutal, and heartbreaking all at the same time. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in just four issues.
Loose Ends is out on January 25th via Image Comics.
