5 Sheep Comic Review: The Loose End by Dave Dwonch (from Titan Comics)

"The award-winning imprint Hard Case Crime presents a wacky story of guns, ganja and gambling from writer Dave Dwonch artist Travis Hymel."

 

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The Loose End
by Dave Dwonch
Illustrated by Travis Hymel
Publisher: Titan Books (US, CA), 2025
ISBN 1787746445, 9781787746442
Length 112 pages
Genre: Crime & Mystery, Action & Adventure
Steven Hollis is a mild-mannered scriptwriter with a love for risk and reward. When he gambles his way into debt, the Mob offer him a one-way ticket from under their thumb. All he has to do is kill the biggest Hollywood executive in the industry…

However, plans derail when a trip to Mexico City turns sour. A drug deal gone wrong sets the cartel on the hunt for a rag-tag group of actors, writers and executives as they have a no-holds-barred standoff!

If you’re a fan of cinema classics and a totally balls-to-the-wall action adventure, this is the book for you!

The Loose End graphic novel collects The Loose End issues #1-4.

Gonna start off with what I say in EVERY Dave Dwonch graphic novel review: Dave is talented, skilled and one of my favorite writers. I have never been disappointed with his storytelling.

My review of The Loose End could double as a movie review; reading it felt like watching an action release. I agree with the comparison to a Quentin Tarantino action movie script, but I'd like to add that it has Pulp Fiction humor. 

The Loose End covers all the action movie tropes. It even starts out with a car chase and the master-level use of the movie plot flashback technique (ex., Two days ago..., Two hours later...) to keep the story moving at warp speed to the end. Pulled into the story/action from the beginning, I couldn't put it down till I finished. And like all great stories, there are a couple of plot twists.

Big shout out to the artist. His style, panel compositions and the use of multiple color pallets to set the mood for each scene. 

The Loose End is an exciting adventure from start to finish, so buckle up, Buttercup!

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5 "Blink 182 thing" Sheep

 

SharonS

About the Author:
Linktree
Dave Dwonch has been a comics writer and artist for nearly two decades, penning titles like Jenny Zero (Dark Horse), Vamplets (Scholastic), as well as The Automaton and the Cyrus Perkins series under his Hellbrain imprint. Most recently he collaborated with Travis Hymel on The Loose End for Titan's Hard Case Crime line to rave reviews. He's also worked as a letterer and editor, most notably for the Eisner nominated series, Princeless.

About the Artist:
Linktree
Travis Hymel is an artist and illustrator living in Colorado. He has worked for clients such as Oni Press, Dark Horse Comics, IDW, Titan Comics, Devil's Due comics, and Action Lab Entertainment.

Check out Titan Comics 

 

Comic Review: Johnny Red #1 from Titan Comics

Johnny Red #1
Garth Ennis (writer)
Keith Burns (art)
Titan Comics
action/adventure, war
32 pages
matureLegendary British fighter ace, Johnny 'Red' Redburn, returns once more as the commander of the Falcons – a Russian fighter squadron battling the Nazis in the skies over Stalingrad. But dogfighting Messerschmitts is about to become the least of his troubles when the NVKD – the notorious Soviet secret police – come calling!

I loved, loved, loved Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's The Preacher series, which I only discovered a few years ago. After reading all of the graphic novels in that series though, I was a full-fledged fan of their work. So when I saw Garth Ennis was collaborating on a new WW2-era comic book series, I just had to check it out.

It begins in present day, however, with a self-made millionaire—one of those Silicon Valley types—on the hunt for a relic of the Second World War to fix up and fly. Kind of like how some buy yachts, some buy Ferraris, and some just go for whatever trendy status symbol is hot that year to show off to their friends and enemies. Well, for Tony Iverson, he wants a Hurricane, the iconic warplane, and the one he's found, bought, and had delivered as a bullet-ridden wreck has one heck of a story behind it. Though that story is shrouded in mystery, denying him the details of how a British plane wound up bound for Russia, lost at sea, and discovered buried in the former East Germany. For answers, Tony meets up with the man who served as a mechanic in the Russian air force, and regales Tony with how he came to meet the pilot of that plane, Johnny “Red” Redburn.

Sgt. Rodimitz's story in the latter half of this opening issue is where things really get interesting. I suppose Tony Iverson as a gateway character, someone through which readers unfamiliar with the war and all that can grab a foothold on the story, is perfectly fine. I, personally, would have probably preferred had the story just been a straight-forward WW2 tale of how a British pilot wound up leading a Russian squadron in their battles against the Nazis. But, that air of mystery surrounding the plane does add some hint of magic to it all, like a good old-fashioned treasure hunt. The treasure in this case being the history.

The artwork is pitch perfect for a comic like this, with rough edges and vibrant colors out front showing off the characters and their planes, with muted backgrounds especially in the more war torn backdrops, so your eye is constantly pulled towards the action.

Where the series appears to lack that brash humor I so enjoyed with the Preacher comics, the care and consideration poured into this story is something any reader should enjoy, especially anyone with a penchant for war stories.

4 stars from Gef Fox

Interview: Writer Victor Gischler (Sally of the Wasteland - Titan Comics)

Gef Fox (Wag the Fox) was kind enough to interview Victor Gischler, writer of Sally Of The Wasteland (Titan Comics), for the flock! Check out Gef's 4 1/2 sheep review of Sally of the Wasteland #1-5. 
Victor has also written such comic book titles as X-Men, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth, The Punisher, Conan, and The Shadow. 

Gef: What was the impetus behind Sally of the Wasteland? It felt like it harkened back to some of those great post-apocalyptic films of the 70s, so was there any kind of inspiration from that era?
Victor: Yes, I think so. And the 80’s. It’s a whole stew of influences from Mad Max to Barbarella. I also love the idea of “atomic monsters.” Purely B-movie science which I think works well in an over-the-top, irreverent book like this.

Gef: What was it about this series, if anything, that you approached differently from the previous titles?
Victor: Well, the obvious thing is that it’s creator-owned and for mature readers. Or at least mature readers who still embrace their inner immaturity. So I guess I like the fact we can throw a lot of rules out the window. I don’t hold anything back, or if I do it’s because of a decision I’ve made not because I have to play it safe for a mainstream audience. There’s nothing wrong with a mainstream audience, but sometimes it’s nice to cut loose. I like the opportunity to follow my instinct and damn the torpedoes.

Gef: Tazio Bettin did one heck of a job bringing Sally and her motley crew to life. How did this collaboration come about?Victor: I was at the SugarPulp Festival in Padova, Italy one year, and Tazio showed up with some illustrations he’d drawn based on scenes from my post-apocalypse novel GO GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE. They were great drawings. So when it came time to find an artist, I already knew he had talent, appreciated my writing, and was familiar with the genre. I was very lucky to connect with him, and his art just keeps getting better and better.

Gef: What do you consider to be the saving grace of apocalyptic fiction?
Victor: This isn’t a “saving grace” but it’s something that’s always attracted me about the post-apocalyptic genre, and that the fact that we’re looking at the ruined version of something very familiar – a city, a society, a civilization. There’s something very compelling and morbidly fascinating about that brand of destruction and ruin.

Gef: Fantasy football time: How would Sally fare in a cross-over issue with another female comic book character, and who might be on your wish list to see her team up with or go toe-to-toe with?
Victor: Awesome. Take note comic book publishers! This is your next best-seller.

I’ve heard people say Sally has a slight Harley Quinn vibe, so that might be cool. I’m also a fan of Tim Seeley’s Cassie Hack. Let’s toss Lady Deadpool into the mix too.

Gef: What's the worst piece of writing advice you ever received? Or what piece of writing advice do you wish would just go away?
Victor: This notion that you have to sit on broken glass while writing.

Wait … that’s not writing advice? Damn it, who told me that?!

Gef: What kind of guilty pleasures do you have when it comes to books or movies or whatnot, assuming a writer capable of concocting Sally of the Wasteland is even capable of guilt?
Victor: Yeah, I don’t do guilt. Short of child porn or something like that, people should read whatever the hell they want and just own it. But, hey, I’ll take the question in a different direction. I LOVE watching golf on TV. My fave sport. So many people think it’s so boring that I guess I’m supposed to be embarrassed to admit it. I’m not.

Gef: What projects are you cooking up that folks can expect in the near future, and how can folks keep up with your shenanigans?
Victor: I wrote an epic fantasy novel called INK MAGE and the sequel THE TATTOOED DUCHESS will but published in a couple months. BUT … you won’t know what’s going on in book 2 unless you read book 1 first, so every man, woman and child reading this needs to order INK MAGE now.

Go ahead … I’ll wait.

I’m also teaming again with Titan Comics for a creator-owned book called TERMINAL TOWN and Titan Books is publishing an APPALLING (but fun and pulpy) novel called GESTAPO MARS.

Sally Of The Wasteland #1

Writer: Victor Gischler

Artist: Tazio Bettin

Letterer: Jon Chapple

Series: Sally Of The Wasteland

Titan Comics

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction

Miniseries

Extent32pp

FormatSoftcover

Age:15+
Saving the remains of civilisation plays second best to keeping her sweetheart safe as our smart and sexy princess of the wild frontier runs a gauntlet of gigantic genetic freaks and roving gangs of blood-hungry barbarians!

The ever-so-cute but ever-so-slightly-insane Sally is the wayward daughter of writer Victor Gischler (X-Men, Angel & Faith, Noir) and artistic up-and-comer Tazio Bettin. This first issue in a fantastic new series proves Armageddon can be fun!

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
Victor Gischler is the author of such novels as GUN MONKEYS, SHOTGUN OPERA, GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE, THE DEPUTY and others. His work has been optioned for film and translated into numerous languages. He's also written such comic book titles as X-Men, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth, The Punisher, Conan, and The Shadow. He is a world traveler, grad school survivor and BBQ aficionado.

Comic Review: Sally of the Wasteland #1-#5 Titan Comics

Sally of the Wasteland #1-#5

written by Victor Gischler
Genres: Horror, Science Fiction
32pp
Format: Softcover
Frequency: Monthly
Age:15+
Titan Comics
Southern Louisiana, 82 years after the Fall. The apocalypse has come and gone, leaving behind a withered, ravaged landscape of wreckage and mutant crawfish. Still, you gotta laugh, and Sally does, often using her beloved shotgun, Bertha, as the punchline!

Inspired more by lust than common sense, and by a teenage desire to protect Tommy, the object of her desires, Sally leaves her bar job and joins the deranged crew of the Mississippi Duchess on a mission into the remains of New Orleans.

Saving the remains of civilisation plays second best to keeping her sweetheart safe as our smart and sexy princess of the wild frontier runs a gauntlet of gigantic genetic freaks and roving gangs of blood-hungry barbarians!

The ever-so-cute but ever-so-slightly-insane Sally is the wayward daughter of writer Victor Gischler (X-Men, Angel & Faith, Noir) and artistic up-and-comer Tazio Bettin. This first issue in a fantastic new series proves Armageddon can be fun!

WITH A VARIANT COVER FROM REVIVAL AND HACK/SLASH’S TIM SEELEY!

I love me some post-apocalyptic pulp and, boy howdy, did this series deliver. The fever dream Victor Gischler must have had to come up with this one, I don't even know how much mescaline it'd take, because I thought Beasts of the Southern Wild was gonna be the craziest post-apocalyptic tale set in a ravaged Louisiana. Oh, how I was wrong.

The world is a wasteland, quite literally and in keeping with the series title, with mutated monstrosities taking up the space left in the wake of humanity’s downfall. Oh, sure, there are the pockets of survivors spread here and there, but society is a distant memory and for one brassy young vixen, namely Sally, all the world amounts to is a lot of hard work and one dreamy hunk named Tommy. So when Tommy raises his hand to help a stranger with a weird piece of technology head out to New Orleans for answers and maybe one last chance at restoring civilization.

With all the unapologetic panache of a couple true pulp hounds, Victor Gischler and Tazio Betton offer up one of the wildest dystopian thrill rides I've seen in a good long while. Sally, at first glance, might seem like pure cheesecake, but her personality is as charming as it is borderline psychotic. She is no damsel, and she's no hero either, but she is all bad-ass with her shotgun Bertha and whatever other weapons she has at arm's reach. The rag-tag bunch she boats down the Mississippi with are all afforded moments for their own foibles to shine, whenever the ceaseless pitfalls and perils don't have them fighting for their lives.

The series might just be the kind of ultra-B movie fare you didn't know you were waiting for. If there is something to complain about, it is one particular swerve in the storyline that feels like a jumping of the tracks onto a completely different storyline, but even then the zany and the heart of the issue, Sally protecting Tommy, are never lost.

If this series was a movie, it would find itself in good company with the likes of Escape from New York and Army of Darkness. If you like the sounds of that, find these comics. If it doesn't, run and hide before the Bamazons get cha.

4 1/2 stars

Gef Fox

Comic Review: Death Sentence #1 (ARC) by Montynero Dowling

Death Sentence #1 (of 6)
Writer: Monty Nero
Artist Name: Mike Dowling
Cover Artist: Mike Dowling
Number of Issues/Volumes in Series: 6
Page Count: 32 pp
Retail Price: $3.99
Street Date: October 9, 2013

Titan Comics -twitter-FB

What would you do with superpowers – and six months to live?

That’s the dilemma facing three people who’ve contracted the G+ Virus, a terrifying new STD.

What can graphic designer Verity, failing indie guitarist Weasel and roguish media personality Monty do in the time they have left? Fade away – or go out in a blaze of glory?

By turns funny, dark, sad and spectacular, Death Sentence is an emotional thrill ride through celebrity, loss, passion and creativity. It’s the jaw-dropping next stage in superpowered storytelling!

Packed with unforgettable shocks, quotable dialogue and the character finds of a generation, this is an unmissable debut by two striking and confident new voices!

AIDS doesn't exactly come with a silver lining, none that I'm aware of at any rate. So imagine a sexually transmitted disease that gave you--albeit fleetingly--increased physical and mental abilities. You feel stronger, smarter, more creative. Great, especially if you're a struggling musician with record producers hounding you for a hit album. And once you're dead, those record sales are bound to skyrocket.

G-Plus is just such a disease in the world envisioned by Montynero Dowling. The disease is cutting a swath through London and around the world, but before some people succumb to the disease's deteriorating effects, they're capitalizing on its preternatural gifts. Monty, a egotistical rockstar turned self-appointed voice of the ages, may be infected with G-Plus, but he's not letting it stop him from bedding everything that moves--including a nun, if you can believe that.Keeping with the rock and roll theme, there's Weasel. A junkie with a lot of money riding on his success as a rock musician. If only the G-Plus will kick in and fire up his creative juices, since his benefactors are a little fed up with him, not to mention the drug dealers whom he owes.

Then there's Miss Flett (didn't catch her first name anywhere in the book) and her life's alarmingly rapid descent following her G-Plus diagnosis. She quits her job, finds her bank account empty, and her doctor has notified some rather menacing government agents.All attitude in this first issue, but a helluva lot of potential for future issues. Three interesting, albeit not entirely likable, characters to serve as viewpoints into this world. The first issue doesn't quite find its footing, trying hard to balance introducing characters and plot, not quite delivering in full on either. But, it's only one issue in, and I'm hoping that there's enough gas in the tank to carry this series even further into the dystopic expanse Dowling has set up.

4 Sheep

Guest Reviewer: Gef Fox

Wag The Fox: a den for dark fiction