The Losers (comics)
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The Losers was a comic published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, written by Andy Diggle and drawn by Jock. Based on an obscure old DC Comic following a team of soldiers in WWII, this new series brings the concept up to date with a present day setting and a team of special forces soldiers who declare war on the CIA after their Agency handler tries to assassinate them.
It has been noted that the update bears more than a passing resemblance to the A-Team.
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[edit] Original Team
Upon America's entry into the European theatre of the Second World War, a Special Forces group composed of personnel from all branches of the armed forces was formed. The members were Captain William Storm, a former PT Boat commander with a wooden leg and an eye-patch; Johnny Cloudof the U.S. Army Air Force, known as 'The Navajo Ace', Sarge Clay, one of the oldest serving Marines, and Gunner Mackay, one of the youngest. Because each member had suffered the deaths of personnel under their command for which they felt responsible, they dubbed themselves The Losers.
[edit] Beginnings
Prior to the formation of the group, each character had his own adventures in DC's war anthology comics (with Gunner & Sarge sharing their adventures). Captain Storm had his own title, which lasted 18 issues from 1964 to 1967. Their stories, which ran in the DC war comic Our Fighting Forces, were written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by a variety of artists, most notably Sam Glanzman, Russ Heath, John Severin, Jack Kirby and Joe Kubert. The first appearance was with The Haunted Tank crew in issue 138 of G.I. Combat (October/November 1969), in a story titled The Losers. They got their own series a few months later (January/February 1970), as the lead feature in Our Fighting Forces, beginning with issue 123.
The group served in Europe, Africa and the Pacific, meeting other characters of the period such as the Haunted Tank and Sergeant Rock. The team briefly had a female member named Ona Tomsen who was part of the Norwegian Resistance movement, who joined the team in issue 135. At the same time, the team briefly lost Captain Storm, who suffered amnesia (and lost an eye) due to a bomb blast. They reunited in issue 141, when Capt. Storm reappeared as a one-eyed, peg-legged pirate. Gunner's pet dog Pooch also joined the team for some missions.
[edit] Series Creators
Robert Kanigher was the original writer for the series, and he emphasized the group's hard-luck outlook. They were, in a sense, anti-heroes, and the stories cast light on the negative impact of war. At the height of the Viet Nam war, Kanigher wove this outlook into many of the DC war books. Also in common with most DC war books of the time were spectacular covers by Joe Kubert. Ken Barr handled the artist's chores on the first issue, with Ross Andru and Mike Esposito picking up in issue 124. John Severin, veteran of Marvel Comics' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos came in by issue 132 to handle the art chores. This run lasted until Jack Kirby took over as artist/writer with issue 151. While Kirby enjoyed working on the series [1], he took them in entirely different direction that wasn't favored by fans, judging by comments in the book's letter pages. Bob Kanigher was back writing the book, with Jack Lehti handling the art.
Issue 164 saw Ric Estrada penciling and George Evans inking, and Evans handling all of the artistic duties by issue 166. He continued on the strip until the final issue, 181 (September/October 1978). The story that was originally set to run in issue 182 finally appeared 4 years later, in Unknown Soldier #265 (July 1982), in a story titled Young Losers - Young Lions. This was written by Kanigher and drawn by Evans.
[edit] The End
According to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the team met its end in Markovia in 1945 at the hands of the anti-Monitor's shadow demons.
In The Losers Special #1, written by Kanigher and illustrated by Glanzman, the Losers (along with Pooch) died in action in 1945 while destroying a German missile site. The Special was published in 1985, during Crisis's initial run, and remained the definitive ending for the group for many years. In the late 1990s, a short-lived revival of the Creature Commandos resurrected Gunner as a cyborg warrior member of the new team.
An alternative ending was presented in the out-of-continuity 2004 miniseries DC: The New Frontier. In it, the group was sent to the famed Dinosaur Island in December 1945. The team was destroyed. Their epitaph, of sorts, was written by Johnny Cloud: "Ask my family and they'll tell you I was a Navajo. Ask the Army Air Force and they'll say I was an American. But if you ask my brothers. they'll set you straight. John Cloud was a Loser."
[edit] 2004 Team
[edit] The Losers
- Clay - Leader. Caucasian. Identified by constant use of suits without ties. Referred to as 'the Colonel,' perhaps indicating his rank prior to the team's "death." Meticulous planner, initiative-taker, excellent leader. Harbors the largest grudge against Max, and appears visibly angry at the mention of his name.
- Roque - Second-in-command. Caucasian. Identified by the large scar down the right side of his face and icy demeanor. His thirst for money motivates a majority of his actions, including the eventual betrayal of the team.
- Jensen - Hacker. Caucasian. Characterized by blond hair and glasses, as well as a distinguishable beard beneath his lower lip and his always running motormouth.
- Cougar - Sniper. Hispanic. Identified by his large cowboy hat and quiet demeanor. Anything he says is usually deeply relevant to the situation at hand and limited to one or two words. It is eventually revealed that he used to be much more talkative, but due to a traumatic incident in Iraq he became distant from the others.
- Pooch - Pilot. African-American. Identified by his shaved head and laid-back appearance. Can pilot any ground, air or sea vehicle.
- Aisha - Loose Cannon. Middle Eastern. Experienced in close combat and reconnaissance. Middle Eastern descent. Characterized by multiple piercings. Background suggests harsh upbringing in Afghanistan, primarily against Soviet soldiers during the Soviet war in Afghanistan- "I was born in a desert place. War was my only mother. As a child I moved through the battlefield and slit the throats of screaming Russian boys. I firebombed my first tank when I was twelve years old and machine-gunned the crew as they fled, burning."
[edit] Other Characters
- Max - An enigmatic man wielding extensive influence over various governmental and military institutions. Organized the assassination of Aisha's father, a slave trader and local warlord, and the subsequent "murder" of the Losers when they went off-mission. Although the current Max enjoys substantial influence over the CIA and infamy throughout the Black Ops community, the "Max" codename predates the CIA itself by several years.
- Marvin Stegler -A veteran CIA man who has lately been relegated to desk work. With the Losers causing a stir, he starts looking into codename "Max" and uncovering the conspiracies the Losers are now tangled up in. He ends up joining forces with them against Max.
Spoilers end here.
[edit] Publication
[edit] Original Team
- G.I.Combat #138 (October/November 1969) The Losers 14 pages
- Our Fighting Forces #123-181 (January/February 1970-July/August 1978)
- Unknown Soldier #250 (April 1981) The Traitor Without a Face! 25 pages
- Unknown Soldier #265 (July 1982) Young Losers - Young Lions! 8 pages
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #3 (June 1985) Oblivion Upon Us 25 pages
- The Losers Special #1 (1985) Losers Die Twice 40 pages
[edit] 2004 Team
The ongoing monthly comic concluded in 2006, however it remains available in trade paperback form all published by Vertigo. All stories are written by Andy Diggle, with Jock on the majority of art duties:
- Ante Up (collects #1-6, 158 pages, 2004 ISBN 1-4012-0198-9)
- Double Down (with Shawn Martinbrough, collects #7-12, 144 pages, 2004 ISBN 1-4012-0348-5)
- Trifecta (with Nick Dragotta and Alé Garza, collects #13-19, 168 pages, 2005 ISBN 1-4012-0489-9)
- Close Quarters (with Ben Oliver, collects #20-25, 144 pages, 2006 ISBN 1-4012-0719-7)
- Endgame (with Colin Wilson, collects #26-32, 168 pages, September 2006 ISBN 1-4012-1004-X)
[edit] In other media
A movie adaptation was slated for production in September 2005 [1], to be directed by Peter Berg for Warner Brothers.
[edit] External links
- The Losers at the Internet Movie Database
- Andy Diggle interview at Comics Code
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ "Berg writes Losers", Monsters and Critics, September 2005. Retrieved on January 23, 2007.
