The Losers, Book 1 – Andy Diggle, Illustrated by Jock

Publisher’s Summary:
“The Agency thought it had closed the book on the Losers. After the team saw a little too much at the wrong place and time, their chopper went down in flames with no survivors and plenty of deniability – and the Losers went down in the records as just another squad of Special Forces foot soldiers tragically lost to one of the C.I.A.’s shadow wars.

But the Losers were just playing dead – and now that they’ve seen what the Agency is really up to, they’re through with games. Now it’s time to take the fight back to its source.”

Selecting this book as a potential elective for the readers’ round table mentioned here? That would be me indulging myself. Two words should suffice for explanatory purposes: Chris Evans. Okay. Maybe that’s not enough. Direct your attention to the top of the book’s cover, then. I assume the thought process behind the design went something like this: “Coy? Coy is for ladies with frilly fans and Schnauzers with those tricky eyebrows. This is The Losers. Hit that caps lock key, baby.” So perhaps you noticed that this comic was made into a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE? And one that actually complimented the source material for being pretty much perfectly cast. Which brings me back to my original point: Chris Evans as Jensen, the team’s tech expert and resident what-the-hell-is-he-talking-about-now guy, is everything that’s right with the world. More on that later. My original original point is this: If not for the oh so quotable joy that is the MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen this graphic novel as an elective.

Also? I’m really glad to have seen the movie prior to tackling the book; a half a dozen pages in and, without that reference, I would have been all kinds of ‘whaaat?’ with a little bit of ‘huuuh?’ thrown in for good measure. Turns out, I’m not fluent in guns. Or bombs. Or chopper-jacking. And the foreign language that is black-ops speak? Without physical props and actors making helpful pointing gestures, it turns out my translation skills are also up for debate. (It takes time to learn military-ese. To coax enjoyment out of it without the benefit of being predisposed to the genre. I’m not going to turn into a ‘Give me everything W.E.B. Griffin has ever written!’ girl overnight, people.) Additionally, the movie offers up a prefatory scene that only slowly unfolds throughout the course of action in the graphic novel, which means you work a little harder for the pieces of the puzzle. But, whatever! The Losers offers up some good times. Mostly thanks to Jensen. More on that later.

If you were to ask me what single element of The Losers pushed my oh-yeah button, my answer would be unhesitating: the team dynamic. I thoroughly enjoy stories in which disparate individuals in possession of highly specialized and honed skills come together, even moreso when said people form an unflinching bond, as is the case here; add in the quintet’s determination to right a wrong done to them in the most badass ways possible and, well, let’s just call it what it is…Sexy. The explosions? The crack-shot sniping? The persuasive, come-to-Jensen hacking? Gets the adrenaline flowing, even on paper (and nevermind the fact that my brain helpfully supplied images of these guys doing what needs doing). The Losers is action-fueled, filthy-mouthed intrigue peppered with moments of snort-worthy humor courtesy of, you guessed it, Jensen. You have to love a guy who hacks unhackable systems in heart boxers, a pirate hat and boots, right?

Speaking of Jensen, I promised you a couple of more later’s. Both can be addressed by pointing your attention to the scene on the right. (My apologies for the glare and the blur; click on the image to make both worse for being bigger.) I was ridiculously pleased – like, stupid grin plastered on my face pleased – when I turned the page to find Jensen’s finger-guns locked and loaded. And I am so very, very bothered by the fact that I can’t embed the corresponding scene from the movie in this post, because…Oh, it is…it is…Perfection. Chris Evans is Corporal Jake Jensen, and he owned this scene. (Go here. Really.) Jensen – on both page and screen – is a larger than life, layered character; he has cultivated a personality meant to lull those who don’t know him into thinking he’s something he’s not – scatterbrained, harmless – before he takes them apart. He is, in a word, irresistible.

All of this isn’t to say that the graphic novel is perfect. These boys must have hundreds of chock-full swear jars stashed across the world, and if you find that sort of language offensive, this may not be right for you.The language works in the context of the story, managing to, in my opinion, stay on the right side of gratuitous. And then there’s the lone female, Aisha. She’s competent, dangerous, and can hold her own in what might typically be considered a man’s world, but she still manages to be a peripheral, flat character, especially when standing next to Clay, Pooch, Cougar (my second love in the group) and Jensen. And, finally, the plot is somewhat stilted, owing to the fits and starts way information is revealed. Some of that can be chocked up to the reader having to catch up alongside of the Losers, and the rest to the they-were-there-now-they’re-where? nature of the puzzle coming together. Oh, and you should keep in mind, in case you’re curious about this one, that nothing is resolved in this first book.

So. My suggestion? Treat this as a pair: Get both the book(s) and the MAJOR MOTION PICTURE. Roll your shoulders, settle in, and give my regards to Jensen.

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