The Losers (Vertigo)

For the DC war comics squad, see The Losers (comics).

The Losers
Cover to issue #1 of The Losers (August 2003). Art by Jock.
Publication information
Publisher	Vertigo
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	Techno-thriller
Publication date	August 2003 – March 2006
No. of issues	32
Main character(s)	Clay Roque Jensen Cougar Pooch Aisha
Creative team
Created by	Andy Diggle Jock
Written by	Andy Diggle
Artist(s)	Jock Shawn Martinbrough Nick Dragotta Ale Garza Ben Oliver
Penciller(s)	Clem Robins
Colorist(s)	Lee Loughridge
Editor(s)	Will Dennis Zachary Rau
Collected editions
Ante Up	ISBN 1-40120-198-9
Double Down	ISBN 1-40120-348-5
Trifecta	ISBN 1-40120-489-9
Close Quarters	ISBN 1-40120-719-7
Endgame	ISBN 1-40121-004-X

The Losers is a comic book series published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, written by Andy Diggle and illustrated, for the most part, by Jock. It ran for 32 issues from August 2003 to March 2006. The idea was very loosely based on the original Losers for DC Comics, a group of World War II soldiers, although Andy Diggle maintains he has never read a single issue of the original series.

Plot

The Losers' reimagining was set against events surrounding and including the War on Terror. Originally a Special Forces team seconded to the Central Intelligence Agency. in the 90s, the Losers were betrayed by their handler, Max, and left for dead following the conclusion of their operation. Eager for revenge and the opportunity to remove their names from a secret CIA death list, the Losers regroup and conduct covert operations against the CIA and its interests, uncovering startling operations spearheaded by the enigmatic Max, whose influence within the CIA and U.S. government is unparalleled.

Characters

• Clay - The Leader, easily identified by a consistent use of black suits without ties. Commonly referred to as 'the Colonel,' perhaps alluding to his rank prior to the team's "death." A meticulous planner, initiative-taker and an excellent leader, Clay harbors the largest grudge against Max, at times appearing visibly angry at the mention of his name.
• Roque - The second-in-command, easily identified by the large, vertical scar down the right side of his face and icy demeanor. His ruthless thirst for money motivates a majority of his actions, including the serial betrayal of the Losers and many of his underlings.
• Jensen - The hacker, characterized by his spiky blonde hair, glasses and a conspicuous beard on his chin. Known for his nonstop motormouth that often leads him into trouble and a variety of conversational tangents.
• Cougar - The sniper, identified by his cowboy hat and haunted demeanor. Morose and laconic as a result of a traumatic combat incident in Afghanistan. An absolute genius with the rifle.
• Pooch - The pilot, identifiable by his shaved head and laid-back appearance, has been known to pilot any ground, air or sea vehicle with ease. Despite his involvement with the CIA and Special Forces, is also married with children.
• Aisha - The loose cannon, identified by her eyebrow piercing and tied-back hair. Partners with the Losers in light of their common goal of killing Max. Skilled in all combat skills, with particular emphasis on melee and reconnaissance, stemming from a harsh upbringing in Afghanistan and Pakistan, primarily fighitng as a child against Soviet soldiers during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. A cold-blooded killer who prefers to leave corpses rather than survivors when she engages the enemy.

Supporting Characters

• Max - A Keyser Söze-like mastermind wielding unprecedented, covert influence over the U.S. intelligence community and military institutions. Organized the assassination of Aisha's father, a slave trader and local warlord, and the subsequent "accident" 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.
• Robert Sanderson - Deputy Director of Operations, CIA. Originally assigned to negotiate with the Losers during an intense standoff, Sanderson comes to realize the true motives and identity of Max, whom he initially regards as an expired decoy identity "used to lure enemy agents out of hiding." Sanderson recruits Marvin Stegler to conduct a clandestine intra-Agency investigation of the MAX identity.
• Marvin Stegler - A veteran CIA agent who as of late has been relegated to desk work. Although initially ordered to investigate the Max identity, Stegler frequently crosses paths with the Losers and comes to offer Agency support to them after he stops receiving orders from Sanderson.

Collected editions

The ongoing monthly comic concluded in 2006, however the complete run of the series remains available in trade paperback. All stories are written by Andy Diggle, with Jock on the majority of art duties:

• Ante Up (collects #1-6, 158 pages, 2004 ISBN 1-40120-198-9)
• Double Down (with Shawn Martinbrough, collects #7-12, 144 pages, 2004 ISBN 1-40120-348-5)
• Trifecta (with Nick Dragotta and Alé Garza, collects #13-19, 168 pages, 2005 ISBN 1-40120-489-9)
• Close Quarters (with Ben Oliver, collects #20-25, 144 pages, 2006 ISBN 1-40120-719-7)
• Endgame (with Colin Wilson, collects #26-32, 168 pages, September 2006 ISBN 1-40121-004-X)

Awards

• 2004:
  • Nominated for "Best New Series" Eisner Award
  • Nominated for "Favourite New Comicbook" Eagle Award

• 2006: Jock nominated for "Best Cover Artist" Eisner Award, for The Losers

Film adaptation

In 2007 it was announced that a movie adaptation is in development with a screenplay by Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt, to be directed by Tim Story for Warner Brothers.

In October 2008 Variety reported that Sylvain White had now taken the director's chair, with Dark Castle Entertainment acting as the financiers. In February 2009, it was reported that Jeffrey Dean Morgan would headline the upcoming adaptation playing Clay. In March 2009, it was confirmed that Columbus Short will play Pooch, Idris Elba will play Roque and Zoe Saldana will play Aisha. Rumored casting includes Chris Evans playing Jensen, Jeremy Renner playing Cougar. In May 2009, it was rumored that Jason Patric is in the running to play Max.

References

• The Losers at the Grand Comics Database
• The Losers at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)

External links

• Andy Diggle interview at Comics Code
• The Losers at IMDb