Collecting issues #7-12
Writer: Andy Diggle
Artists: Jock, Shawn Martinbrough
Publisher: DC Vertigo
“Bad dream?”
“Bad decade.”
Volume two of the Losers doesn’t really slam on the overdrive just yet. Pieces are still falling into place and plot points are gradually being revealed and developed, but what this second book has going for it is a much more steady rhythm. The team has come together, the personalities are all distinct and have a unique dynamic within the whole, and most importantly the creative team really starts to mesh.
This time around, the Losers take a mission out in the Caribbean, and the open-air setting really allows Jock’s art to breathe and gel with the story. The art in the previous book was a little too cramped and dark at times, but here Diggle plays to Jock’s strengths and the quality really soars. The action sequences shine especially bright as the art stretches its sensibilities to best render the incredible situations the writer has cooked up. Sure, it’s implausible that someone could dodge a stinger missile between their legs while flipping in the air, but the art keeps it over-the-top without seeming ridiculous.
“I’m too old to learn how to fly a computer.”
We’re also introduced to Stegler, who isn’t really the most interesting character, but his inclusion helps flesh out both the stakes of the story as well as the scope of the antagonist’s power. Stegler is investigating the resurgence of the Losers from the last episode and whether they’re working as pawns for the government or against it, and the extent to which the government itself may be corrupted and manipulated. Though it’s mostly in exposition, we have a lot more development of the power struggles at stake here, as well as commentary on government involvement throughout the past half-decade of American politics. It’s a story steeped in conspiracy, but it’s enthralling for what it’s trying to achieve.
“I’m wearin’ a hat!”
Can you tell I love the dialogue? The wit factor has tripled this time around, and just about every line is a winner. If you’re put off by the kind of Mark Millar-style dialogue in which characters engage in 30-word back-and-forth quips to one-up each other’s ego, then Andy Diggle is the write you’re looking for. Every character has their unique brand of humor, none of it obnoxious or too pretentious.
In book one, sometimes less inspired plot points or solutions arose that bordered on cliché. Book two also carries its share, but Diggle comes prepared with a better strategy: have the characters mock the clichés and conveniences. It doesn’t excuse the few bits of lazy plotting, but it does make them easier to swallow.
Double Down lays more hints about the mysterious event that set the group off on their revenge crusade, but the beans aren’t spilled in full until the next collection. In truth, it feels that things are still building to a greater payoff, and as a result nothing substantial plot-wise has occurred yet. That doesn’t mean there’s no substance to be found here; there’s plenty, but the crux of the story doesn’t hinge on these particular events. As a whole, however, the quality continues to steadily improve over the first book, and it will only keep getting better.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!