Not that I had much doubt, but this issue serves notice that Diggle and Jock weren't just one-trick ponies with one good story arc up their sleeves. The beginning of the second caper style arc of this book kicks off with just as much good stuff in the way of great character moments, espionage double-talk and well-imagined and executed action sequences. The trail of Max has led the team to a new area of operations, but while this is mostly setup for the team itself, there are much bigger things going on with the adversaries, including a bloody execution and the introduction of a third force in the war quickly developing between Max and the Losers.
Diggle and Jock kick off this issue with a sequence that reintroduces the players for new readers, and it's an example of why I love the book so much. Each character gets a quick soundbite that pretty much expresses their basic personality, establishes who they are for new readers and yet is still entertaining for those of us who already know the characters. I particularly love Jensen's childish antics, although Aisha's understated cool (and Clay's amused reaction to it) are a lot of fun as well. Diggle and Jock have created a classic ensemble cast in this book, and it only takes a few pages to start liking them.
For the most part, though, this issue doesn't really focus on the Losers. There's a brief but very effective sequence in San Francisco that introduces a mystery but is clearly all about what the bad guys are up to. It works on two levels, one that I can't wait to see it pay off down the line and another in that it serves notice exactly how ruthless and efficient the bad guys are in this book. Diggle also introduces an older, burned out agent of the CIA who is quickly established as a smart, capable opponent for the team. Except that it seems just as likely he'll wind up backing them up as taking them on, an interesting twist given that he's sort of in with the bad guys. It's a nice added level of complexity to the politics of the book.
While Shawn Martinbrough did a fine fill-in job on this book, I'm happy to see Jock back on art chores. His work has a real sense of style, and sense of humor, that is as responsible for the feel of these characters as Diggle's dialogue. Jock establishes the nature of the Losers' meeting area with one opening panel, and says a lot about each character in each panel they show up in, whether it's Jensen's goofy demeanor, Pooch's understated warmth or Aisha's cold, depressed exterior. Then there's the action sequence of the issue, which is just beautifully executed in minimalist style, focused not on what's going on around the sequence but on the important details, squealing brakes, crunching metal or a slow, inexorable fall into the water. And Jock is just as capable with depicting the basement offices of Langley or the sandy beaches of Antigua.
While Losers may not have the surprise twists of Y: The Last Man or Fables in general, that doesn't mean the creative team can't come up with a few surprises. Diggle has come up with a much different setting for this second arc, and pulls out a very entertaining spotlight scene for Pooch to display how the attitude of the place differs from an oil platform or a Texas airport... and then he pulls another switch in scenery on the last page, which has me very anxious to see where the story goes from here.
