Some big revelations in this issue of The Losers, putting together pieces of the motivational puzzle for some of the characters and providing some harrowing moments to boot. The whole thing is structured very well, as Diggle and Jock lead the regular readers right up to what's coming, and we read on in horror knowing what the characters don't, which doesn't make the events any less shocking or affecting. This book has been sort of a fun action book, and that hasn't changed, but with this issue and this storyline, Diggle has provided a darker, more serious underpinning to the characters and raised the stakes on their goals.
This flashback has read very much like a modern Losers story, showing the team acting in concert as a unit and emphasizing smart tactics as well as plenty of gunfire and explosions. However, there has been an important distinction in this flashback as well, as the team is just a little bit more innocent, having not yet experienced the betrayal at Max's hands. Roque's slimy, self-serving behavior is more of a character quirk than the motivation for duplicity it would eventually become. Cougar, while still a badass, has a more optimistic and human side to him. Even Clay has a bit more of what could be called naivete, as his righteous "I'm going to haul that motherfucker in front of Congress for this" attests. It's fascinating to see these characters in a slightly more innocent state, and to realize how much they've changed (in subtle ways) because of Max.
Of course, the big selling point of this issue is the moment that it's been building up to, the "death" of the Losers. Diggle and Jock stage this brilliantly, because there's no surprise coming, the readers know exactly what's going to happen. That makes the events leading up to it even more brutal, because we see that the Losers think they're doing the noble thing and we know that they're in fact going to find themselves culpable in the deaths of innocents and good soldiers. The actual sequence plays out as if it were in slow motion, an impressive trick in motionless comics, and the horror on Cougar's face explains the change in his behavior after this mission.
Then there's the other big reveal of the issue, one that I wasn't expecting. I'd gotten so wrapped up in the flashback I had forgotten the framing sequence, and when we return to it, we see how Aisha ties into all of this. What's beautiful about this reveal is that it instantly explains a lot about her and her motivations, and sheds light on some of the questions raised in previous issues, but it still leaves some big mysteries and a really good cliffhanger. Namely, if that's her motivation, where is her anger directed, and is any of it going to be directed at the Losers? I suspect we're on the cusp of finding out a little more about the mysterious Aisha's motivations, and I can't wait.
The Losers impressed me from the start as a balls-to-the-wall action book that captured the high adrenaline feel of a good action movie. That's still the biggest selling point for me, but stories like this one or the look at the home lives of the team in an earlier arc help to deepen the connection between reader and characters, and the conspiracy elements that belong to Max and his presence in the book make it more than just a forgettable ride. 9/10
