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Showcase Presents
Showcase Presents: The Losers, Vol. 1
Collected from G.I. COMBAT #138 and OUR FIGHTING FORCES #123- 150, Captain Johnny Cloud, Captain Storm, Gunner Mackey and Sarge Clay – team up as The Losers. Even though these heroes always won in the end, they had to do everything the hard way!
456 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2012
4 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kanigher
584 books8 followersSee also as Bob Kanigher
One of the most prolific writers in comics, particularly in the Silver Age. He took over scripting duties on Wonder Woman after William Moulton Marston's death, and handled the character's transition from the Golden to the Silver Age. He also created Barry Allen, the second Flash, for editor Julius Schwartz's superhero revival of 1956, as well as writing and editing DC's pioneering war titles.
His creations include Sgt. Rock, the Unknown Soldier, Barry Allen, Ragman, the Losers, Black Canary, the Metal Men, Poison Ivy, Enemy Ace, the Suicide Squad, and Rex the Wonder Dog.
One of the most prolific writers in comics, particularly in the Silver Age. He took over scripting duties on Wonder Woman after William Moulton Marston's death, and handled the character's transition from the Golden to the Silver Age. He also created Barry Allen, the second Flash, for editor Julius Schwartz's superhero revival of 1956, as well as writing and editing DC's pioneering war titles.
His creations include Sgt. Rock, the Unknown Soldier, Barry Allen, Ragman, the Losers, Black Canary, the Metal Men, Poison Ivy, Enemy Ace, the Suicide Squad, and Rex the Wonder Dog.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 29, 2025
Nice collection of one of the lesser known DC war comics. Nice read. Recommended
January 1, 2021
These stories have aged well. They tell some great one off stories as well as allow the characters to progress nicely unlike most war stories in this period. I actually enjoy these stories more than the Sgt. Rock comics. The art is great as well no complaints.
February 22, 2022
Great Severin war art.
August 30, 2012
Somehow, I completely missed the era of war comics. The glitz of superheroes bewitched my youthful sensibilities, so even if they were on the spinner rack at my local Rite Aid, I didn't notice them. Still, war comics are an important genre in the history of American comics, so I'd be remiss if I didn't at least sample them.
What turned me on to "The Losers" was the fact that John Severin had drawn the comic back in the day, and since he's my first art hero, I wanted to see how he handled the material.
The premise of the book seems to be "Challengers of the Unknown" in World War II. Four soldiers, the respective survivors of three disastrous missions, find themselves thrown together. They then take on (or are assigned) what seem to be suicide missions, which they (mostly) survive, even if the objective isn't quite met in the way the brass envisioned.
This black-and-white reprint volume traces the career of The Losers from their first appearance in G.I. Combat (#138 [Oct. 1969]) to their long run in Our Fighting Forces (#123-150 [Aug./Sep. 1974]).
There are other reviewers who know more about war comics and writer, Robert Kanigher's, contributions thereto, so I can't offer any expertise in that area. What I can say is that I was in awe--IN. AWE.--of how many times per page one of The Losers reminded us, the reader, that they were, in fact, losers. Four soldiers who survived mission after mission--sometimes, they were the ONLY survivors for MILES--seemed bound and determined to undermine their own self-esteem at every opportunity. Sometimes, even in multiple word balloons in a single panel.
But something mysterious happens around page 151 of this 450+ page tome: John Severin becomes the regular artist of The Losers' adventures. Suddenly, the stories become dramatic--even compelling. The richly detailed and period-accurate art takes on a heft that is absent in the previous pages. And The Losers stop beating themselves up every-other sentence. Coincidence? I can only guess that Mr. Kanigher's writing improved DRAMATICALLY because he was rising to some unspoken creative challenge. Thank goodness!
So I think it's unfair to give Ross Andru top billing as illustrator for this volume, because the real star of this book--contributing almost 300 pages--is John Severin, without whom (in my opinion) The Losers would have been a brief blip on the war comics scene.
Would I read more war comics? Well, if they're drawn by John Severin, absolutely.
What turned me on to "The Losers" was the fact that John Severin had drawn the comic back in the day, and since he's my first art hero, I wanted to see how he handled the material.
The premise of the book seems to be "Challengers of the Unknown" in World War II. Four soldiers, the respective survivors of three disastrous missions, find themselves thrown together. They then take on (or are assigned) what seem to be suicide missions, which they (mostly) survive, even if the objective isn't quite met in the way the brass envisioned.
This black-and-white reprint volume traces the career of The Losers from their first appearance in G.I. Combat (#138 [Oct. 1969]) to their long run in Our Fighting Forces (#123-150 [Aug./Sep. 1974]).
There are other reviewers who know more about war comics and writer, Robert Kanigher's, contributions thereto, so I can't offer any expertise in that area. What I can say is that I was in awe--IN. AWE.--of how many times per page one of The Losers reminded us, the reader, that they were, in fact, losers. Four soldiers who survived mission after mission--sometimes, they were the ONLY survivors for MILES--seemed bound and determined to undermine their own self-esteem at every opportunity. Sometimes, even in multiple word balloons in a single panel.
But something mysterious happens around page 151 of this 450+ page tome: John Severin becomes the regular artist of The Losers' adventures. Suddenly, the stories become dramatic--even compelling. The richly detailed and period-accurate art takes on a heft that is absent in the previous pages. And The Losers stop beating themselves up every-other sentence. Coincidence? I can only guess that Mr. Kanigher's writing improved DRAMATICALLY because he was rising to some unspoken creative challenge. Thank goodness!
So I think it's unfair to give Ross Andru top billing as illustrator for this volume, because the real star of this book--contributing almost 300 pages--is John Severin, without whom (in my opinion) The Losers would have been a brief blip on the war comics scene.
Would I read more war comics? Well, if they're drawn by John Severin, absolutely.
May 7, 2012
Anyone who knows anything about the way the military operates knows The Losers as a unit should never exist. A naval officer, an Army Air Corps pilot, and a pair of Marines (neither of the last two actually seems to have a real name), get sent on covert missions where most of the time anyone they work with ends up getting killed and any victory they score is a double-edged one. Why they consider themselves "losers" when they keep surviving is a bit beyond me, and if the group above, made up of pre-existing DC war characters, didn't seem improbable enough, the addition of a female, civilian, Norwegian underground fighter who somehow also goes on missions with them, seems even less likely. Plus, like The Unknown Soldier from that era, many stories after showing all manner of excitement and stuff getting blown to bits, ends with the slogan "Make War No More".
That said, The Losers as a group had a lot of strengths, and not the halfassed, probably racist attempt to showcase a Native American in the form of Johnny Cloud. Unlike Sergeant Rock and the Haunted Tank, the Losers aren't just wandering aimlessly and being attacked by stray planes and tanks. There's a bit of that, and like Rock the Losers can shoot down an aircraft with small arms fire, but the Losers as a covert team actually have reasons for showing up in random places, and towards the end of this volume, the storyline actually takes on some sense of continuity from chapter to chapter. The added bonus is, besides covers mostly by Joe Kubert, there is also a lot of beautiful interior art by John Severin that compliments the stories of Robert Kanigher, master of DC's war comics. Like any Silver Age comics, you shouldn't think about them too hard and they work as the fun little 12-to-13 page installments that they are.
That said, The Losers as a group had a lot of strengths, and not the halfassed, probably racist attempt to showcase a Native American in the form of Johnny Cloud. Unlike Sergeant Rock and the Haunted Tank, the Losers aren't just wandering aimlessly and being attacked by stray planes and tanks. There's a bit of that, and like Rock the Losers can shoot down an aircraft with small arms fire, but the Losers as a covert team actually have reasons for showing up in random places, and towards the end of this volume, the storyline actually takes on some sense of continuity from chapter to chapter. The added bonus is, besides covers mostly by Joe Kubert, there is also a lot of beautiful interior art by John Severin that compliments the stories of Robert Kanigher, master of DC's war comics. Like any Silver Age comics, you shouldn't think about them too hard and they work as the fun little 12-to-13 page installments that they are.
February 26, 2013
The Showcase Presents volumes reprinting DC's war comics are proving to be a treat. Kanigher's stories may not be realistic (The Losers are a unit composed of a Naval captain, an Air Corps pilot, a USMC sergeant and a USMC private), but they are entertaining. It helps that 2/3 of the stories in this collection have art by John Severin, an artist whose work I can look at all day long.
May 20, 2013
I expected some fun vintage comics, but this was far more than that. Just wonderfully entertaining.
August 10, 2014
Great stories, great artwork.
September 22, 2015
These old war comic books are certainly not for everyone, but I love 'em.
September 9, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Fun adventures that make a good point on the nature of loss in war.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews