Lost Soldiers #1

Image Comics

Writer: Aleš Kot

Artist: Luca Casalanguida

There’s been a lot of comics with military themes over the years. Numerous popular characters such as Wolverine, The Punisher, and Deathstroke have been portrayed as veterans. I’ve always had a bit of a problem with them though. Too often these comics try to portray military service as “cool”. A character is a veteran who is used to make them seem like some sort of badass. The trauma caused by wartime experience is often ignored in favour of overly-muscular protagonists, violence, and guns.

Now Image has released the first issue of a new 5-part series called “Lost Soldiers”. The comic follows a trio of soldiers 40 years after their stint in Vietnam. These old soldiers are preparing for a trip into Juarez but they’re still haunted by their past. How will it affect them as they’re tasked with carrying out a new operation?

The comic constantly jumps back and forth between the present and Vietnam in 1969. We’re only really shown two of the three soldiers here, Burke and Kowalski. Presumably the third will feature more in future issues. They’re being briefed on a new mission but most of the present focuses on their personal issues. Kowalski is having trouble with his family while Burke worries about being tested for prostate cancer. They’re very realistic troubles for men of this age and it’s nice to see these problems portrayed in a comic. Burke is reluctant to go on the new mission, even comparing the idea to getting cancer. He’s mostly going to look after his friend and try to forget about his health issues. Kowalski simply seems resigned to going. He’s the quieter of the two but I get the impression that he’s the most haunted by the war.

Vietnam is shown in flashbacks throughout the issue, starting with a discussion of heroes between Burke and another soldier. Burke believes John Wayne is the best. He likes the idea of a man simply showing up with a plan to end the Vietnam war swiftly. This is the first we see of the character so it’s a great way to establish his opinions on war. Right from the start, it lets us know he hates the situation he’s in. After this most of the flashbacks focus on the horrors of war. The blood and guts, the loss of your comrades, the stress it causes, and the violence between fellow soldiers. We’re introduced to who’ll seemingly be the third soldier of this book, although we don’t see him in the present.

The artwork throughout the book is quite stunning. The moments in the present are nice and I’m really glad these characters are drawn realistically. I had some worries these old men would have physiques like Cable or Magneto from X-Men. Pensioners with bodies that would put Schwarzenegger to shame. Thankfully, that isn’t the case and these men look like people you could see on the street. It helps add more to the realism of the story. The artistic highlight of the issue is definitely the flashbacks though. There are moments where the jungles look genuinely beautiful but they certainly don’t shy away from the terror that occurred there. In those moments the colour changes. There’s the usual green of the environment but during battles, it’s mixed in with reds and oranges. It helps highlight the effect the violence is having on the soldiers.

One more artistic touch that I absolutely loved was the way the trauma and emotion of the soldiers is portrayed. There’s a scene in a lunch hall where Burke is just sitting in shock. There are ghostly images of the day’s events all around him. It’s a great way of showing how the deaths and violence of the day haunt him. He even sees the dead reflected in the bodies of soldiers he blames for these deaths. It’s just a gorgeous touch and I think it’s one of the best aspects of this comic.

The lettering doesn’t stand out too much here. I think that’s on purpose though. One thing I noticed was that during battle scenes there are no sound effects. Normally you’d expect them in a gunfight or during fisticuffs but there’s nothing. These violent scenes all happen during the flashback portions and it makes them feel somewhat off. The absence of these sound effects highlights how unnatural the situation is. These are young men that should be playing football or in college and instead, they’re in this horrific situation. It’s a little thing but it adds a lot to the issue. There’s also the narration. In most comics, the narration boxes portray the speech of characters who aren’t in the panel. Here, the comic seems to be narrated by war itself. It’s like a character itself who still talks to these men and torments them. It’s an incredible portrayal of war itself.

Overall, this is an extremely promising first issue. I love the portrayal of war as something legitimately horrible. It’s not just some lazy way to make a character seem tough, it’s extremely traumatic. The way it’s shown to have impacted the mental health of the characters is brilliantly done. After seeing Burke and Kowalski in the present I’m extremely curious to see the state the third soldier is in. If I was to compare this to a film, I’d say that “Lost Soldiers” may become the “Platoon” of comics based on this issue. It’s that good.

The one thing I’ll say is that these characters are presented realistically. They may be sympathetic but they’re shown to have prejudices and some dated views too. During the discussion of heroes, we’re shown Burke complaining about another soldier choosing Superman. Burke claims it’s because comics are written by Jews. Moments like these add to the realism but may be offensive to some. If you’re not comfortable with this then “Lost Soldiers” may not be the series for you. I’d highly recommend trying the series out if you want a realistic portrayal of war though. I can’t say how the next four issues will go but this first one makes the series seem very promising. I’m looking forward to issuing two.

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