The Nam

The Nam 35-48

Well, at least I’m working through the issues at a pretty fast clip.  For such heavy material, it’s easy to zip through them really quickly.  There’s not much story to recap, since each issue jumps ahead a month.

I’ve fallen into the habit of thinking of the recurring characters by their most memorable trait - The annoying-ass complainer with glasses.  The blond hero. The black machine gunner. The lieutenant with the Alfred Pennyworth mustache. The black malcontent asshole that everyone wants to kill.  I wish that there’s wasn’t so much time spent on the last guy, because he’s the stereotypical “The white man’s out to get us” type of person who pisses off everyone he comes in contact with, white or black.  I don’t doubt that people like him exist, but I don’t like reading about the kind of conflict he brings to the story. Murray brings up officer fragging a couple of times in his run, but he doesn’t mention of enlisted men ever got fragged for conduct detrimental to the unit.  

Issue 42 is worth talking about - It’s a solid example of the Needs of the Many conundrum.  Also known (by me) as the Hawkeye Pierce Chicken Scenario. (Which isn’t nearly as funny as it sounds.)  It’s one thing to make a sacrifice to save the lives of those around you, but it’s something completely different to have to live with that decision for the rest of your life.  Murray does a good job of communicating that, despite the meh art from Wayne Vansant. (Though looking around online, his later art art looks much better. Maybe it's the inker's fault, maybe he's improved with time.)  

I really like the cover of issue 43.  It tells the entire store with an image and five bits of text.  I don't even care that the art's a reused interior panel. (The comic did the same thing with issue 2.)

Issue 45 looks like Murray’s last issue.  Reading interviews, he left around then due to editorial differences.  Chuck Dixon writes a few issues, and while it’s not as good as his Batman, it’s still nice to see his name on the credits.

Marvel got a number of future hotshots to do covers for The Nam:

Hey, it's Jim Lee!

Mark Texeira!

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? No

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Fine