Consider this a review of The 'Nam as a whole.
Initial series writer Doug Murray sets up the series with each issue taking place in "real time" meaning each issue takes place about a month after the last within the story. It's good pace for the first 13 months following Private Ed Marks from landing in Vietnam through his tour with the 23rd Infantry.
Beyond that, characters are quickly enter and leave the series not allowing us to get too attached. But, maybe that's the purpose. Murray's Nam stories focuses on an infantry unit with details not focused on combat but often the mundane life of a Vietnam soldier.
Michael Golden is an awesome artist, however I can't put my finger on why but the visual storytelling during his issues tend to be off. Could be the coloring blotting out his attention to detail or directing our eye somewhere else.
At times, Murray's run on The 'Nam channels Robert Kanigher's Sgt. Rock with one-and-done, plot-driven stories. Murray does shift central characters every 12 or so issues by design of the series and does keep tabs on soldiers who have gone stateside.
The series shifts halfway through picking up Chuck Dixon as the series writer offering multi-issue story arcs. While Murray's stories move from Point A to Point B, Dixon's storytelling narrows in on individual soldiers being more of a character study -- The Death of Joe Halen, a title that is misleading, is the deconstruction of a vet returning home more foreign than the jungle.
There is a Punisher two-parter. Fans of the Garth Ennis penned Born will appreciate a tale of Marine sniper Frank Castle going head-to-head with a superior N.V.A. sharpshooter.
The 'Nam falls short of it's goal of matching the Vietnam War month per month at issue 84 -- amazing a title during the pre-Image boom of Marvel where comics were selling upper six-digits, this comic was skirting by around 65,000 copies a month.
One of the highlights of the first half of The 'Nam are the letter pages where debates about America's involvement in the war are waged offering a bit of heavy reading in a comic that comes across "rah-rah."
Is The 'Nam worth the buy? Yes and 3 1/2 stars would be more accurate.