by Jack Buchanan (Stephen Mertz)
1985, Jove
Former POW Mark Stone works as a soldier of fortune to rescue current POWs, working only for expenses (pro-tip: include your own salary as an expense). Stone and some interchangeable soldiers of fortune go to Thailand, fight hired thugs when buying their black market arms, fight a patrol boat in the jungle, liberate a POW camp, and fight some more on the way back.
M.I.A. stuff, both in print and on film, has been one of my least favorite action sub-genres. It always felt like it was meant for folks who want a do-over for the Vietnam war, only we'll win this time with the right bad ass.
The action scenes are better than average, if lacking in a sense of location. No characterization to speak of, and the storyline is as generic as it could be. I look forward to reading an entry later in the series when they mix things up a bit.
