The Loner continued Jack Adrian's run as an Action writer. It featured one of his more maverick characters, Tom Darrow, a flying squad sergeant disillusioned by the ease with which criminals were escaping justice. Darrow was never afraid to take matters into his own hands, and had a healthy lack of respect for authority. Pulled up by his boss, DI Rigden (shades of Kids Rule OK) for dropping a villain down a flight of stairs, Darrow was suspended, but this was merely a ruse by Commander Coutts, who recruited Darrow to A.13, a special division trying to crack organised crime in London. Darrow was framed by Rigden, who was working for the underworld, on his way to bringing down the Mr. Big of the London firm, Sir Janus Zablov. Zablov had been responsible for putting Darrow's father, a former beat sergeant, in a wheelchair several years before, but was never charged. Coutts refused to believe Zablov was dirty, especially as Darrow was unable to produce any concrete evidence. Eventually Zablov's greed was his undoing. He involved himself directly in a raid on the Tower of London, successfully snatching the crown jewels, only to be literally brought down by Darrow and his father. With Zablov meeting an untimely end during the heist, Coutts was finally convinced Darrow had his man, and had avenged his father.

The Loner was a competent effort, if a little formulaic and forgettable. Darrow was a little unconventional in his methods, but not as overtly brutal as a character like Dredger could be. As the story continued, he became less of a maverick and more of a cliché, just a man trying to do a hard job who's boss doesn't understand him. AG Coleman's art is simple yet effective, although many of his characters look the same.