DMZ: On the Ground

Before I read DMZ, I read a few other works of Brian Wood's. My impression of the author was that he was just like every other anarchist-rebel-punk from the nineties. Channel Zero told a story much like those we've already heard before (1984 (Signet Classics), Anthem), so I thought I had a pretty good idea what this story would be about. I was wrong. DMZ is the Civil War a la the Gulf War, and the War on Terror. The location is absolutely perfect, and pretty much makes the story. It takes place in New York, which is a microcosm of the world, pretty much. There are the artists, the politicians, the fighters, the activists, the Christians, the Muslims... It makes sense why someone would choose this location for the next American civil war. The story follows Mattie Roth, a rookie journalist, who is on a job with the first news team to cover the "DMZ". He soon finds out everything the rest of the country had been told was false. Mattie makes enemies, and friends along the way, and uses his journalist immortality to the fullest, getting in as deep as he can to find out the truth. Overall, this is really a great comic. It's like reading a really good novel. My advice is to buy the first two volumes together, because as soon as you read the last bubble of text, you'll be craving more.

This is the first installment of a series that is at least four volumes long, so if you decide to get this book, rest assured, there IS more! That being said, I thought from page 1 of the first volume, to page 119 in the 3rd volume, this story is amazing! At first I had my doubts because you're quite litteraly dropped into the middle of a warzone, with no explanation of how this war started, or why it continues. But as I read it, I forgot that I didn't know those things - that I didn't have answers to the questions it brought to mind, if for no other reason, than that most of the characters that you read about, that Matty (the main character) meets don't know either, or at least seem to care. Its a fact of life, living in the city, surrounded by a war that you didn't start, that you didn't ask for, that you probably won't finish, but hope to live to see the end of. I think that if you pick this book up, and you should, and you just let the story suck you in, suspend your reality for just a little bit, you will find that the important questions are answered, and the rest doesn't matter. Take the book for what it is...a great story set in a fictional New York, in a fictional war, and I promise, you'll enjoy it, and it's sequels.

Imagine if the United States were to enter into a second civil war in the present time. With all the technology available today, such as large bombs, sniper rifles, and biological/chemical devices, what would happen to our country? Why would it happen? In this first volume of Brian Wood's new Vertigo series, DMZ, we only get a taste of what would happen, and we're still in the dark as to why. Photojournalist intern Matty Roth received his dream assignment when he was picked to accompany a veteran reporter into Manhattan. What is so special about Manhattan? Five years after the start of the war between the United States and the Free States (described only as "New Jersey and inwards"), Manhattan has become a demilitarized zone (DMZ), or a no-man's land. Very few people remain on the island. Some of them are sentries from either army while most of them are poor and/or stubborn people who cannot or will not leave their homes. The island is in ruins; most of the skyscrapers have been destroyed, Central Park is a barren wasteland, and the chances of being picked off by a sniper while walking on the streets are almost 100%. Despite all that, the chance to go there and report on what's happening is the dream of any reporter. Of course, things don't go as planned, and an explosion takes out the chopper that brought Matty to the island as well as the entire crew he was with. Matty is forced to find a way to survive on his own without the ability to be picked up. His cell phone and laptop allow him to communicate with his producer, and he decides that he might as well carry on his assignment. The things that Matty encounters while in the DMZ are equal parts horrifying, saddening, and at times, enlightening. As time goes on, Matty starts to think that maybe the things he had been hearing on the news back in the United States, and the nasty things said about the Free States, may not have been completely truthful... These first five issues are amazing. They expertly set up a series that surely will get better as time goes on. While we don't get a lot of info about why the war started, we are given hints that some astonishing answers are to come. The gritty artwork is a perfect compliment to the dark tone of the series, which is superbly written by Wood. This is a great new series to jump into, especially since it is so relatively new. As usual, the Vertigo line has given us a great series that is provocative and intelligent. This is a must-read for comic fans and non-fans alike.

You may or may not know who Brian Wood is (yet), but if you are in any way interested in quality comic/graphic novel work, then it's a name you should remember. I have been reading his "Supermarket" series which I have found to be so completely fresh that I felt like I owed it to myself to check out DMZ. "On The Ground" quickly establishes the scenario, environment, and characters in a terse manner in order to get the story rolling. The quickness of this establishment is aided by the use of a backdrop that is familiar to us all (the events of 9/11), the glazing over of explicit details of exactly how the United States came to be in the current state that Wood has put it in (which will allow for future exposition on the subject), and is a great way to put the reader in the passenger seat and hit the gas. This initial volume is fantastic in setting us up just enough to make the ride fun, and trickling details to us to keep our interest. "On The Ground" introduces DMZ's main character, young Matty Roth, who is sent to the now-dangerous island of Manhattan as a journalism intern for an investigative news team. He quickly finds himself alone (with equipment) and left to his own survival instincts. Facing a strange world of constantly impending peril, Matt decides that making the best of his situation includes pushing forward with his journalistic intentions. Given this setup, Mr. Wood has created a world with nearly endless possibilites, and the "what-if coolness" of it is very reminiscent of Brian K. Vaughn's "Y: The last Man". I truly cannot wait to see what happens next. Kudos must also be given to the visual creators of this series. The co-artists are Riccardo Burchielli and Brian Wood himself, and it's not 100% apparent as to how the rendering duties were divided, but what is apparent is that the art looks wonderful. The attention to detail in the post-apocalyptic urban scenes, as well as the various military units, really help to establish the mood and realism of the series. I found myself analyzing many panels, if only to read all of the crazy graffiti or check out the great-looking war machines. This book was colored by Jeremy Cox who also deserves immense credit for aiding in the mood establishment. This book looks the way that I wish MANY other books with such serious subject-matter looked. It is dark, brooding, & mysterious. His choice of colors are more of a reflection of the real world, moreso than many other books in this medium often portray. Fantastic job on the colors, and I hope that Messieurs Wood & Burchielli know what a gem they have on their hands with Cox, as the book would not have had nearly the impact that it did in the hands of a lesser (or even different) colorist. Overall, if you enjoy the graphic novel or comic medium, and are looking for a fresh story that isn't afraid to get ugly (some of the subject matter is very intense, which is again a testament to the attempt to make this thing a