It seems that between David and I, we love recommending Vertigo books. We also love talking about the books in our free time. Lately, I decided that I wanted to start up a new book that I hadn’t read before. It was between two books – the previously recommended Scalped or DMZ. Both were by authors I greatly respected and featured plots that I found intriguing. Owning the first trades of each, I gave both the old college try and found one thing for certain – DMZ is an absolute powerhouse read right from the get go.
Now, this is obviously not to take any shots at Scalped. I simply found DMZ’s more fast paced opening sequence to be more gripping, and it was through that that I dove right into one of the most ambitious Vertigo series to date. Not only that, but from what I hear from other Multiversity writers (as I am not fully caught up at the moment due to a lack of current trades), the character arc goes quite off the track from where it begins, which helps the story become an even more intense read.
Follow behind the cut as I illuminate on just what DMZ is and why I love it so.
When DMZ starts out, we are introduced to journalist Matty Roth. Or rather, intern journalist/production assistant Matty Roth. Roth is being teamed up with a famous reporter as the reporter travels into Manhattan, or the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ). As we learn through the series, the country split apart to a modern day civil war that came to a head in Manhattan, leaving the island split off from the rest of the country and, in turn, becoming it’s own twisted little nation. It’s Roth’s job to assist the news reporter as a photo journalist when in the DMZ – but the only problem is is that as soon as they land, the reporter is killed and the helicopter used to enter the DMZ is destroyed.
So what is left for Roth to do? Well, report. Using salvaged tools and equipment, Roth experiences the real life of the DMZ, and through his interactions with the citizens, the network, the military, and everyone involved in the life of a DMZ inhabitant, the line between what Roth was taught about the DMZ and the truth of it begin to blur as Roth slowly becomes a very morally ambiguous character, unsure of his true allegiances.
The first question is, what makes DMZ such a great piece of work? There are two things that I’ve noticed right off the bat. The first is that the book is incredibly intense. The art of journalism is something that we view very differently these days, but war journalism is a different beast entirely. It’s something I’m only slightly educated on thanks to documentaries, but I can only imagine the type of research that went into writing this book. We follow Roth into all kinds of different situations, each one helping to blur that line of moral ambiguity some more. In the third major arc alone, Roth is put into a situation where he has to interact with a terrorist cell, and the story very quickly becomes polarizing to the reader as we then have to deal with our notions of terrorism and the events of the story – and the fact that it begins in Ground Zero certainly doesn’t make it an easy read. While some books have a definitive way of making us uncomfortable from a content aspect, DMZ makes us more uncomfortable from a personal stance as we have to analyze our own reactions to the political climate of the story.
The second element that I noticed right off the bat was that the story pulls you in and does not let go right from the start. This is something that I’ve noticed is very common with Brian Wood’s work. The man has an excellent ability to create environments that seem to draw you in rather well, and DMZ is certainly no exception, even with it being so different from some of his more light hearted work. DMZ is a heavy book, but it’s also got plenty of action as well as fantastic characters that you can really connect with. Wood’s greatest attribute is his characters, and while Roth certainly is a constantly changing beast of a character, you still feel personally connected and invested with him as much as you do any of the characters Wood has created for his other work. The first arc is also filled with a lot of intense sequences and disasters, and coupled with the second arc it makes for quite the pulse pounding political thriller.
Of course, you can’t have a fast paced book be so compelling and thrilling without proper artistry, so it’s a good thing that we have Riccardo Burchielli on art detail. If there is one constant to Brian Wood’s work, it’s that he always chooses the best artist for his vision. Burchielli’s art in the book is so kinetic and gritty, it really brings the dark element of the DMZ to life. As unbelievable as the story is, everything seems probable when brought to live with Burchielli’s pen. The first issue ends with quite an incredible bang (figuratively and literally), and it’s all thanks to Burchielli. On top of that, the environment that he concocts in every issue turns a dead city into a vibrant one full of life, with plenty of graffiti in the background helping to reflect the general turmoil contained within the DMZ. There is also a heavy emphasis on the color brown in the book, which really helps drag the story down to where it needs to be.
Suffice it to say, while I haven’t caught up to the most recent issues of DMZ yet, I’m a convert and it’s slowly rising up my list of “most recommended comic”. I was always intimidated by the book because I knew it was one that got rather heavy emotionally and contextually, but the deeper I get into it, the more I find myself enthralled with the story. Wood can seemingly do no wrong in my eyes, and DMZ is certainly no exception. The adventures of Matty Roth bring a brand new element to my otherwise heroic stack of comics, and the “real” factor of the book is very high. While people on the opposite side of the political spectrum might find some sort of dark truth in books by certain personalities, DMZ is certainly the book my generation wants and needs. A morally ambiguous and clearly politically slanted title, it offers itself up as a political thriller and action book under quite a simple guise. The deeper you follow Matty Roth down the DMZ’s rabbit hole, the more you begin to question your own beliefs and ask yourself what you would do in that situation, and ultimately that’s the best thing any piece of literature could make you do – think.
