DMZ v7: #41

Zee, DMZ
by Brian Wood (writer) and Nikki Cook (artist)

Several issues ago while the book continued to focus on Matty, Zee took off. She headed north, left the area controlled by Parco Delgado and his forces. For the moment Matty is set aside as the book turns its attention to Zee, Matty's ex-girlfriend. She's fed up with Matty and how cozy he has gotten with Parco. She doesn't see the turmoil Parco is putting Matty through, just the outward signs that Matty works for Parco.

I'm through with DMZ. I gave it two tries, read the first 7 trades, more than 40 issues. It doesn't speak to me the way some books do. There's a framework that I like but there isn't enough meat on the bones, for me.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ v7: #40

War Powers: Chapter Four
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

This and the last Riccardo Burchielli-drawn arc dragged along at a slow pace. If the scenery was more appealing, which isn't so much a dig at the visuals as it is at the way the story unfolds, then it would probably make the book a more compelling read. This makes two consecutive Burchielli-drawn arcs that begin with a bang, end with a punch but fizzle in the middle.

The most frustrating part of the story is how it hints at more but does not deliver. It all feels very surface level but the implication is that there is more, subrosa. In a shorter story, a limited series of 6 or 12 issues this would be more understandable and acceptable. In a story that is this long, 60+ issues, there needs to be more skin on the bones than what has been provided as of this issue.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ v7: #39

War Powers: Chapter Three
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

It feels like there is a disconnect between the story and the artwork. It isn't a gaping chasm but it is there. Early in this chapter there are a number of scenes where it is hard to tell who is whom.

What happened? One possibility is that the story was changed after Burchielli drew the pages. Another possibility is that there was a miscommunication and Burchielli drew the story differently than Wood intended it to be. Either way, it looks sloppy and some pages look like they were significantly altered after Burchielli touched them.

On the plus side more puzzle pieces are starting to get uncovered. Matty learns what Parco is up to, but not his exact plan. What he pieces together doesn't seem too far fetched but the storytelling feels sloppy. There are far too few moving parts to make the story as epic as it is starting to feel.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ v7: #38

War Powers: Chapter Two
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

This chapter feels like set up for something or things yet come or yet to be revealed. Things happen but the text and pictures only explain things in rudimentary terms. It all feels very surface level. It isn't terribly impressive but that's because there's a piece of the puzzle that's missing. Hopefully the next couple chapters in this arc will help to round out the story.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ v7: #37

War Powers: Chapter One
by Brian Wood (writer) and Ricardo Burchielli (artist)

Matty Roth returns to the DMZ (Manhattan) only to find that things have changed. The new governor, Parco Delgado, is a man on a mission; a mission that seems likely to cause more considerably more harm than good. He wants Matty's help.

What's most striking about this chapter is the revered way in which most people talk to and about Matty. He is a journalist. Despite the role he played in the election of Delgado he is supposed to be the neutral observer. He should not be fully committed to one side or the other. Some might hold that he should never take a side but in an environment like the DMZ that is probably not possible.

At this point in the story Matty doesn't like what Parco is planning. It seems like a foolish and misguided plan of action, at best. At worst it may tear the DMZ apart. What Matty will do and what role he will play, consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly is not clear at this point. He is going where he must and stepping into the line of fire and will probably not survive, unscathed.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ v7: #36

The Island: Chapter Two
by Brian Wood (writer) and Kristian Donaldson (artist)

The world is a very gray place. The world the DMZ exists within is no exception. Rules aren't gray, they are black and white; and yet they are needed and necessary. They can and should embody the safeguards needed to prevent society from turning on itself.

This two-part story is about what happens and what can happen when individuals selectively follow the rules. That's one perspective. Another perspective might be that it is about how one bad apple, in charge, exercising poor judgement can turn an ideal situation into a nightmare, peace into war.

Leaders have to be held to a higher standard. They deserve some consideration in exchange for the demands put upon them but they should not be revered or respected to an extreme extent. They are human and if they cross the line then they may need to be relieved of command, one way or another.

This two-parter isn't perfect. It ends a bit abruptly but I like it, probably because of the prominent way the military figures into the story and the way that it is portrayed.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ v7: #35

The Island: Chapter One
by Brian Wood (writer) and Kristian Donaldson (artist)

Matty makes a trip to Staten Island where things aren't exactly the same as they are in Manhattan. Federal and Free State troops mingle instead of trading bullets. The cease fire seems mutually beneficial to all but how long can it last? How long until one side or the other seeks to take advantage?

As rough around the edges as regular artist Ricardo Burchielli art can be it is still jarring to read a DMZ story drawn by someone else. Kristian Donaldson's pages have blockier, more cartoony look to them. I could get used it if he was the regular artist but it definitely wouldn't be the same.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ #34

Blood in the Game: Chapter 6
By Brian Wood (writer) and Riccardo Burchielli (artist)

The end of this arc is a bit anticlimactic. There were some tense moments, not everything went smoothly. The note it ended on wasn't too dramatic but does hint at possibilities of things yet to come.

I love the way Burchielli depicts the rain. There's a lot of it in this chapter. It feels real and wet, whether it is coming down hard or dripping from somebody's scalp.

Overall I enjoyed this arc very much. It isn't the best arc, that would be Friendly Fire, but I'm eager to continue reading this series. I want to see where the story goes next and I am hopeful that I will enjoy it.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ #33

Blood in the Game: Chapter 5
By Brian Wood (writer) and Riccardo Burchielli (artist)

This is another chapter that is told visually, for the most part. There are lots of big panels and a couple splash pages. It begins with a crime scene investigation of an incident that occured off screen and ends with what looks to be the planning stages of further criminal activities. Interestingly enough, both the investigation and the planning are conducted by the same compant, Trust Well.

Although it only occurs a few times, all of them early in the chapter, the use of speed lines was appropriate. Some people see them as a short cut, an easy way to convey motion. Bottom line, love 'em or hate 'em, they get the job done, in these cases work well with the rest of the art in those panels and help to tell the story.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ #32

Blood in the Game: Chapter 4
By Brian Wood (writer) and Riccardo Burchielli (artist)

Most of this chapter is slowly paced. Most of it is devoted to the immediate aftermath of the event that happened at the beginning of the arc and the end of the previous chapter. Matty is waiting for news, something to happen. Eventually something does.

While he is waiting the visual storytelling gets a little more interesting than it was in the previous chapter, which is to say more visual. There are a number of splash pages and pages with a limited number of panels. They don't move the story forward by leaps and bounds but they do help to reveal some of the nuances. The panels flow together better in this chapter. The gestures and facial expressions are more expressive and meaningful.

Eventually the pace picks up, towards the end, and the story starts to move forward more quickly, once again. It ends on a cliffhanger with Matty having to decide what to do, how he should handle the situation. He doesn't hold all the cards. He is at a bit of a disadvantage but doing nothing is not an option.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ #31

Blood in the Game: Chapter 3
By Brian Wood (writer) and Riccardo Burchielli (artist)

The speed at which this story moves and should be read varies quite a bit. This chapter, for example, opens up with a splash page and moves along fairly quickly until Matty gets interviewed by Liberty News. At that point the story hits rush hour traffic and slows down considerably. The dialogue and narration up to this point have been sparse and the story has in large part unfolded visually.

The interview portion of the chapter, in which Matty is asked about his associations with Parco Delgado, is very dialogue heavy. Unlike the rest of the chapter, it isn't possible to get the picture by breezing through the visuals in this part of the chapter. Even if one is reading the visual narrative slowly, it takes a different skill or ability to process the interview portion. It is more than just a matter of slowing down but a matter of switching gears or possibly even vehicles because the terrain has changed.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ #30

Blood in the Game: Chapter 2
By Brian Wood (writer) and Riccardo Burchielli (artist)

The story continues to focus on the politicization of the media. Parco Delgado and Matty discuss the topic as Parco seeks to convince him that the unbiased journalist is a thing of the past or a lie. Feeling pressure from both sides, Liberty Media (his employer) and Delgado, he picks a side.

Ricardo Burchielli's art continues to depict war-torn Manhattan using very few straight lines. Instead of grounding Manhattan in the grid of streets he focuses on the denizens and draws the multicultural stew of people very fluidly.

DMZ is published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.

DMZ #29

Blood in the Game: Chapter 1
By Brian Wood (writer) and Riccardo Burchielli (artist)

Starts in the middle or near the end of the story with Parco Delgado, one of the pivotal characters in this arc, getting shot. Matty, as usual, is smack in the middle of the situation. As in at least one of the previous arcs, he does not seem to be a neutral observer but to have chosen a side. Is it possible or does it make sense for a journalist to try and remain neutral in the DMZ? Probably not.

By no means decisive but it is the first chapter of a longer story that will probably run the length of this collection.

Having been away from DMZ for quite some time it was refreshing, even if it was also a bit jarring, to be thrown into the story so quickly. The dual narration, which has probably been used before in this series, helps to emphasize the fractured nature of life in the DMZ. It also should resonate with anyone who lives in a country, such as the US of A, where the media is politicized, a tool of the larger political factions; where it is no longer the neutral observer it once was.