Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: Ghosts
Written by: Brian Wood
Art by: Riccardo Burchielli & Brian Wood
Colored by: Jeromy Cox
Lettered by: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Will Dennis
Publisher: Vertigo > DC Comics
Vertigo has been the brand name on a good number of my favorite books in the past decade. Fables, Preacher, Y: The Last Man, The Losers, and Transmetropolitan have landed amongst my favorite reading material. Not every Vertigo book is a home run, but they seem to have a much higher percentage of great material than any other publisher, let alone an imprint.
Vertigo has launched a number of new titles in the past few months. I read the preview of Exterminators and it didn’t catch my interest. I gave Loveless three issues but it too bland for my tastes. Testament has piqued my curiosity, but I’m still not sold on it as a long term read. Now, DMZ, on the other hand, looks to be that diamond in the rough that’s fast going to be one of the best on the rack, like all those other Vertigo favorites I mentioned. With The Losers ending later this month, it’s nice to have DMZ to take its place as a must-read.
The world of DMZ isn’t the most original. The United States is in the midst of a five year civil war that finds the island of Manhattan as a DMZ (demilitarized zone) that’s cordoned off from the rest of the nation. Many inhabitants still live inside the DMZ, but they’re disconnected completely from the real world. Those living in the DMZ have set up their own little fiefdoms, cliques, etc., in order to survive, in a situation that reminds me of John Carpenter’s outstanding film Escape From New York. Except DMZ is short on silliness and heavy on realism.
In the series’ first arc, “On the Ground,” we met Matthew Roth a brand new intern with an important photojournalist who was embarking on a journalistic tour of the DMZ. Things went bad almost immediately seeing everyone in the crew except for Matt killed. The remainder of the arc saw Matt’s first experience in the DMZ, thusly introducing readers to this amazing locale, and his decision to continue in the journalist’s proposed footsteps.
This month, Brian Wood keeps our story moving quickly. Wood unfurls an all-in-one tale of Matt’s encounter with a group of men, who might be A.W.O.L. soldiers, who have taken it upon themselves to protect Central Park. Not just the trees of Central Park, but the expansive Central Park Zoo and its myriad inhabitants. The men have buried the buildings so they now lie beneath ground and come up with a variety of ways to fuel their “kingdom” as well as to create a food source. I really like the feel of this issue. It reminds me of the great fantasy and superhero books of the past where the main character visits an interesting setting nearly every issue then moves on to the next place at the conclusion.
DMZ #4 is just the way I like it. Not only is it an outstanding character driven tale, but we learn more about Matt’s character as well as a nice focus on the men and their mission of mercy. There’s even more to all of this than I’m letting on, but that’s for you to find out on your own. The ending of the issue closes up the month’s storyline and also sets the stage for the near and distant future in DMZ. It’s great to see such a well executed issue that can work on so many levels.
Artistically, Burchielli &Wood create an interesting setting and superiorly rendered characters. Their art reminds me of a cross between Tony Moore’s early Walking Dead sequentials and Todd McFarlane’s best work on Spawn. The style fits the series ideally. Making DMZ as good to look at as it is to read.
