Getting in the zone

I have officially run out of Fables and Y trades to read, so I decided to add DMZ to my growing pile of Vertigo graphic novels.

You see, my superhero comics come every Wednesday, but the more adult/non super hero types just read wayyy better in trade form, because the story isn't broken up and I don't have to wait as long between cliffhangers, etc.

The best way is to be a couple years behind on a series, so you can read 8 or 9 in a row, but alas, I decided to pick up DMZ, and let me tell you I am enjoying the ride.

It's a joyous romp through a broken and battered New York City, through the eyes of rookie journalist Matty Roth. Weaving through sniper fire and air raids, Roth is removing his rose colored glasses and finally witnessing the real world. He is also getting a crash course on war and its effect on innocent lives.

Children with missing limbs, dead bodies and building fragments, debris and blood crowding the streets, Matty goes behind the scenes and views what it is like to live in such tragic conditions, all through his camera.

The rest of America wants to paint the war torn city as if the only ones residing are the crazed militias and evil doers, but in fact there is a human side, one filled with pain and suffering, and it is Roth's job to expose the truth, one frame at a time.

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Brian Wood has done an excellent job with instant character depth, graphic art, and a tone completely fitting the Vertigo label. DMZ eases comfortably next to the rest of the great adult comics of our time.