DMZ Vol. 12: The Five Nations of New York [Paperback]

Brian Wood (Author), J.P. Leon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: June 12, 2012 | Series: Dmz (Book 12)

A New York Times Bestseller

As New York City starts the healing process, the political realities on the ground are impossible to ignore. Matty's seen to it that everyone's voice is being heard, but will the social order devolve into anarchy, or is there a new New York to be discovered somewhere underneath the rubble?

This final volume of DMZ collects issues 67-72.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brian Wood released his first series, Channel Zero, in 1997 to critical acclaim, and has produced comics and graphic novels at a brisk pace ever since, becoming one of the most important creators of the last decade. Other works for DC Comics/Vertigo are DEMO, NORTHLANDERS and DV8. He has earned multiple Eisner Award nominations, and his work has been published in close to a dozen foreign markets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (June 12, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401234798
• ISBN-13: 978-1401234799
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Science Fiction
  • #99 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Fantasy

More About the Author

Brian Wood released his first graphic novel, Channel Zero, in 1997 to considerable critical acclaim and has continued to create at a brisk pace ever since. Focusing almost entirely on creator-owned projects, he's become one of the most important indie creators of the last decade. Standout books include his The Couriers and Channel Zero series, Demo, Local and Supermarket. He's earned multiple Eisner Award nominations and editions of his work have been published in close to a dozen foreign markets. Currently under an exclusive contract for DC/Vertigo, Wood continues to write his unique brand of iconoclastic creator-owned work with DMZ, Northlanders, Demo and The New York Four.

Brian lives with his wife and daughter in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment October 5, 2012

By R. Duffy

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was a terrific series up through I think volume 7 or so, making this excuse for a conclusion even more painful to endure .
What started with some very interesting socially relevant war topics blending themselves into an entertaining story with no limits really ended in a tale of pathetic, sobbing martyrdom and some half hearted attempt at an uplifting ending. The only audience that may enjoy this conclusion is a pretentious patriot resident of New York city.

One thing I will say is that it wraps up in a believable way; whatever that's worth.

I don't want to spoil anything for long time readers who haven't finished this volume yet but I am on my way to my local comic shop to trade in all 12 volumes for whatever store credit I can get.

5.0 out of 5 stars Finishing in style January 29, 2013

By Atle Brandt

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The story finishes on a high note, bringing both closure and reflections. A must for any reader of the series.

13 of 21 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars What was a great series peters out in the final four volumes and ends with a thud. June 13, 2012

By Bobak Haeri

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I started reading DMZ in 2010, right as Vol 8 of these collected trade paperbacks was coming out. I quickly read through the first seven volumes, enjoying the story as it broadened out into an epic about the future of a Manhattan turned into a war-torn demilitarized zone. Sure, there were little quirks about this fictional NYC, but they were minor and didn't detract from the core story, which was less about the city and more about the people stuck in such crushing circumstances. In those volumes Matty Roth grows from a very green, embedded reporter to an independent journalist bearing witness to the horrors around him and helping stick it to the outside forces bring injustice to its populace. By the beginning of Vol 8, "Hearts & Minds", Roth's a major figure in a movement to bring independence and justice to the DMZ.

Then we had the end of Vol 8...If you've reached Vol 12, you certainly know what it was, but for those curious a spoiler is in the the following double-brackets you can skip if you don't want to know [[Roth, in a moment of confusion, calls an attack that ends up being a war atrocity that results in everyone around him abandoning him]]. This ended volume 8 with a wallop that left readers such as myself wondering "where on earth is Wood going to maintain this?" Unfortunately, as vol 9 turned into 10, 11 and now the finale in 12, the answer is "not very well." Volumes 9, 10 and 11 were drawn out purgatory of Roth feeling sorry for himself and side-stories involving supporting characters. Roth's personality became so brooding and self-righteous about himself it ceased matching the gravity of what he'd actually done. It felt like Roth had painted Roth into a corner and really didn't like what he'd done for the same of upping the stakes.... In the middle of those three volumes Wood announced he was going to wrap up the story, and I understand why: he'd stopped having things to really say. In view of the entire DMZ story, Vol 8 was the climax and the following 4 volumes were just one long, disappointing conclusion.

Now let's talk about Vol 12 (spoilers ahead!)

In Vol 12 we see that the deal Matty shaped at the end of Vol 11 has caused the first meaningful ceasefire in the war. Most of the volume deals with him talking to various groups who will inherit peacetime Manhattan. At first this meeting of the "Five Nations" seems like the set up for something potentially interesting (either a return to violence or possibly a chance for true independence for the DMZ), but nothing comes of it. Instead it works out as rather brief and not very clear "where are they now" of various minor characters (a lot of Volume 12 feels rushed, several times I wondered if pages were missing). Matty finds out that, thanks to Zee, he is back to sitting on a ton of material that could shed light on various injustices. This gives him a chance to do some real work: he sends all the materials for safe-keeping with his mom in France, he is poised to have both the armistice-signed peace and get justice against those who causes so much suffering in the DMZ. But what does he then do? He writes one book (he claims his only book) about his time in the DMZ, apparently without shedding light anything, and allows himself to be placed in prison for the rest of his life without contact with the outside world.

The front cover of this Volume has a quote from some critic saying this was "the perfect ending." No, it isn't. It's dragging the readers through four volumes of a character feeling so sad for himself that he ceased to be all that interesting. It almost feels as though Wood started to dislike his character, at the expense of those of us who've read the series. There were many ways this story could've ended with justice, which is what Matty Roth was all about (at least when the character was interesting). I'm not saying it should've necessarily been all roses with Matty and Zee back together and running the DMZ as a paradise, but what we did get just seemed to betray what made Matty and the comic such an interesting read for the first 8 volumes. The Roth we see at the end of Vol 12 thinks that the best way to save the DMZ from more suffering is to sacrifice himself --that's fine. But he also sacrifices the truth. The epilogue, which takes place at least 15 years in the future, shows that no truth or justice was ever served and there's a rebuilt NYC sitting on lies. It made me wish for something like the very end of Watchmen, which someone finding out the actual truth. Alas, that wasn't to be. It would've been more interesting had Roth died in some more meaningful way than how he decided to live.

With all of that said, I'd avoid this volume and --if you haven't already-- stop reading DMZ at Volume 8. You won't miss much afterward other than an author, upset with his protagonist and taking it out on his characters and readers. Read more ›

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A great series, definitely still worth your time September 4, 2012

By Shasta

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This is the final trade of DMZ collecting issues 67-72. If you've read trades 1-11 I'm sure no matter what review you read you'll pick up this volume.

Brian Wood and Ricardo Burchielli have created one of the most intense, and personal, graphic novels I've ever read. This series is a roller coaster of ideas and characters from volumes 1-8. I loved ever minute of it, especially the issues that didn't focus on Matty Roth and instead focused on a very minor character, or a completely unknown character. DMZ is all about viewpoints. How different people in different situations view war. So I appreciated that not every issue of DMZ was seen through Matty Roth's eyes.

Around volume 9 fans of the series started asking "where is all of this going?" they were getting frustrated that the story seemed to not have any momentum anymore and the characters were just kind of wandering around the world Brian Wood created. I was also frustrated until I realized what Brian Wood was going for.

This book, while still being fictional, tries and succeeds to be very realistic. There's no easy solutions, all the characters are in the gray, and the finale (this book) was never meant to be a giant summer blockbuster action movie. Real wars don't end with one giant explosion, they end slowly through various means.

This book mainly features Matty and Zee, going through the DMZ, talking about what has happened and what will happen. Is it boring? Not at all. The writing, as it's been from the first issue, is excellent and the art is perfect for this series. I thought it was very appropriate where Matty wound up at the end, and I loved the epilogue....

In fact the only reason I can't give this book, and series, five stars is because the past four volumes were not at all what I wanted from this book. But then again, I'm the one that's wrong, not the writer. I will still recommend this series to others, I still think it would make an amazing and important television series (if any network had the guts to do it), and eventually I'll re-read the entire series and I'm sure I'll only appreciate it even more.

Awesome job Brian Wood, this series didn't go exactly where any of us wanted it to, and I think that's a good thing. It was a little bit frustrating and that's probably what you wanted all along. Read more ›

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great ending February 23, 2013

By Patricia Avila

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This is the end. Such a great story, to read as many times as you can. Matty can be a hero or an idiot, Iguess it will depend on the reader, but it was worth the read.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fitting End October 20, 2012

By mbrassil

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

DMZ's final volume is a sad yet satisfying end to this series that I have held close to my heart for years. It's a beautiful portrait of our society with a new set of circumstances that proves easier to image as you read on. Wood's depiction of America is immersed in realism and this final volume is a farewell letter wrapped in a love letter to NYC. A definite must read for anyone who loves comics, antiheroes, and America's forgettable voice.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Read the entire Series October 27, 2012

By Creation27

Format:Paperback

The entire series is strong, all the characters are believable and deep, then this last book comes along and destroys the authors entire credibility.

It went from adrenaline pumping, edge of your seat, with a first person view of the only journalist with a view of the second america civil war, to a NYC blo job. It's like they fired the actual author for the last book, and hired some NYC tour guide to finish it up.

And there are so many loose ends in the book that don't make sense. Matty supposedly met with the Free America Commander who promised a big-push, then this book comes out and it's him completely turning his back one EVERYTHING, becoming a TRAITOR to everything he once believed, selling out Parco, Free America, and if the writer could've accomplished it believably he would've had the main character sell out Eve his the main romantic connection. Supposedly Free America had more money than the Corporately controlled America, they had 4 Regiments of troops pushing through to NYC, but NYC was actually just a ruse, because they wanted the US to engage them in rural country. The author did absolutely nothing with that part, it's almost as if the author was being pressured to write a happy ending for Corporately controlled America, which in the scenario the author painted, WOULD NOT HAPPEN.

The final book is nothing short of the author committing suicide via text, he utterly shredded the story-line and his own credibility along with the supposed journalist.

I kept expecting him to show the Free America's side of things, since it's not hard at all to understand how Corporate America works, Pure-Soul-Crushing-Greed.... If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say he wanted to show the Free America side of things, but got scared because his agents told him that his 'main audience' are Liberal NYers, so he left the Free America side of the story completely untold (we have to guess) and completely changed the main character to (for some insane reason) cut a deal that destroys his entire life, accomplishes ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, oh and also makes the ENTIRE WAR mean NOTHING.

I read 3-4 books a week, subscribe to hundreds of comics, have read almost every Marvel, Image, and Vertigo comic ever made and I have NEVER experienced a book more off the mark than this one.

This book did to this series what Hollywood does to books when they turn them into movies, made it completely disingeniousness and irrelevant.

I could go on for pages, but needless to say, this book should be pulled and completely re-written. I don't care if there is no happy ending, but portraying the main character as completely selling out everything he once believed??? An elementary school child would tell you that the story-line doesn't make sense.

This book made me almost regret reading the series, the main character sells out his friends, his beliefs, his country, and then sells himself down the river. It felt like the author wanted to know what it would feel like to commit suicide, so he did it on paper. It doesn't make any sense, there are tons of loose ends, and we're supposed to believe that the Free America army that had already taken over most of the country along with most of the country's gold and natural resources would just disperse without having their grievances heard?

It seemed to me that the author realized that he wasn't a good enough writer to get the job done or properly analyzing the most likely very real grievances of the Free American side of the war, so ended it as quickly possible. Read more ›