DMZ Vol. 1: On the Ground (Paperback)

~ (Author), Riccardo Burchielli (Illustrator), Brian Azzarello (Introduction) "I'll see you later," he said, and I could taste the disgust..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A near-future America is torn by war between the Free Armies, who control New Jersey and the inland, and the United States, ensconced in New York City's boroughs. In the war-torn DMZ of Manhattan, Matty Roth, hired as a phototech intern to a famous battlefield journalist, is stranded when the rest of his crew is killed. Overcoming initial panic, he decides to remain as the sole embedded journalist in the devastated, largely depopulated city. It's a career-making assignment--if it doesn't get him killed. Befriended by former med student Zee, who runs a clinic, Matty discovers a society struggling to survive amid skirmishes and snipers (appropriate soundtrack music: Talking Heads' "Life during Wartime"). Of the DMZ issues collected here, the first three establish its premise. In the succeeding two, Matty discovers the "Ghosts of Central Park"--paramilitaries who defend the now-deforested preserve and its zoo animals--and chases a robber who steals his press badge. Wood's writing does justice to the intriguing concept, and Burchielli's jagged artwork effectively conveys the characters' desperation. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

In the near future, America's worst nightmare has come true. With military adventurism overseas bogging down the Army and National Guard, the U.S. government mistakenly neglects the very real threat of anti-establishment militias scattered across the 50 states. Like a sleeping giant, Middle America rises up and violently pushes its way to the shining seas, coming to a standstill at the line in the sand – Manhattan. Or as the world now knows it, the DMZ.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo; illustrated edition edition (June 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401210627
• ISBN-13: 978-1401210625
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,218 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Haunting Beginning, June 18, 2006

By	Andrew "Radaar" (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews

Imagine if the United States were to enter into a second civil war in the present time. With all the technology available today, such as large bombs, sniper rifles, and biological/chemical devices, what would happen to our country? Why would it happen? In this first volume of Brian Wood's new Vertigo series, DMZ, we only get a taste of what would happen, and we're still in the dark as to why.
Photojournalist intern Matty Roth received his dream assignment when he was picked to accompany a veteran reporter into Manhattan. What is so special about Manhattan? Five years after the start of the war between the United States and the Free States (described only as "New Jersey and inwards"), Manhattan has become a demilitarized zone (DMZ), or a no-man's land. Very few people remain on the island. Some of them are sentries from either army while most of them are poor and/or stubborn people who cannot or will not leave their homes. The island is in ruins; most of the skyscrapers have been destroyed, Central Park is a barren wasteland, and the chances of being picked off by a sniper while walking on the streets are almost 100%. Despite all that, the chance to go there and report on what's happening is the dream of any reporter.
Of course, things don't go as planned, and an explosion takes out the chopper that brought Matty to the island as well as the entire crew he was with. Matty is forced to find a way to survive on his own without the ability to be picked up. His cell phone and laptop allow him to communicate with his producer, and he decides that he might as well carry on his assignment. The things that Matty encounters while in the DMZ are equal parts horrifying, saddening, and at times, enlightening. As time goes on, Matty starts to think that maybe the things he had been hearing on the news back in the United States, and the nasty things said about the Free States, may not have been completely truthful...
These first five issues are amazing. They expertly set up a series that surely will get better as time goes on. While we don't get a lot of info about why the war started, we are given hints that some astonishing answers are to come. The gritty artwork is a perfect compliment to the dark tone of the series, which is superbly written by Wood. This is a great new series to jump into, especially since it is so relatively new. As usual, the Vertigo line has given us a great series that is provocative and intelligent. This is a must-read for comic fans and non-fans alike.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DMZ Vol. 1 by Brian Wood, December 20, 2007

By	Maisie Raye Nogay (Beaumont, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Before I read DMZ, I read a few other works of Brian Wood's. My impression of the author was that he was just like every other anarchist-rebel-punk from the nineties. Channel Zero told a story much like those we've already heard before (1984 (Signet Classics), Anthem), so I thought I had a pretty good idea what this story would be about. I was wrong.

DMZ is the Civil War a la the Gulf War, and the War on Terror. The location is absolutely perfect, and pretty much makes the story. It takes place in New York, which is a microcosm of the world, pretty much. There are the artists, the politicians, the fighters, the activists, the Christians, the Muslims... It makes sense why someone would choose this location for the next American civil war.

The story follows Mattie Roth, a rookie journalist, who is on a job with the first news team to cover the "DMZ". He soon finds out everything the rest of the country had been told was false. Mattie makes enemies, and friends along the way, and uses his journalist immortality to the fullest, getting in as deep as he can to find out the truth.

Overall, this is really a great comic. It's like reading a really good novel. My advice is to buy the first two volumes together, because as soon as you read the last bubble of text, you'll be craving more.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fails to deliver on fantastic potential, November 15, 2008

By	Eric San Juan (Brick, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

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I think I was supposed to like this more than I did. After all, what's not to like? The premise is right up my alley. America at war with itself. New York has become an island in the midst of the war. The survivors have hacked out bits and pieces of a society - though anarchy all too often still reigns supreme. A young journalist is in the middle of it all, documenting the war in the midst of New York City and what the war is doing to the civilians there.

Sounds like a great concept. Exactly the sort of thing I'd like to read. So why did the first volume leave me wondering if I wanted to keep reading?

For all the praise Wood gets for this supposed love letter to New York City, I rarely got the sense of place I should have felt. One should be immersed in the city, yet that sense of being there was inconsistent.

Maybe it's the art. Riccardo Burchielli's style does not appeal to me, but that's something I can live with (even if all the characters are as ugly as sin). What I can't live with is rough storytelling. Burchielli draws a great cityscape, but his panel-to-panel work just isn't as clear and direct as it should be.

It doesn't help that the coloring is so muddy. Everything is washed out in a murky reddish hue, so few things really pop from the page. I understand the color choices, but this book really could have used more contrast in that regard. Maybe this is why the issue set in Central Park during the winter looked best.

There SHOULD be a lot to like here. Great premise, great world to explore, and in theory great things ahead. It falls just short of the mark, however. I'm hoping this improves, because there is a lot of potential in the premise.