An unfortunate and too common misconception about comics, even by some readers, is that they are relatively shallow entertainment. They may be able to tell intricate, longform stories but in the end they have no greater meaning (nor should they). Except one really doesn't have to go far to see how wrong that is. Even the bright, exciting world of superher0 comics is full of examples of these stories. And while there are those who believe this a relatively new phenomenon because some current series, such as Superman Son of Kal-El, are more overt with their larger message, the truth is that this has been going on pretty much since the beginning of the genre. Two obvious examples are X-Men, a series that has long used metaphor to comment on civil rights issues, and the character Captain America who represents the spirit and ideal of the United States and who has often come into conflict with the nation's government when it did not live up to its espoused principles. So if superhero books with their fun, exciting, larger than life stories can tread into social commentary and critique, imagine what series outside that genre can do.
IIn 2005 DC Comics' imprint Vertigo began publishing a series called DMZ. At the time of the series' launch George W. Bush was president, the Iraq had grown unpopular, 9/11 and the threat of terrorism still held sway in the public consciousness, and the country had traded away certain civil liberties in the name of security. DMZ was an unapologetically political series. Among the topics its stories commented on were the military, the media, extreme jingoistic patriotism, terrorism, art, and business corruption. And lest someone think a comic addressing these kinds of real world issues can't last, it's important to point out that DMZ ran for 72 issues from 2005 to 2012.The series takes place in a vague near future during a second United States civil war. Though there are context clues that can place it roughly within certain years, there are very few topical references and none of them interfere with the storytelling. The themes that the series addresses are, for the most part, just as relevant today as they were when DMZ was originally published. And it's likely they will remain relevant for many years to come.
DMZ's setting is the island of Manhattan, the titular DMZ sandwiched between territory occupied by the Free States and territory still held by the United States. Though the series will offer some nuggets about the larger war and its origins, it is mostly unconcerned with those specifics. Series creator and writer Brian Wood has spoken on how he didn't develop the larger world in significant detail. This does lend a dubious quality to some aspects of the underlying premise, but for the most part they are unimportant because the series isn't about the war. Instead it's about the DMZ residents who are in many ways people without a country. The series' stories are about how these people live, what kind of culture they develop, how they try and organize their own government, and what kind of pressure they face from two warring factions who don't seem to give a damn about them.
Brian Wood doesn't pull any punches with his commentary. Rather than presenting unanswered questions to be pondered, most of the stories have a definite point of view, and that kind of confrontational presentation still invites the reader to consider the value of those opinions and whether they help or hurt the narrative.
DMZ was written by Brian Wood who also handled the art for many of the series' covers. The vast majority of the interior art was handled by Riccardo Burchielli.
The posts for this analysis will group multiple issues together, either as full story arcs or collections of one-and-done issues. It goes without saying that the series will be spoiled. Additionally, some posts will be on the lengthy side as I look to examine the political themes and how they related to the world as it was when the series was published as well as how it relates to today.
You can jump to the individual posts with the links below, and for brief issue-by-issue commentary check out Twitter @theronscomics #BWRBDMZ.
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