Theron Reads Comics: A Close Look at DMZ Part 5: New York

I've said from the start that DMZ is a series about characters more than anything else, and the ten issues we've looked at so far have certainly borne that out. But the city itself, a character in its own right, remains vague and somewhat undefined beyond knowing that it's a very dangerous place with some rooftop cafes. No matter how dangerous the city is, though, it's still home to hundreds of thousands of people so it's certain to have a rich culture despite the harsh environment. While it is likely to retain some of the sensibilities of Manhattan life before the war, there are of course newly evolved differences. As for those old Manhattan sensibilities, we know really nothing about what the city was like in the days and weeks leading up to the city's evacuation or, for that matter, the evacuation itself. Not surprisingly, some of this information is also communicated via character development.

Following "Body of a Journalist" the series gives us two stand-alone stories--sort of. The first of these is also the first issue not told from Matty's point of view. "Zee, NYC" is a flashback issue that introduces us to the person Zee was before Manhattan was the DMZ. The second issue is a unique entry in the series. It is told from Matty's point of view but is basically a guidebook for the DMZ.

The following will contain spoilers for DMZ 11-12.

Zee, NYC

Told in flashback, this issue is a kind of big picture overview of Zee Hernandez's time before the war. She was a med student working at St. Vincent's Hospital before (historical note: St. Vincent's was ultimately closed in 2010). New York City was already a dangerous place in the lead up to the evacuation. The city had been dealing with bombings for weeks. Zee is sleeping at the hospital frequently, and much of her time working is spent dealing with ugly triage situations in the aftermath of the ongoing violence. A typical walk back from work (she's staying at a friend's house in the city, deeming that to be safer than taking the subway back and forth from Ozone Park) can see her stumbling on an overzealous "patriot" threatening to shoot people he doesn't think are loyal. Of course he's as likely to be shot for his trouble as to shoot someone else.

DMZ 11

As the day of the city's evacuation draws closer, Zee and her coworkers find out they're being "relocated" to frontline positions. Zee is assured the hospital's patients will be relocated in advance of the medical team's departure. She resigns almost immediately, convinced that some of the patients will be abandoned. The evacuation, much in line with Zee's expectation, is chaotic and ultimately incomplete. Many of the evacuees are left to their own devices as transportation workers abandon their jobs. By the time the United States army has sealed off the island roughly a million people have evacuated the city but almost half a million have been left behind. While Zee thought her initial decision to resign was to watch herself be proven right, she comes to realize that she really did just want to help the people who remained in the city.

DMZ 12
New York Times

This issue is a straight up guide to the DMZ. Matty introduces his readers to notable people and places in an attempt to dispel the unflattering ideas people outside the city have--such as the one that envisions DMZ residents surviving on pigeons and rats.

Some of these entries are call-backs such as the one about the Ghosts. The Chinatown entry changes the way we look at Wilson in a significant way. There's a description of a street battle that fleshes out how the Free States use proxies to wage war and gain advantage. There are hints of future characters and even a major reference to an event that serves as the basis for the upcoming "Friendly Fire" story arc.

Exploration for Exploration's Sake

Neither of these issues have a real story. Even "Zee, NYC" is more character study than anything else. But they both communicate a vast amount of information, doing so rather quietly. It's a testament to the writing of the first ten issues that interest in a supporting character and the environment is enough to hold a reader's attention for two rather quiet, even somewhat slow issues. In a lot of ways they're mostly good for flavor, fleshing out the world around Matty which will ultimately give his stories even more context. But as good as the character development and world building is in the writing, the most memorable part of these issues is their visual presentation.

DMZ 11

Zee's issue is drawn by Kristian Donaldson who will ultimately handle the art for several issues in the series. This is the first time an issue has been drawn by someone other that Riccardo Burchielli, and it feels appropriate that it's basically an origin story. Donaldson's style is somewhat softer than Burchielli's who, as I mentioned in the "Body of a Journalist" commentary, very effectively gives everyone in the DMZ as well as everyone directly connected to the war a rough, sometimes beat up look. Zee in this issue has an innocent quality that her present-day incarnation lacks. There are times at future points in the series where Donaldson's style is very jarring by comparison, but in this instance it is exactly what is needed to emphasize the impact five years in the DMZ has had on Zee.

DMZ 11

Interestingly, when asked why he brought Donaldson in to work on DMZ, series creator and writer Brian Wood pointed to her strength with background details--architecture, vehicles, cityscapes. There are examples throughout the issue that bear this out, especially the views of the evacuation where huge crowds tightly fill recognizable locations throughout the city. The fidelity of location adds to the weight of the situation.

The guidebook issue is handled almost entirely by Brian Wood with only Jared K. Fletcher contributing with letters. Wood says he drew roughly 60% of the issue before scanning that work in and finishing the rest of the art with Photoshop. The pages are all quite striking. Wood uses color to great effect, helping to make each section distinctive. His layouts are also quite effective balancing out art that is often quite limited (faces, store fronts, etc.) with large blocks of text. There's a very urban feel to the whole issue which feels of a place with everything we've seen about the DMZ. Truly the best praise for this issue is that it makes the DMZ feel like a real, lived in place.

DMZ 12

DMZ 11 and 12 are just what's needed after ten issues that are, in a way, somewhat claustrophobic with their focus on Matty. That isn't to say that first person stories are in any way flawed or undesirable. But Matty hasn't had too many opportunities to take a moment to really explore the world he's living in. "Ghosts" and the second part of "On the Ground" are just about it, and neither of those go very far off the beaten path. Stepping away from Matty, who can't seem to help getting wrapped up in other people's drama, might be the best way to build up both the city and its inhabitants. Bringing other artists in to mark these occasions with different visual styles is also a good choice. This series is Matty's no matter how many times we might step away from him, and Riccardo Burchielli is going to be synonymous with Matty's experiences and point of view. So it feels right that seeing the DMZ and its characters through someone else's eyes means seeing it in a different way. And what are these issues if not an opportunity to see the series' characters--from Zee to the city itself--in a new, different, and surprising way?

For and index of all Close Look at DMZ entries, jump to landing page here, and for an issue-by-issue commentary check out Twitter @theronscomics #BWRBDMZ.

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