Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
DMZ #59
Vertigo (DC Comics)
Wood & Lapham
The conclusion of the series of one shots called Collective Punishment focuses on the main character throughout this series: Matty. This issue puts the reader, through Matty, right in the heart of the bombing of the city. I found the issue to visually stunning and a very interesting character study. What Wood has done is taken his hero of the story, Matty, and turned him into something unlikable. As this issue unfolded I found myself hoping he would get bombed. However, Wood drags the reader back over to Matty's side, almost against their will. This was a very good issue taking on the almost impossible task of making me care about the fate of Matty.
The issue really centers on Matty heading into a building full of people, from all different backgrounds, so that he can be there, in the city, to watch the end of the war and birth of peace. However, everyone who knows of Matty hates him and really puts his task in jeopardy before he starts. His ace in the hole is that he has a safe zone based on the GPS in his phone. He can promise safety from the bombs to anyone who keeps company with him.
Almost immediately we find Matty is up to the same old tricks. Sure he's a straight shooter and he really isn't lying to anyone but he isn't being fully honest either. Yes, he offers people money, press credentials, laptops and more but he's not about to tell everyone everything he's done or what he plans to do. In some respects it must be an effort for some of them to not just shoot him on sight.
Wood attempts to bring Matty over to the good guy side as he turns down an offer for a firearm and he pits Matty in a verbal confrontation with a pre-war rich guy who whines about having lost much more than the scum in the same room as him as the bombs drop. It's very good stuff to be sure, but it's not enough to make my heart bleed for Matty.
Matty has proven to be a sleazy, wannabe journalist, whose actions almost directly led to the nuclear weapon being brought into the war, and, as a result the massive assault on the city. Turning down the use of a firearm just isn't enough to redeem him of those actions.
Wood sets up the final twelve issues beautifully. All along we've seen that neither side of the war is the 'good' side. Now, here at the end, we see that not even individual characters are good either. Wood has left me itching to see how he ends all of this.
Lapham takes war to another level. In three or four full page spreads Lapham redefines New York City and war in general. Sure the rest of the issue with the character interactions and lively expressions are very good but it's how he destroys the city that sticks with me. Truly amazing stuff.
To read this issue you might be confused as to how there could possibly be more to this series. I mean, everything gets leveled. Matty's character is completely broken down and the rebuilding begins here. Is there enough time left in this story to bring him back? Is he meant to be brought back? I recommend this issue because it makes for a very bleak character study as we see into the heart of the main one. This was a very good read.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
 DMZ #52 |
 DMZ #59 |
 DMZ #57 |
 DMZ #55 |
 DMZ #56 |
 DMZ #53 |
 DMZ #54 |
 DMZ #58 |
