Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
DMZ #72
Vertigo (DC) Comics
Wood & Burchielli
The final issue of DMZ is a terrific epilogue on the series. The book manages to bring the reader, in some case begrudgingly, back to the side of Matty Roth, the main character throughout the series. The creators have such command over their creation that this comic could have easily been the first issue of the series, it's that well executed. Overall, this series doesn't get much better than issues such as this one. I actually think a newcomer could pick this issue up and then want to go back and read the series to find out about all of the hidden treasures in this book. This is textbook how a creator owner series should bring the curtain down on.
The issue is really pretty simple. A female character is walking through the rebuilt New York City while holding Matty Roth's 15th anniversary edition of his story about the war that destroyed the city. The narrative is that of Roth's as his introduction to the 15th anniversary edition. The character stops along many of the sights that played a big role in the series. We are not specifically revealed the identity of the female but can it be any other than "her"?
The narrative toys with the emotions of the reader. Wood has some amazing and memorable lines in this ending but he really makes it tough to hate on Roth despite all the awful things he did in the series. Roth is so egocentric that the book features a picture of him on the cover rather than the war-torn city. Roth even points out how great he is for not taking any money for doing the book and how everything was paid back or given to charity.
The flip side is that Roth doesn't change his tune at all from this trial. He's guilty and he's not fighting it. He likes to mention that he's not guilty of everything but he's guilty of enough. Roth is hard to hate knowing that he's given up his life without a fight and admitting he's done some horrible things. There is some level of honor in that approach.
Burchielli is the unsung hero of the issue. His depictions of the rebuilt New York are magnificent. He also manages to add in some haunting memorials that are, in some cases, shocking and highly emotional to look at. The artwork is tremendous in this issue.
DMZ has been a very good series. Like a lot of long series, it has had some lulls in it. However, the ending is a clear reminder of how great this series was when it hit the right notes. This issue is one of those right notes. I can't recommend checking this issue out enough. It is one of the best issues I have read all year.
5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
