DMZ
Graphic novels are an interesting way to explore the culture and opinions of our world, and recently they’ve been doing just that. Lots of interesting books are being written in the form of the comic book, filled with amazing artwork and an increasingly better writing style. I’ve gotten to know the genre through fantastical tales such as Sandman (Neil Gaiman) and Fables (Bill Willingham), but recently I’ve become more intrigued with the stories that reflect real life.
DMZ, another Vertigo title, is an daring new parody on Iraq, is about the Second Civil War in the U.S. The Free States were in the midst of a successful seccession when they reached Manhattan and were put at a stalemate. This caused NYC to become the DMZ, in which the main character Matty Roth was dropped into after his helicopter was shot out of the air. With the death of his journalist employers, Matty becomes the main journalist of the Manhattan DMZ, telling the stories of the very human people who never got the chance to leave the city. The series novel explores relevant topics such as insurgency and terrorism (from both sides), money-grabbing corporations, the non-combatants that must live their lives in this terrifying reality.
The world of graphic novels is in an interesting state of change, so if you want to keep up with this new fast-paced genre, start picking up the books. DMZ is a very good place to start.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
it seems that the number of artists who are joining the comic book business is growing. The skepticism towards the genre is losing the campaign these days. Maybe talented people at last are starting to realize that the comic book genre is the unexplored, always up to date, form of art. It lets artists express themselves in full and yet bring to attention to a greater number of people, especially those who would rather buy a comic book then visit an art gallery or a library.
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