DMZ #62 – Review

by Brian Wood (writer), Riccardo Burchielli (art), Jeromy Cox (colors), and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: We get back to the present day, as Matty Roth finds himself as the eyes and ears at the vanguard of the US invasion of the DMZ.

The Review: I cannot begin to express how relieved and overjoyed I am that Brian Wood has returned the focus to Matty Roth and the main, present-day narrative of DMZ.  Usually, I really like Wood’s in-between short arcs, but I found that the last couple of issues just didn’t grab me and reading this issue, I know why.

The past couple of months lacked a compelling protagonist and the solid character work that Wood excels at.  With Matty back at the helm, all of that’s changed and DMZ has gone back to being the emotionally gripping read that it usually is.  It’s grim, gritty, and desperate, but now that Matty’s back, it also feels intimate and personal in a way that we readers actually feel attached to.  Roth’s narration returns as well, always bluntly honest in message and emotion with hints of self-loathing and cynicism.

The tension this month, heading into this new arc, is certainly palpable and Wood’s doing his best to showcase the bizarre new/old position Matty finds himself in.  It gives the series a good taste of familiarity while also feeling fresh, if not darker.  There’s something uncompromisingly bleak about Wood’s series right now that makes for a unique read.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

Dean’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Batgirl #18 – Dustin Nguyen is soooo good.  I love the way he’s mashed up the style he was using on Batman: Street’s of Gotham with his kinda Tiny Titans-esque style to make something that fits the softer and more fun tone of Batgirl.  This series hasn’t had a bad issue and this fun one-shot might be the best issue yet.  Runner-up: Incognito: Bad Influences #3

Most Anticipated: 28 Days Later #20 – This is another heavy week for comics, but the story I’m most excited about is seeing how Selina deals with a British Army colonel out for vengeance.  You should all be reading this great series.

Other picks: Marineman #3, Memoir #2, Amazing Spider-Man #654.1, Hulk #30, Spider-Girl #4

Alex’s Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: Hotwire: Deep Cut #3 – Another fantastic outing for Steve Pugh’s awesome series and an explosive, gripping conclusion.  Alice Hotwire has fast found her place among my favourite characters in comics.  I hope we see more of her sooner rather than later.

Most Anticipated: SHIELD #6 – Honestly, there’s not a whole lot that gets me truly excited this week.  Don’t get me wrong, there are good books and more than enough reasons to head to the comic shop, but I’m just not seeing that one book this week that really gets me super pumped.  So I guess I’ll go with SHIELD, if only because it’s book that consistently surprises insofar as I never know what to expect from a new issue.  Well, other than ridiculously awesome art, anyway.

Other Picks: Amazing Spider-Man #654.1, Wolverine #6, Fables #102, DMZ #62, Wonder Woman #607, Doom Patrol #19, Brightest Day #20, Green Lantern #62

DS’ Top Picks

Best From The Past Week: I’m going to call a tie between Batman and Robin #20 and Warlord of Mars #4. It’s a real apples and oranges sort of tie because I liked them for different reasons. Dynamite’s Warlord of Mars is pure fantasy adventure escapism with heroes, monsters and princesses on a strange world. DC’s Batman and Robin is a family tale set in the psychologically unhinged city of Gotham. Both quality books. Both got an ‘A’ grade, something I rarely give.

Most Anticipated: Brightest Day #20 is topping my pull list as the last 6-8 weeks have been so consistently fun, with such high quality. We’re into the home stretch and I want to see what the heck is up with Deadman, Aquaman, the Hawks, and Firestorm.

Other Picks: Batman #707, Green Lantern #62, Green Lantern Corps #57, Legion of Super-Heroes #10, Marvel Girl #1, Loki #3, Thunderbolts #153.