PopSyndicate.com

War Stories.

Review By Cornelius Fortune

DMZ: The Hidden War is one of the best jumping-on points for those readers a little reluctant to embrace Wood’s near-future political series about civil war in the U.S.  As much as I appreciate Wood’s long-form arcs, it’s his short stories I love most. I first encountered them through his critically acclaimed series Demo and have enjoyed subsequent “one shot” issues of DMZ. I believe Wood’s strength as a writer is in the short form. He’s more cutting and precise, truthful and heartrending, when he’s doing bite-sized pieces of story. Few writers rival him in this form. And let’s face it: short, self-contained stories are rare in an industry overrun with six-to 12-issue arcs (written to be collected in trade), big company events and the like. Yeah, it’s great to have large epic stories, but sometimes a reader just wants to dive in somewhere without the weight of continuity or obligation to commit.

When “The Hidden War” began, I was thrilled to get away from the month-month grind of Matty Roth, entrenched journalist in a war zone. These little vignettes offer the DMZ world in a easy to swallow tablet – dive in; read it out of order; read it however you like; there’s no “right” or “wrong” order. There are six stories to choose from: six portraits, if you like. I call them portraits because they each focus on ancillary characters (and a new one) in the DMZ universe.

“Decade Later” is the name of an artist trying to find his voice and legacy in the DMZ; “Amina,” is a failed suicide bomber; “Wilson” is the mob boss of Chinatown; “Kelly,” the photo journalist and Matty Roth’s ex-girlfriend; “Random Fire,” deejay extraordinaire; and “Soames,” the traitor turned defector.

My two personal favorites are “Amina” and “Kelly.” Both drawn by Burchielli. And that’s not to snub the fantastic work done by guest artists Zezelj and Fox, who do a terrific job of bringing their own sensibilities to the gritty DMZ, but Burchielli has such a fine line, a way of laying out the pages that’s so engrossing, his work just manages to stand out. Plus he draws really sexy women.

“Amina” tells the story of a young woman of Middle Eastern descent who tries to make sense of her life in a post 911 world. The other side of 911 hasn’t been given the coverage it deserves (we are of course, on the opposing side). But in just a couple of pages, Wood conveys some of the fear and prejudice a Middle Easterner might have felt during those weeks after 911. Amina’s story is tragic and ends on a cliffhanger, which makes you either hate or love Wood for being so good at telling a story.

For my money “Kelly’s” worth the full price of the trade. It’s reminiscent of Demo’s “Mix Tape” in my mind (my favorite Demo story). Not that there’s any real connection, but the two stand- alone stories both deal with the death of a loved one, someone close, someone you’re romantically involved with, and its affects. This one’s the standout because it gets better with each read. It’s that good. Wood is commenting on the fleetingness of life in a war zone, how important it is to take your intimacies where you can, and the price of objectivity.

I find “Soames” and “Random Fire” to be the weaker stories in this collection only because the one-two-three punch of “Kelly,” “Amina,” and “Decade Later” are so good they overshadow the others.

Want a love story? It’s here. A story with lots of guns and gangsters? It’s here. What about some philosophical/existential musings on the human condition? It’s here.

For those already reading DMZ, this volume deepens your understanding of the DMZverse. For those curious about DMZ, but not enough to add the title on your monthly pull list, this trade is a perfect introduction, perhaps better than the first volume. The best part though is that the politics are filtered through real human experience of pain and growth. And truthfully, the politics don’t really matter. Only the people. “The Hidden War” is about the people of the DMZ, and isn’t that what good stories in any medium are supposed to be about?

DMZ: The Hidden War
Written By: Brian Wood
Illustrated By: Riccardo Burchielli; Danijel Zezelj; Nathan Fox
4