DMZ: On the Ground - Brian Wood(2)

DMZ, formally known as Manhattan, is the setting for this graphic novel about an American civil war, between the United States of America (barely holding on to the eastern part of the country) and the Free States of America (who control most of the country). Matty Roth, an aspiring photojournalist is stranded in this DMZ with only partial knowledge of what's really been going on. The news in the USA is that the DMZ is full of insurgents but he's been learning that many civilians have been abandoned here and are surviving by whatever means necessary. He's learning how to survive here, who to trust, and what are the "real stories". He continues to report for Liberty News, the "official news" of the United States of America, but as time goes on he realizes that what is going on is different from what had been reported.

The story is continued in DMZ: Body of a Journalist and DMZ: Public Works, of which I read all three because the story was engrossing and deals with issues taken from today's news stories. The second focuses on how far the military and the powers that be would go to create a situation for military invasion. Matty learns that all is not as it seems and trying to do the right thing sometimes leads to following a different path and that truth is more important than family. The third volume deals with reconstruction firms, private security forces, terrorist cells and who can you believe?

I was pulled into the story and had to read all three volumes, the graphics were colorful, and depicted a war torn New York that was quite depressing to see. The characters were varied and interesting and I'm very curious as to how the story is going to end.