One Man War
Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli have brought readers of Vertigo Comics the groundbreaking series DMZ for six years, and this month they ended the story that framed the second American Civil War. Matty Roth went from being a helpless man stranded in a war, to a powerful photojournalist, and then a revolutionary. He was imprisoned for his actions in the DMZ, and he gladly took the punishment, even of the crimes he didn't commit. This issue picks up 15 years later, and it's wonderfully understated and beautiful.
A tourist is walking around New York City as she reads Matty Roth's book that covers his life in the DMZ. As she visits the sites of major plot points in the narrative, Matty Roth's captions give us insight into his point of view now that he's sentenced to life in prison for war crimes without parole. You get the sense that he not only accepts the responsibility of the war, but is glad that he could help it come to some sort of closure, even if it is based on some lies and deceit.
There isn't too much more I can say about this issue that can do it justice. It was the same level of writing and art that six years of creative genius produced month after month on comic book shelves across the country. If you missed this series while it was being released I highly recommend picking up the trades whenever you have the time.
This issue and this entire series gets a 5/5. Lets hope we get more high quality comics like this that push the envelope in the near future.