What do you think?
Rate this book
DMZ #3
DMZ, Vol. 3: Public Works
Matty Roth, aspiring photojournalist, continues his one-man mission to report on the war behind the war-the struggle of the civilians caught in this no-man's-land during the Second American Civil War.
In PUBLIC WORKS, he's gone deep undercover, posing as an unskilled worker to infiltrate the ranks of Trustwell, Inc., the winner of a lucrative no-bid contract to rebuild Manhattan. Of course he suspects there is more to the situation than meets the eye, but is he prepared for exactly what he might find...or how far he needs to go to find it?
Collects DMZ #13-#17.
In PUBLIC WORKS, he's gone deep undercover, posing as an unskilled worker to infiltrate the ranks of Trustwell, Inc., the winner of a lucrative no-bid contract to rebuild Manhattan. Of course he suspects there is more to the situation than meets the eye, but is he prepared for exactly what he might find...or how far he needs to go to find it?
Collects DMZ #13-#17.
128 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
19 people are currently reading
678 people want to read
About the author
Brian Wood
1,173 books961 followersBrian Wood's history of published work includes over fifty volumes of genre-spanning original material.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
August 31, 2016
I don’t know, every single Brian Wood comic book seems to be about some kind of young, tough, sexy, street-smart hipster who looks very cool in a gritty world. Why the world is such a gritty place never seems to matter much, it’s just background designed to make our young hipster look as tough and sexy and cool as possible.
In the case of DMZ, young, buff, independent hipster reporter Matty (who has sex with a sexy media chick named Zee) looks very tough and cool and sexy amidst the ruins of a civil war. There are suicide bombers on every corner, terrorist cells, a corrupt private military contractor (read: Blackwater) is moving in, there is torture... and yet I still have no clue what this gritty civil war is supposed to be all about.
I mean, I mostly agree with the official politics of DMZ (with its critique of the U.S. government's growing dependence on private companies to wage war, for example, not so much with its underlying ageist, lookist, racist and sexist tendencies), but everything feels so contrived and shallow that I’m finding it really hard to cheer for Matty.
In the case of DMZ, young, buff, independent hipster reporter Matty (who has sex with a sexy media chick named Zee) looks very tough and cool and sexy amidst the ruins of a civil war. There are suicide bombers on every corner, terrorist cells, a corrupt private military contractor (read: Blackwater) is moving in, there is torture... and yet I still have no clue what this gritty civil war is supposed to be all about.
I mean, I mostly agree with the official politics of DMZ (with its critique of the U.S. government's growing dependence on private companies to wage war, for example, not so much with its underlying ageist, lookist, racist and sexist tendencies), but everything feels so contrived and shallow that I’m finding it really hard to cheer for Matty.
October 16, 2014
This is a big step back for a series I was really starting to like.
Brian Wood mines recent current events to try and squeeze a story about a Blackwater-like privateer called Trustwell into his series about a future American Civil War. Journalist Matty Roth goes undercover to infiltrate a terrorist cell and in turn exposes one of the most rickety, head-slapper plot contrivances I’ve come across in quite some time. It stretches the bounds of credulity (within the logical confines of this series) to the breaking point.
The ending was sad and touching, but not worth reading through the dense smoke and mirror plot in order to get to it.
Brian Wood mines recent current events to try and squeeze a story about a Blackwater-like privateer called Trustwell into his series about a future American Civil War. Journalist Matty Roth goes undercover to infiltrate a terrorist cell and in turn exposes one of the most rickety, head-slapper plot contrivances I’ve come across in quite some time. It stretches the bounds of credulity (within the logical confines of this series) to the breaking point.
The ending was sad and touching, but not worth reading through the dense smoke and mirror plot in order to get to it.
March 25, 2025
This was really good!
September 3, 2021
Nella DMZ fa il suo ingresso la Trustwell, un'impresa di "ricostruzione" dotata di una sua propria forza di sicurezza, di un curriculum lunghissimo con operazioni in svariate zone di guerra, e di numerose accuse e cause per violazioni di diritti e abuso di forza, sempre scrollate di dosso grazie alle tante conoscenze importanti.
Una storia cupa, che riecheggia fin troppi eventi nella vita reale, con grosse società di cui non facciamo i nomi che ottengono contratti per venire impiegate in zone più o meno di guerra, dove possono tiranneggiare, lucrare e uccidere.
Matt andrà sotto copertura per scoprire cosa ci sia dietro la Trustwell, ma finirà in un vortice di doppiogiochisti, identità fittizie e cellule terroristiche, scoprendo che al tavolo sono seduti più giocatori di quanti non avrebbe immaginato inizialmente.
Storia cupa e cinica, sgradevolmente realistica sia come tematica che nel finale, e proprio per questo riuscitissima.
Una storia cupa, che riecheggia fin troppi eventi nella vita reale, con grosse società di cui non facciamo i nomi che ottengono contratti per venire impiegate in zone più o meno di guerra, dove possono tiranneggiare, lucrare e uccidere.
Matt andrà sotto copertura per scoprire cosa ci sia dietro la Trustwell, ma finirà in un vortice di doppiogiochisti, identità fittizie e cellule terroristiche, scoprendo che al tavolo sono seduti più giocatori di quanti non avrebbe immaginato inizialmente.
Storia cupa e cinica, sgradevolmente realistica sia come tematica che nel finale, e proprio per questo riuscitissima.
April 18, 2019
DMZ finally picks up steam after two good, but not great volumes, I get one I really enjoy.
Matty goes deep undercover to try and find out more information about a terriost group. This chapter gets pretty dark as he has to let terrible things happen to learn more. Betrayal, sex used as a weapon, beatings, and more all occurs here and it's probably one of the more uncomfortable volumes but that was the purpose of it.
I actually enjoyed the plotting in this. Nothing over the top, and a little predictable, but somehow felt more reserved. Not as much cursing, or edgy, and I began to feel horrible for a lot of the characters. The ending hits a homerun with the feels and does a great job of showcasing freedom in a place like this.
Overall, very solid, and pushed it into the great area for me. A 4 out of 5.
Matty goes deep undercover to try and find out more information about a terriost group. This chapter gets pretty dark as he has to let terrible things happen to learn more. Betrayal, sex used as a weapon, beatings, and more all occurs here and it's probably one of the more uncomfortable volumes but that was the purpose of it.
I actually enjoyed the plotting in this. Nothing over the top, and a little predictable, but somehow felt more reserved. Not as much cursing, or edgy, and I began to feel horrible for a lot of the characters. The ending hits a homerun with the feels and does a great job of showcasing freedom in a place like this.
Overall, very solid, and pushed it into the great area for me. A 4 out of 5.
May 24, 2023
3.5*
June 11, 2021
A blatantly corrupt Blackwater-esque corporation is given lucrative contracts by the blatantly corrupt US government to rebuild landmarks in Manhattan. Some locals, outraged at their brutal treatment by Blackwater's private soldiers, mount a suicide bombing campaign against the mercenary forces. Matty goes undercover as a construction worker and manages to get absorbed into a terror cell. The identities of the ultimate sponsors of the ongoing violence are of course shocking yet unsurprising.
A solid continuation of the series. The corrupt government and corporatism is painfully plausible. The endless cycle of violence lands hardest on helpless civilians caught between warring ideologues. Another impressive, sophisticated depiction of realistic world events by Wood.
Plot points:
A solid continuation of the series. The corrupt government and corporatism is painfully plausible. The endless cycle of violence lands hardest on helpless civilians caught between warring ideologues. Another impressive, sophisticated depiction of realistic world events by Wood.
Plot points:
July 17, 2009
A barely disguised rant about Blackwater. Matty is so buff and hardcore! He has sex with teenaged Arabs! He stands up to torture for days! Everyone thinks he is the coolest thing ever!
This is racist, sexist, Islamophobic trash, and it should never have been published. Brian Wood may mouth liberal sentiments about freedom, but his writing is pretty sick.
This is racist, sexist, Islamophobic trash, and it should never have been published. Brian Wood may mouth liberal sentiments about freedom, but his writing is pretty sick.
July 8, 2012
Starting a story is almost always the same: I take ideas for characters, stories, themes, and moments, and I write them down. I describe what the characters are thinking, how the unfolding plot affects them. I mark down a sequence of events, moving from one to the next, making sure each one is important, and that they all lead somewhere. I write up themes and philosophies, how they operate, and how the story relies on them.
Then I sit back and sigh, because after all that work, I still haven't written a story. An outline for a plot is not a story. A series of character sketches is not a story. A thematic exploration is not a story. So I sit and I ask myself: how can I demonstrate these characters, this plot, these ideas, in scenes which are vivid, demonstrative, and effective?
Therein lies the art of the writer. It is in those carefully-constructed scenes that a good story is made, because without them, all you have is an outline.
It's hard not to let it break through, not to just narrate and tell the reader about all the cool ides, especially because they make you feel so excited--you want so badly to share them. And there are many, many authors who do give in to the urge, some purposefully, some incidentally.
Yet it always frustrates me, as a reader, to see it. I don't want the author to tell me that two characters are close and care for each other, I want those characters to act like it--I want it to be so clear that I don't have to be told. If the relationship isn't fully realized before shit goes down, there's no fixing it retroactively.
If I wanted to demonstrate a character slowly growing to think of himself as a 'native' in a strange environment, as our main character does in the titular 'DMZ', it would never cross my mind to have the character simply tell us that he feels this way, because that doesn't actually tell me anything about the character or his experience--it's just a gloss.
What makes a character is not what he goes through, nor the decisions he makes, nor the moods and justifications upon which he acts, but the particular, idiomatic way in which he approaches these things. To say a character in a war betrays his commander because of jealousy is merely an outline which an author might realize on the page in a thousand very different ways. The Three Musketeers all share similar backgrounds, philosophies, goals, dress, and daily actions, yet they are very distinct characters.
But it can be very hard for the author to step back from the outline and create single moments, because as authors, we already know how things turn out, and we have control over the page. It can be very difficult to step back from this all-knowing position and create a character who has only one small, limited view.
I found the characters in DMZ to be too expansive, too self-aware, and too aware of their situation. They never seemed to be in conflict over misunderstandings, or due to their personal flaws, but because they were thrown against one another by events. It is a common symptom in an author who cannot get out of his own head that all the characters will be aware of their own motivations and will describe them in rational, detached terms.
Not only does it give all the characters a similar cast, it causes them to sound the same, as they express the author's cool ideas and stories in the same ways, using the same rhythm and tone. And it's very frustrating because there are good ideas here, and a good plot, and good character sketches, but they are all just outlines. It is a script read aloud in one voice instead of being played upon the stage.
Once more, I find myself missing in these modern Vertigo titles the strength of earlier writers, like Gaiman, Moore, Ellis, and Milligan, who could paint such a vivid scene, revealing their characters, ideas, and story to you without ever having to come out and say it. But that is the hard-won skill which sets the master author above the rest.
It's clear that modern comic writers have gleaned a notion of what a 'sophisticated comic' should look like, from all the examples given to us by groundbreaking authors, and yet, actually making that comic requires something more. If the comic book 'Dark Age' of absurdly gritty comics and anti-heroes has taught us anything, it's that maturity is all in the presentation, not the content.
Millar's Wanted and Willingham's Fables both demonstrate the disappointing outcome of an incompetent writer trying to ape better stylists, and while I find DMZ much more savvy than either of those ill-conceived titles, I'm still waiting to see a presentation worthy of the concept.
Then I sit back and sigh, because after all that work, I still haven't written a story. An outline for a plot is not a story. A series of character sketches is not a story. A thematic exploration is not a story. So I sit and I ask myself: how can I demonstrate these characters, this plot, these ideas, in scenes which are vivid, demonstrative, and effective?
Therein lies the art of the writer. It is in those carefully-constructed scenes that a good story is made, because without them, all you have is an outline.
It's hard not to let it break through, not to just narrate and tell the reader about all the cool ides, especially because they make you feel so excited--you want so badly to share them. And there are many, many authors who do give in to the urge, some purposefully, some incidentally.
Yet it always frustrates me, as a reader, to see it. I don't want the author to tell me that two characters are close and care for each other, I want those characters to act like it--I want it to be so clear that I don't have to be told. If the relationship isn't fully realized before shit goes down, there's no fixing it retroactively.
If I wanted to demonstrate a character slowly growing to think of himself as a 'native' in a strange environment, as our main character does in the titular 'DMZ', it would never cross my mind to have the character simply tell us that he feels this way, because that doesn't actually tell me anything about the character or his experience--it's just a gloss.
What makes a character is not what he goes through, nor the decisions he makes, nor the moods and justifications upon which he acts, but the particular, idiomatic way in which he approaches these things. To say a character in a war betrays his commander because of jealousy is merely an outline which an author might realize on the page in a thousand very different ways. The Three Musketeers all share similar backgrounds, philosophies, goals, dress, and daily actions, yet they are very distinct characters.
But it can be very hard for the author to step back from the outline and create single moments, because as authors, we already know how things turn out, and we have control over the page. It can be very difficult to step back from this all-knowing position and create a character who has only one small, limited view.
I found the characters in DMZ to be too expansive, too self-aware, and too aware of their situation. They never seemed to be in conflict over misunderstandings, or due to their personal flaws, but because they were thrown against one another by events. It is a common symptom in an author who cannot get out of his own head that all the characters will be aware of their own motivations and will describe them in rational, detached terms.
Not only does it give all the characters a similar cast, it causes them to sound the same, as they express the author's cool ideas and stories in the same ways, using the same rhythm and tone. And it's very frustrating because there are good ideas here, and a good plot, and good character sketches, but they are all just outlines. It is a script read aloud in one voice instead of being played upon the stage.
Once more, I find myself missing in these modern Vertigo titles the strength of earlier writers, like Gaiman, Moore, Ellis, and Milligan, who could paint such a vivid scene, revealing their characters, ideas, and story to you without ever having to come out and say it. But that is the hard-won skill which sets the master author above the rest.
It's clear that modern comic writers have gleaned a notion of what a 'sophisticated comic' should look like, from all the examples given to us by groundbreaking authors, and yet, actually making that comic requires something more. If the comic book 'Dark Age' of absurdly gritty comics and anti-heroes has taught us anything, it's that maturity is all in the presentation, not the content.
Millar's Wanted and Willingham's Fables both demonstrate the disappointing outcome of an incompetent writer trying to ape better stylists, and while I find DMZ much more savvy than either of those ill-conceived titles, I'm still waiting to see a presentation worthy of the concept.
June 24, 2016
This was definitely not quite a well-written as the previous two volumes of DMZ. Wood tackles the prevalance of corporate contractors in a war zone - specifically Trustwell Industries in Manhattan. Now, this is certainly a timely, pertinent subject for any exploration of war in the present, or the near future, as we've seen an enormous growth and exposure of the military-industrial complex. It's an important question to ask, which Wood does - who's running the war, the government who sponsors it, or the contractors, the private companies who actually carry it out. This is a question we should all be asking ourselves, as our government sponsors an unpopular war(and we, the people, sponsor our government, you know) that is carried out largely by companies like Blackwater.
All that said, Wood does not deal with the subject very well. His exploration of this phenomenon of privatized soldiers is far too broad, far too generalized and bland and obliquely procedural. He shows the reader the horrible situation on the ground in Manhattan in only a few specific instances that don't really get at the horror and the brutality that Trustwell is apparently inflicting on the city. Otherwise, we get the story from a number of news reports that serve as counterpoint narration to other scenes - scenes of Matty figuring things out, hooking up with devastating beautiful and busty women, and in general playing the part of the heartless journalist. Matty doesn't care about the violence until it might come down on his friends. He's no hero. He might be a reflection of us, the citizens of the US, in all our lazy, groping glory, slithering around in the muck that we've created.
The president of Trustwell, a top general in the US military, and the head of the UN Security Council hold a press conference outside of the bombed out shell of the UN building on the East Side. The dialogue here is extremely wooden and these characters are so wooden and obvious. The particular scene really distracts from the story, and I don't think any of the military corporations, like Trustwell, are (or would ever be) so visible as this.
The grit and the violence are still there, but the great storytelling, the reality, is starting to fade from this series.
Burchielli's art is still great, and I think I'm even warming to it more as the series goes on. The most menacing detail of this comic with an abundance of detail are the little shady, shaky triangles hovering far above the city in every exterior scene - bombers above, droning and lurking.
All that said, Wood does not deal with the subject very well. His exploration of this phenomenon of privatized soldiers is far too broad, far too generalized and bland and obliquely procedural. He shows the reader the horrible situation on the ground in Manhattan in only a few specific instances that don't really get at the horror and the brutality that Trustwell is apparently inflicting on the city. Otherwise, we get the story from a number of news reports that serve as counterpoint narration to other scenes - scenes of Matty figuring things out, hooking up with devastating beautiful and busty women, and in general playing the part of the heartless journalist. Matty doesn't care about the violence until it might come down on his friends. He's no hero. He might be a reflection of us, the citizens of the US, in all our lazy, groping glory, slithering around in the muck that we've created.
The president of Trustwell, a top general in the US military, and the head of the UN Security Council hold a press conference outside of the bombed out shell of the UN building on the East Side. The dialogue here is extremely wooden and these characters are so wooden and obvious. The particular scene really distracts from the story, and I don't think any of the military corporations, like Trustwell, are (or would ever be) so visible as this.
The grit and the violence are still there, but the great storytelling, the reality, is starting to fade from this series.
Burchielli's art is still great, and I think I'm even warming to it more as the series goes on. The most menacing detail of this comic with an abundance of detail are the little shady, shaky triangles hovering far above the city in every exterior scene - bombers above, droning and lurking.
June 26, 2013
Ok, I love that I can find Vertigo volumes at my public library, because I read this entire five issue/chapter volume/installment in one night.
The future world, a dystopia, created by Wood and artist Burchielli is dark and close to our own. In this volume, the protagonist does participant observation within a corrupt military contractor. It's ok, but tortured and melodramatic rather than journalistic. The color scheme, too, is dark, and prints a little too grey, with a lot of dirty black tones: noir, but somehow offbeat.
On to the next installment!
Mildly recommended.
The future world, a dystopia, created by Wood and artist Burchielli is dark and close to our own. In this volume, the protagonist does participant observation within a corrupt military contractor. It's ok, but tortured and melodramatic rather than journalistic. The color scheme, too, is dark, and prints a little too grey, with a lot of dirty black tones: noir, but somehow offbeat.
On to the next installment!
Mildly recommended.
August 10, 2015
This is the first volume with a really gripping storyline. While the first two volumes were (though still enjoyable) a bit of a bumpy ride to me, this volume is easily the best written until now.
My library had only the first three volumes available when I got my last bulk, but after this one I am along for the ride (wasn't so sure after the first two books).
My library had only the first three volumes available when I got my last bulk, but after this one I am along for the ride (wasn't so sure after the first two books).
October 19, 2008
I'm bored of this series again. A lot of this got skimmed more than read and the art seems to getting sloppier. The setting of NY as a war-zone is still interesting, but fully fleshed out character here and there would be nice.
September 6, 2010
Didn't LOVE this one as much as the first two. Kinda so veiled with Blackwater, I felt like the analogy was a bit too on the nose. Still a fan.
July 6, 2020
For all the promise of Vol. I, Vol. III follows up to the disappointing closing issue of Vol. II exposing DMZ to be just another stupid run of the mill comic.
The shortcomings are multiple so I’ll try to focus on the particularly glaring ones.
First, Matty is a journalist but doesn’t seem to do his job. Quite un-jounrnalist-like, he never seems to write anything. Nor do we see him searching out the next big scoop. Compared to DMZ’s obvious forerunner TransMetropolitan, Spider Jerusalem looks like and actually acts like a journalist. With literary flair fully becoming of his visible namesake, Hunter S. Thompson, from the very first episode and throughout, as many articles are written and published as are numerous scoops sought by any means necessary. Matty might have the word PRESS emblazoned on his shirt yet this shell merely covers his vacuous character.
As undeveloped as his character his, the lack of moral and ethical complexity herein matches the dilapidated bombed out landscape of post-civil-war NYC. Despite the obvious potential for philosophical conflicts Wood’s DMZ is a strangely plastic and amoral affair. Seemingly fighting for his own skin, a lack of moral compunctions leave a colorless lifestyle of emotionless promiscuity and otherwise anemic actions.
Finally the phrase deux ex machina will surely light up in everyone’s brains as they read through DMZ. Arriving consistently on time, the solutions to problems are manifested almost as quickly as they are introduced. With no time for anything resembling tension to build up DMZ Vol. III is anything but a heart-pumping read.
Ultimately compared to its stellar forerunner, TransMet, DMZ is nothing more than a flimsy facsimile.
The shortcomings are multiple so I’ll try to focus on the particularly glaring ones.
First, Matty is a journalist but doesn’t seem to do his job. Quite un-jounrnalist-like, he never seems to write anything. Nor do we see him searching out the next big scoop. Compared to DMZ’s obvious forerunner TransMetropolitan, Spider Jerusalem looks like and actually acts like a journalist. With literary flair fully becoming of his visible namesake, Hunter S. Thompson, from the very first episode and throughout, as many articles are written and published as are numerous scoops sought by any means necessary. Matty might have the word PRESS emblazoned on his shirt yet this shell merely covers his vacuous character.
As undeveloped as his character his, the lack of moral and ethical complexity herein matches the dilapidated bombed out landscape of post-civil-war NYC. Despite the obvious potential for philosophical conflicts Wood’s DMZ is a strangely plastic and amoral affair. Seemingly fighting for his own skin, a lack of moral compunctions leave a colorless lifestyle of emotionless promiscuity and otherwise anemic actions.
Finally the phrase deux ex machina will surely light up in everyone’s brains as they read through DMZ. Arriving consistently on time, the solutions to problems are manifested almost as quickly as they are introduced. With no time for anything resembling tension to build up DMZ Vol. III is anything but a heart-pumping read.
Ultimately compared to its stellar forerunner, TransMet, DMZ is nothing more than a flimsy facsimile.
March 27, 2018
I dig this book. Sure, part of it's just the thrill of locations I frequently see interpreted as a war zone, but even without that, DMZ's just a smart, well done book.
The premise still feels odd, that the USA wouldn't hold something a little more valuable or strategic than Long Island and New England, but once you accept Manhattan as the DMZ, Wood has a great platform to discuss the real victims of war - the people caught in between two sides who only care about themselves. And by making it USA vs. USA, he avoids the trap of rah-rah or cynical politicking (most of the time).
Public Works has esrtwhile journalist Matty Roth caught up in a complicated game of multinational conglomerate with too-much power in the DMZ, insurgent terrorists, and a crazy Machiavellian scheme to make money, embarrass the government, and seize control of the DMZ - except different sides want those things, and Matty's got to find the real angle, figure out how to best serve the DMZ's residents, and get the truth to the appropriate parties.
Great twists, terrific art, and Wood strikes a nice balance between the political back-stabbing and the honest idealism. The would-be suicide bomber who Matty stops from exploding herself is a great counter to the duplicitous other characters who try to play Matty to their own benefit.
The premise still feels odd, that the USA wouldn't hold something a little more valuable or strategic than Long Island and New England, but once you accept Manhattan as the DMZ, Wood has a great platform to discuss the real victims of war - the people caught in between two sides who only care about themselves. And by making it USA vs. USA, he avoids the trap of rah-rah or cynical politicking (most of the time).
Public Works has esrtwhile journalist Matty Roth caught up in a complicated game of multinational conglomerate with too-much power in the DMZ, insurgent terrorists, and a crazy Machiavellian scheme to make money, embarrass the government, and seize control of the DMZ - except different sides want those things, and Matty's got to find the real angle, figure out how to best serve the DMZ's residents, and get the truth to the appropriate parties.
Great twists, terrific art, and Wood strikes a nice balance between the political back-stabbing and the honest idealism. The would-be suicide bomber who Matty stops from exploding herself is a great counter to the duplicitous other characters who try to play Matty to their own benefit.
November 5, 2019
Read this in close proximity to Richard Kadrey's The Grand Dark. Both ask what it means to be in a war and whether it is possible to be neutral or not a part of it. Corey Doctorow states in the forward that there is a way for the non-combatants to maintain and use their own agency.
I am not sure that this volume bears him out. I see what he is saying but it isn't as if the non-combatants had no impact on the war. It still affects one side or the other. There is still a larger game being played and there is only so much that can shift.
Neither argue that you shouldn't try to shift it but they do disagree on how to go about it. It is like the whole argument of direct action in anarchy.
This is a real question when surrounded by discussion on what to do about someone speaking at a local library about women's rights but they are trans exclusionary, or what to do about a president who is quite problematic in his views.
DMZ was definitely a reaction to 9/11 but it seems as if we have not stopped the long war. I like DMZ because of its thoughtfulness. I know that many of the answers are a little too clean but it does show the cost of fighting back. It is ambivalent at times and angry at other times. A good place to be when trying to be an engaged citizen.
I am not sure that this volume bears him out. I see what he is saying but it isn't as if the non-combatants had no impact on the war. It still affects one side or the other. There is still a larger game being played and there is only so much that can shift.
Neither argue that you shouldn't try to shift it but they do disagree on how to go about it. It is like the whole argument of direct action in anarchy.
This is a real question when surrounded by discussion on what to do about someone speaking at a local library about women's rights but they are trans exclusionary, or what to do about a president who is quite problematic in his views.
DMZ was definitely a reaction to 9/11 but it seems as if we have not stopped the long war. I like DMZ because of its thoughtfulness. I know that many of the answers are a little too clean but it does show the cost of fighting back. It is ambivalent at times and angry at other times. A good place to be when trying to be an engaged citizen.
August 10, 2013
The story is jacked up here from the end of Volume 2. Trustwell (A stand-in for Blackwater) is introduced here, the private military company with high connections in the US government, is given the contract to clean-up the DMZ, under the supervision of a UN peacekeeping force.
Trying to get a story on Trustwell and what's really going on, Matty finds himself working undercover for them and running into all kinds of shit: terror cells, bombings, more kidnapping, beatings, torture, further manipulations.
Matty gets even more involved that he wants to, but there's no way to avoid it for him. He ends up making some decisions that shake things up for everyone. What's Trustwell's real mission? Are they tied in with the Free-States or the USA, or both? Where does the UN fit?
Can Matty be true to his old friends and his new ones at the same time? Will anyone walk away unscathed? Or will the truth be silenced forever?
This is such a strong story here, I really enjoyed it, none of the first three volumes have been weak in any way, but the base has been laid by this point and Matty is able to really dive into things, which makes for great reading.
Strongly recommend this Series!
Trying to get a story on Trustwell and what's really going on, Matty finds himself working undercover for them and running into all kinds of shit: terror cells, bombings, more kidnapping, beatings, torture, further manipulations.
Matty gets even more involved that he wants to, but there's no way to avoid it for him. He ends up making some decisions that shake things up for everyone. What's Trustwell's real mission? Are they tied in with the Free-States or the USA, or both? Where does the UN fit?
Can Matty be true to his old friends and his new ones at the same time? Will anyone walk away unscathed? Or will the truth be silenced forever?
This is such a strong story here, I really enjoyed it, none of the first three volumes have been weak in any way, but the base has been laid by this point and Matty is able to really dive into things, which makes for great reading.
Strongly recommend this Series!
March 25, 2025
This is the volume a lot of people seem to be dunking on, due to the thinly-veiled Blackwater plotline (called Trustwell in the series).
Personally, I quite enjoyed this issue. The art and the writing are very good and the series treads the line between some good commentary on the state of the world while also being entertaining.
If I have any critique of the series, it's that it doesn't feel like it's hit its stride quite yet. That one storyline that will elevate it from good to great.
Personally, I quite enjoyed this issue. The art and the writing are very good and the series treads the line between some good commentary on the state of the world while also being entertaining.
If I have any critique of the series, it's that it doesn't feel like it's hit its stride quite yet. That one storyline that will elevate it from good to great.
January 28, 2013
After the high of Vol 2, a little bit back to earth with this one.
I think it tries to show how easy it would be for anywhere to become a Fallujah etc, trying to get across the mindset of those who would be labelled insurgents/terrorists.
Not bad, but I just didn't feel much empathy for the new characters we were introduced to.
I think it tries to show how easy it would be for anywhere to become a Fallujah etc, trying to get across the mindset of those who would be labelled insurgents/terrorists.
Not bad, but I just didn't feel much empathy for the new characters we were introduced to.
January 12, 2017
Marty goes undercover to find out more about Trustwell, the company overseeing reconstruction of New York's most famous landmarks, and ends up joining a terrorist cell funded by TW and ruining someone's life by doing the right thing. Tense, thought-provoking installment in one of the best comic series I've ever read.
December 15, 2007
Easily the weakest of the 3 volumes so far released. The previous 2 volumes were very good at trying to show what it must be like to live in no-man's land such as present-day Iraq through a gorgeous portrayal of a devastated New York. But here, the metaphor becomes too shrill. Don't get me wrong, I am the last person to defend the practices of military contractors such as Halliburton and Blackwater but their counterparts in "Public Works" were pure caricatures.
Read
August 31, 2016The book has picked up a bit. There are double crosses and corporate espionage and the forging of friendships.The war is slowing down now but there are new things on the horizon.
October 10, 2019
This volume ups the action in the series, as Matty goes undercover with a Blackstone analog to attempt to uncover their corruption at a level that actually evokes a reaction. It's a tough read, with suicide bombers, assassination attempts, and some truly messed up allegiances that play out to a level that is horrifying, especially if one considers it might be based on reality. It also introduces some new characters, like Amina, who is a surprisingly nuanced character, contrary to her first appearances. Matty gets the story but he also makes some big mistakes, and there's a harrowing interrogation sequence in here that was tough to read, especially given Burchielli's stark art. Also of note is Cory Doctorow's introduction, which provides some essential food for thought that helps contextualize the whole series. Wood manages to give the story an ending that satisfies even if it isn't happy for pretty much anyone involved. I think this is the strongest volume of the series yet.
April 22, 2022
This was the first DMZ book that didn’t really appeal to me. The story was really convoluted with far too many characters in the mix. Giving Matty yet another love interest seems like overkill and honestly a little gross with how Alina seems indoctrinated but never really gives a reason for it. Also just everyone in that cell acting like fanatics and yet being a front for something else seemed just a smidge islamophobic. IDK.
July 28, 2017
This volume of DMZ takes a new direction. The first two volumes focus on the bystanders of war i.e. the civilians who decide to stay in the war zone areas. But this volume looks at the terrorist cells and a Blackwater type organisation. Still a very good series but I wonder if the creative team can keep the quality of the first two volumes up for another 10 volumes
April 6, 2020
In this volume, the UN sends in troops, to help keep order and protect the contract workers, who are there to help with the rebuilding of some of NYC.
Except, ongoing suicide bombs put all involved at risk. And reporter Matty is in the middle of the investigation, when things dont seem on the up and up.
Except, ongoing suicide bombs put all involved at risk. And reporter Matty is in the middle of the investigation, when things dont seem on the up and up.
March 12, 2017
A high energy/high stakes issue. It maintains the quality of issue 2 while keeping the narrative intriguing and diverse, if we can expect the series to continue moving in this direction (especially the dark tones) we've got a lot to look forward to.
May 10, 2019
So this supposed to be Iraq and Blackwater!
War reconstruction, Private Security and Terrorist cells with Allah Akbur here and there -_-
Worst of the series so far!
Did not like the ending too :/
War reconstruction, Private Security and Terrorist cells with Allah Akbur here and there -_-
Worst of the series so far!
Did not like the ending too :/
September 18, 2019
DMZ begins really hitting its stride with this storyline, setting up characters and plotlines that will resonate out into the rest of the story, as well as further mining the gray area of politics in wartime Manhattan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews