DMZ #60

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Shawn Martinbrough

DMZ's been great lately.  I enjoyed the last arc, which was a series of one-off issues looking in on different residents of New York.  Now, we get the two-part 'Free States Rising', which is showing us what happened before the war.

This issue is about an unnamed thief who is trying to take advantage of the growing chaos in the United States to profit and 'live free' in the best American tradition.  His planned heist goes badly before it even begins, and he finds himself hiding from the ATF.

The plot of this issue is secondary to the way Wood uses this character to examine the events that led up to the formation (and, I suppose, secession) of the Free States, which in turn will lead to the context in which this entire series has been set.  Reading through this issue, with its stories of massive G8 protests, rampant NRA intimidation tactics, unclaimed military bodies, and school bombings, it's hard not to question how far off this reality could be, as things continually get stranger and more combative in the United States.  I don't know how many times this issue made me think of some of the stranger members of the Tea Party Movement, which I'm sure is not unintentional.  I appreciate getting this background information about the series, and find it interesting that Wood waited five years before digging into it.

The other thing I liked about this issue is the art by Shawn Martinbrough.  He's long been an artist I've admired, although I frequently have no interest in the books he works on, like the Marvel Noir line.  It's good to see his work again, and I hope to see more of it.