DMZ #50

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Rebekah Isaacs, Jim Lee, Fábio Moon, Ryan Kelly, Lee Bermejo, Riccardo Burchielli, Phillip Bond, John Paul Leon, Eduardo Risso, and Dave Gibbons

The last few years have been rough on Vertigo, sales wise, and so when one of their titles reaches the 50th issue milestone, it is cause for some celebration; especially when that book is frequently one of their most original and best.

DMZ has been telling, over the last four years, the story of New York City during the 2nd American civil war. New York is disputed territory between the American Army and the Free States Army. Matty Roth, a young journalist, was accidentally abandoned in the city, and the series has been chronicling his activities and changing personality throughout that time.

This anniversary issue is the perfect jumping on point for new readers, as it is designed as Matty's "Notes From the Underground", small stories, vignettes, and profile of the different people that have had an impact on Matty's life. Wood uses this issue to showcase some of the many different facets of life in the DMZ that the series has become known for. There is a political story, wherein Matty meets the supreme commander of the Free States forces. There is also a story where he meets a man who has painstakingly protected some of the great works of fine art that were in Manhattan at the start of the war. We get a window into some of the relationships that keep the city functioning, such as when Zee helps recover an unexploded ordinance, and when Matty has dinner with Wilson. In short, this issue encapsulates all that is amazing about this series.

And I haven't even talked about the art yet. Wood collaborates here with a number of incredible artists, and they all manage to display the city in its gritty majesty. I would have liked to see a page by Wood himself, as it's been too long since the earlier issues, where he usually drew a single page.

The last arc of DMZ ended with a huge game changer, in terms of the political and environmental situation within the city. This issue feels like a last look back before Matty jumps into something completely new, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. If you are not reading DMZ, you're missing out.

Red Herring #5

Written by David Tischman
Art by Philip Bond and David Hahn

This is another fun issue of Red Herring. Meyer Weiner and Penny Candy play strip poker while Paris burns, Damorge Channel breaks a new fixture, and Maggie MacGuffin decides to rejoin Red Herring and his partner while they enter the extermination business.

With only one issue left, there is a lot of stuff that still needs to be explained, but this comic has managed to keep up its frenetic pace. The art seems to be more balanced than it did when Hahn first took on an extended role. I still would have preferred to see more of Bond's pencils, but I can live with this level of compromise.

Red Herring #4

Written by David Tischman
Art by Philip Bond and David Hahn

A lot of things get cleared up in this issue, such as the truth behind the alien invasion, and we learn a lot more about Red Herring's intentions, if not yet his motivation. Damorge wants a divorce, and Maggie gets her nails done.

Tischman has set up a very interesting story in this comic, and by keeping things so close to the vest, he has kept the readers wondering, while still maintaining interest in the storyline.

No one could pick this series up in the middle and have a clue what was going on, but I'm sure this will read quite well in trade. (I still wish Bond was doing full pencils, and not just lay-outs, but I like Hahn's work in this issue much more).

Red Herring #3

Written by David Tischman
Art by Philip Bond and David Hahn

While I'm enjoying Red Herring, I was quite disappointed to find out that Philip Bond only provided layouts for this issue. While Hahn's art is still very nice, it's because of Bond that I first started buying this title in the first place. I hope to see him penciling subsequent issues.

The story keeps chugging along, as one of Herring's fraud victims catches up to him and MacGuffin. Meanwhile, there is testimony in a closed Washington hearing to the existence of an alien beachhead in the Middle East, and Meyer Weiner pops the big question.

This has been a fun title, although I'll admit to being a little bit lost in it. I'm going to have to sit down and re-read it from the beginning I think.

Red Herring #2

Written by David Tischman
Art by Philip Bond and David Hahn

I knew this title was going to be worth coming back to after a slightly disjointed first issue. This time around, a lot more gets explained, as we learn that there was no alien incident in Roswell back in the day; instead, a group of businessmen pulled a fast one on the government, and have been, ever since, raking in defense dollars to prepare America for the aliens' return.

Somehow, this has put Maggie MacGuffin in trouble, as her Congressman boyfriend is one of the politicians being strung along. She's hanging out with Red Herring now, because people are looking to kill her. As most of the story is coming at us from Maggie's point of view, we know little more than her about what is happening, and revelations are unfolding slowly.

This is a smart, funny, and gorgeous series of the type that was found regularly at Wildstorm a few years ago. I'm glad to see it's being published, and hope that it is successful for them.

Red Herring #1

Written by David Tischman
Art by Philip Bond and David Hahn

Alright, I'm going to need to read this again. I like the story, I'm interested in where it goes, but I'm quite certain that I missed a lot of things reading this first issue. Let me reconstruct my thinking on this comic.

I love Philip Bond's work. That was the main reason why I bought this book, without reading the solicitation text or anything. Bond's work on "Shade the Changing Man" was great, even if he suffered from the problem of not being Chris Bachalo. I also enjoyed him on Vimanarama, Kill Your Boyfriend, and other odd things.

David Tischman I only know from Greatest Hits, which I enjoyed after a rocky start.

So, this issue. The book opens with Maggie MacGuffin, and a lot of second-person narrative. Both are strange choices. I'm not usually a fan of 2nd person. Furthermore, the name MacGuffin carries a lot of literary suggestion; but then, the title is referring to a character's name, so that's clearly where Tischman is going with this.

From there, we see some political intern sexual indiscretion, some shady government types meeting a man named Weiner on the Washington Mall, an alien body in the past, and other strange hijinks. More than enough to get me hooked, even if I have no clue how it all connects.

Maggie's character is the only one developed here, but she's a strong one. I'm going to make sure I read this again before the next issue comes out, but I am looking forward to it.