Comics You HAVE to Read: DMZ

DMZ cover
Originally uploaded by waggy182

Welcome to the first installment in what will be a regular feature here on Who Cares. Possibly my favorite pop culture development of the 00’s is comics moving into the mainstream, courtesy of the geeks taking over Hollywood. As such, this column is for anyone who’s been enjoying the recent surge of comic book movies and wanted to delve a little deeper, as well as regular comic readers who would like to expand their reading habits. I’ll be mostly shying away from the mainstream books (i.e. not much of the tights and capes) and though I love books like Watchmen and Sin City, I imagine anyone reading this is already well familiar with those. All of the titles I spotlight will be available in collected editions and can be purchased from Amazon.com and most major book chains (though I recommend you support your local comic shop if you have one).

First up on the roster is DMZ. The book follows a young journalist in the de-militarized zone of Manhattan Island amid a fictional civil war. Imagine if the images of Baghdad you see on the nightly news had the Chrysler Building and Times Square in the background and you’ve got the basic idea. While that description may sound a little dry, I assure you it is anything but. DMZ is one of the most exciting reads on the stands, and though it is quite political, the constant urgency of the story entertains regardless of what your own politics are. The book also features one of the most interesting alternate visions of New York City I have ever seen. As anyone who knows me is well aware, I absolutely adore New York, and though the New York depicted in DMZ is one I would certainly not want to live in, it is an undeniably compelling and fascinating one. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is in this writer’s opinion, the very best comic series currently being published.