Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
164th out of 263 books
—
207 voters
DMZ, Vol. 5: The Hidden War (DMZ #5)
by
Brian Wood (Goodreads Author),
Riccardo Burchielli , Danijel Žeželj , Nathan Fox (Goodreads Author)
Collecting issues #23-28 of the acclaimed series from writer Brian Wood (DEMO). The world and characters of the DMZ are expanded and enriched in this volume as Matty Roth turns his attention to several locals — a guerilla artist, a former ally who's now worse off than a homeless person, the powerful head of an organization within the DMZ and more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
August 12th 2008
by Vertigo
(first published November 2007)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,405)
This was the first DMZ installment that I can call a genuine disappointment. Wood collects here a few single-issue tales giving the backstories of a couple notable DMZ characters. Unfortunately, none of them are particularly compelling, and none of them drive the overarching DMZ story forward in any meaningful fashion.
What we get instead is a rather pointless death scene for Kelly Connolly, a confusing "origin story" for Soames, and some other random bits that don't really add up to anything I c...more
What we get instead is a rather pointless death scene for Kelly Connolly, a confusing "origin story" for Soames, and some other random bits that don't really add up to anything I c...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The Hidden War is the first DMZ collection in which Wood and Co. eschew a single cohesive story-arc. Instead, we are treated to solo portraits of six different background players that together fill in long-promised background information. Earlier in this series, we got to see how Zee went from being a mild-mannered resident MD of a Manhattan hospital into being the rough-and-tumble punk medic of the DMZ that we know her best as. Now Wood gives sheds light on other players, like International Tel...more
It's like at every 5th to 8th book in a series of 10-12 graphic novels, the author decides it's time to take a break from the main action and elaborate on the other characters. While somewhat necessary, this is often to the detriment of the series. The only work to this point that hasn't fallen victim to this seems to be Brian K. Vaughan's "Y: The Last Man" (which is somewhat surprising, given his work on the TV show "Lost").
The readers keep reading for Matty and are delighted when the secondar...more
The readers keep reading for Matty and are delighted when the secondar...more
This book perfectly highlights why I haven't been able to connect with the DMZ series. There are some interesting moments in these six individual stories in the DMZ world, including one that shocked and saddened me, but the most important thing driving a short story is character. And I never felt that subtle connection to character in these stories, not even the one that pulls a plot twist and kills off a somewhat major character. But none of the characters in DMZ feel like carefully drawn peopl...more
I really liked this volume and hope that there is another like it in the remaining volumes. My only slight niggle is with a couple of the guest artists drawing style, though not a big issue as these stories are all standalone.
The volume is 6 short stories about minor characters - all are good. I was glad to see the end of annoying canadian journalist. Soames, Amina and Wilson look as though they may have impact on the story yet (there was an early "100 Bullets" feel to their pieces). The DJ and...more
The volume is 6 short stories about minor characters - all are good. I was glad to see the end of annoying canadian journalist. Soames, Amina and Wilson look as though they may have impact on the story yet (there was an early "100 Bullets" feel to their pieces). The DJ and...more
I was reallyexcited for DMZ when it first came out. Alas, each collection feels more and more irrelevant. This one is choppy little mini-stories that are only scarcely connected, and even less compelling.
The worst part is that we never get any sense of what the conflict is all about. Perhaps this is part of the plan —more of that silly "Dude! when the war starts, it doesn't even matter what the conflict is all about! Dude!" thing. But I don't care. It makes for lackluster story, and I'm really...more
The worst part is that we never get any sense of what the conflict is all about. Perhaps this is part of the plan —more of that silly "Dude! when the war starts, it doesn't even matter what the conflict is all about! Dude!" thing. But I don't care. It makes for lackluster story, and I'm really...more
There is usually one TPB like this in every long-running series. Yep, this is the one you can skip! It's mostly a collection of one-shots to 'expand and enrich' the DMZ universe (as opposed to advancing the narrative in any meaningful way). I enjoyed all the stories but they didn't feel essential and, with so many comics vying for my disposable-but-limited geek dollars, I felt like my money would have been better spent elsewhere. Calling this a self-indulgent writer's exercise or a cynical money...more
A collection of stories based around characters in the DMZ. While it is a different take and a great interlude which introduces new characters into the civil war between the two American factions, most of the stories failed to grip me. Except for the one about the DJ for some reason.
After the spectacular gut-wrenching story lines of the last few collections, I was clearly let down by this one. Not a bad set of stories and might even rate a little higher in my book if I didn't know Brian Wood wa...more
After the spectacular gut-wrenching story lines of the last few collections, I was clearly let down by this one. Not a bad set of stories and might even rate a little higher in my book if I didn't know Brian Wood wa...more
this volume features vignettes of several people's lives in the DMZ. some of the characters we already know, some are new. it's a nice detour from the story, somewhat reminiscent of the first volume. i love any focus on artists in the DMZ. but i'm still unsatisfied. i want to know more about food production, there's no mention of libraries or bookstores (one volume shows a vendor on the street), and what about the queer subculture that certainly exists? this series continues to intrigue me.
I've been a big fan of DMZ since I read the first trade paperback. I think the story is very compelling, and it is a read that I think most people (comic book fans or not) would find entertaining.
In this installment of DMZ, the authors took a new direction that I didn't like. They simply detailed the stories of some characters we've never met, or only met briefly; and didn't do anything to advance the on going DMZ story line. It felt like an episode of LOST when they chronicle the characters tha...more
In this installment of DMZ, the authors took a new direction that I didn't like. They simply detailed the stories of some characters we've never met, or only met briefly; and didn't do anything to advance the on going DMZ story line. It felt like an episode of LOST when they chronicle the characters tha...more
I enjoyed these stand-alones, but didn't LOVE them. I dunno, a few of them didn't feel tied into what we've been used to in the previous comics, and a few I felt could have gone further, actually I liked them but felt like I would have liked a more dramatic arc for the Amina one, since she is a really interesting character. Didn't feel like we learned MORE about her from the stand alone. Still really enjoyable, but felt overall skippable in context.
Another book in the graphic novel series set during a future "civil war" in the United States in the DMZ of New York City. This volume has several small vignettes featuring major and not so major characters in the series, including a local DJ, a graffiti tagger, a Canadian journalist, a Chinese mob boss and a FSA defector, and how they deal with living in the Beirut-circa 1983 squalor and ruins of New York. Depressing as hell, but excellently done.
Reading these as individual issues may have worked better. As a collection it felt sloppy, mish-mashed, and uneven. A few of the new characters, or new POVs since I assume they aren't going to show up again, were brilliant. The graffiti artist story was gorgeous and inspiring and inspired. Others gave a small amount of back story to some major supporting characters.
But had I been reading these and watched these issues come out and had the plot line stall I probably would have been pretty unhapp...more
But had I been reading these and watched these issues come out and had the plot line stall I probably would have been pretty unhapp...more
This mixed bag of five unconnected stories about characters living through the war in New York City fills in the back story more than it moves the story forward. I liked Decades Later, the story about the spray paint tagger that sticks around NYC after the war breaks out. Wood's love letter by way of war to his city works well when it examines the mundane parts of life, yet some of these stories fall flat.
I would say I was disappointed by this volume, as some others were, but I did feel like some pretty big plot points were kind of presented in a fly-by way I wasn't a fan of.
Though I'm pretty sure that was intentional.
What this volume really reminded me of was like what The Animatrix is to the Matrix universe. The stories all support and strengthen the main plot but also introduce some interesting and thought-provoking questions of their own.
Though I'm pretty sure that was intentional.
What this volume really reminded me of was like what The Animatrix is to the Matrix universe. The stories all support and strengthen the main plot but also introduce some interesting and thought-provoking questions of their own.
The Hidden War tells the stories of some of the supporting characters that Matty has come into contact with during his coverage of the DMZ. Each story is really solid and I'm sure a couple of the characters could be at the forefront of a series of their own. I think my favorites were the ones about Amina and Decade Later.
A superb follow-up to the previous volume, where the tone switches from an intense long-form story to a collection of one-shot vignettes in various DMZ occupants' lives. There's not a misfire in the bunch, but Decade Later, Wilson and Random Fire all stand out just a little bit more than the others.
This volume of Brian Wood's DMZ run is a collection of short stories featuring minor characters. It really brings home the idea that the true main character of the series is New York City itself. These poignant tales draw us into the mindset of living in the DMZ and show us why people would live in a war zone. We see a transcendence of the spirit. Loved it.
Aug 03, 2011
Cchauvet
added it
Although this volume looks like another group of throw-away, half-finished story arcs, it is actually a fairly nice breakup of the overall narrative. Additionally, this has some of the best art in the series. Shame that there can't be a larger selection of people drawing in this world.
I wasn't a big fan of this book. In general, I love DMZ as a series so far but I'm not a fan of filler books. While getting to know some of the side characters is cool, a whole trade about them takes away from the momentum of the story.
Best volume of the series. A set of micro-histories from the bosom of the war, not only pleasant but also necessary for the story-arc not to dwindle into a soap opera of epic proportions. Excellent artwork on the random fire episode!
I always like it in Comics when the series is far along enough that they can do side stories from the point of view of minor characters. This is a collection of quick stories about peripheral characters in the DMZ. Good stuff.
A series of profiles of sugnificant characters in the story. They're well written but take you out of the main storyline a little. That sort of thing works better if you're reading a series monthly than all at once...
3.5 stars. Interesting background stories on minor characters in the "DMZ" world. Definitely a "bridge" volume for the greater story, with the feeling that a couple small details will be more important later.
yay first four-star collection. really well done, i love all the short stories, really fleshing out this not-too-far-fetched universe. making everything less flat. a plus. etc. NEXT.
This is one of my favourites in the series. A bunch of one-shots, each telling the story of one of the supporting cast in the DMZ. My favourite is Kelly's story. That one's pretty punchy.
As you know I'm a big fan of this series. This volume is a departure from the main narrative and focuses on the lives of periphery players affected by the war. Still terrific storytelling, but just a notch below the regular action.
Hidden War looks at the effects the war has on various "civilians" stuck in the DMZ. How they got to the point they are at, how the war has changed their lives.
If you love the City, whether in spirit or in reality, these stories will make you ache to smell it.
Pretty books and pretty words and not too far from ugly truths.
Pretty books and pretty words and not too far from ugly truths.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
