Ex Machina #49 – Review

by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Tony Harris (art), JD Mettler (colors), and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: It’s the return of the Great Machine as Mitchell Hundred throws down with Suzanne, one last time.

What’s Good: Well, it finally happened.  In its second to last issue, Ex Machina finally became what no one ever thought it’d be: a superhero comic.  This makes for a really remarkable issue.  Ex Machina has been such a giant twist on the superhero genre that when it finally brings back some tried and true mechanics of that very genre, it feels shocking.  It also feels downright cool.

With the Great Machine taking to the skies once more, Vaughan and Harris hit us with some classic Superman imagery that is impossible not to smile and fist-pump at.  We get Mitchell Hundred doing the Clark Kent trademarked shirt-ripping.  Then we get onlookers on the ground pointing upwards, speculating on what some flying, and noisy, speck in the sky might be.  Seeing Vaughan turn Hundred into a bona fide superhero is awesome in ways that are indescribable.  The comic, by concept alone, has tried so hard to divorce Mitchell from superheroics that it’s really satisfying to see it all reversed, particularly given Hundred’s love for comics and superheroes.  For once, his efforts even see a grateful damsel in distress and an epic conclusion.  It’s a lot closer to the stories he was inspired by and certainly a far cry from his usual bumbling efforts as the Great Machine.

Ex Machina #47 – Review

by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Tony Harris (art), JD Mettler (colors), and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)

The Story: Suzanne hits Mitchell where it hurts.

What’s Good: This is one of those issues that shows how gifted Vaughan is as a writer.  Despite the frequent scene changes and time-leaps, not a page or word is wasted.  Absolutely nothing feels extraneous.   Also, unlike previous issues, the politics are present, but subdued and never jarring.  Rather, they enmesh themselves with the rest of the book, fluidly emulating the desperation of the rest of the plot.

What we get is a book that is beautifully cyclical and linked.  The first “present day” scene of the issue, for example, is oddly reminiscent of one of the first scenes of the entire series.  Similarly, the flashback, depicting a child Mitchell’s disbelief regarding DC’s use of a multiverse, is an odd but comfortable parallel to the present narrative.  After all, his problems stem from his finding out about a real-world “multiverse.”  It’s wonderful stuff, and when Hundred meets up once again with his childhood friend Ray, Vaughan does an amazing job with the dialogue; it’s clearly the same two kids with a “childish” dynamic, but they’re now confined to the adult world.

Hundred’s “dream” sequence, which sees him visiting the other dimension, is terrifying and surreal thanks to Harris’ efforts.  It’s also interesting how Vaughan uses his trademark Ex Machina issue structure to embody the “weirdness” of it.  It’s between the flashback and the present day portion of the issue, as though it exists in some liminal space beyond standard time.  Seeing Vaughan break the chronological structure he’s adhered to for so long only makes this scene more uncomfortable.

The real newsmaker though is Suzanne and the major character death in this issue.  It’s a serious gut punch and it ensures that Mitchell and Suzanne’s collision course will be highly personal. It’s a merciless move by Vaughan and it’s all the more shocking thanks to Tony Harris.  The murder is rendered in uncompromisingly violent, gory fashion that will definitely drop your jaw, especially considering how sudden it is, being the only action in the whole book.