Ex Machina #50 – Review

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

The Story: Ex Machina concludes with glimpse of the years following Mitchell’s time as mayor.

What’s Good: I can’t recall feeling so sad after reading the final issue of a series, not only because of the fact that a favourite book is concluding, but due to the content of the issue itself.  Ex Machina #50 is an emotionally devastating and draining experience for long-time readers who have become tied to Mitchell Hundred’s journey.  It’s poignant to be sure, but it’s hard to see this as anything but a tragedy.

But it’s not “true” tragedy, which is perhaps why it’s so emotionally affecting.  Mitchell Hundred does end up in a good position, professionally anyway, at issue’s end.  He has more power than ever and, in a stunning final couple of pages, is revealed to have ended up very near the pinnacle of American politics.  Of course, it’s all bittersweet to the extreme, because while Mitchell Hundred the politician has flourished, Mitchell Hundred the man finds himself an isolated wreck, irrevocably ruined and alone.  In the end, it’s as though these two sides of Hundred were ultimately impossible to maintain simultaneously, particularly under the weight of superheroics and alien powers.  Mitchell gets his power, but he paid the price.  In that sense, it’s more tragic than Hundred just ending up dead in an ending that is completely dire; this situation sees Hundred trapped in his professional position and forever rueful for what he personally lost, or destroyed, in the process.

And it’s that sense of loss that this gives issue a retrospective feel that is absolutely perfect for a final issue.  In projecting into the years going forward from his battle with Suzanne and his term as Mayor, Hundred ends up dogged by his past, hounded by it as it grows increasingly rotten.  This is brilliantly personified by a dream where he’s visited by his other-dimensional enemies, who, of course, visit him in the form of a twisted version of himself.  Meanwhile, in the real world, this is shown in the form of Bradbury, who on the one hand finds himself in ruins, but also finally lets his feelings for Hundred be known.  It’s a wonderful representation of the old Mitchell Hundred and that “past life” in its current state; rotten and deteriorated, but still not barren of its sincerity.

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.

Ex Machina #45 – Review

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

The Story: Newly evil Suzanne Padilla makes her first move while Mayor Mitchell Hundred begins to plan his future.

What’s Good: The newly super-powered Suzanne Padilla makes for an utterly fantastic villain.  Vaughan has established a great voice for her that, after what we saw last month, is surprisingly very human and all the more successful for it.  Padilla sounds not at all like the sewer-dwelling robot of the past arc, and despite her appearance, even the lettering remains the same for the most part.  In this sense, she works better as a foil for Hundred.  Essentially, Vaughan has maintained the integrity of Padilla’s character; this new villain essentially sounds like her, with the confidence and arrogance cranked to the max.  The result is a villain that is more subtle, complex, oddly likable, and easily capable of carrying an entire arc.

Beyond this, we get from this issue what we’ve always gotten from Ex Machina.  The opening Great Machine flashback is, as always, both funny and poignantly appropriate, while all three of Hundred’s conversations with his various associates showing Vaughan’s complete mastery of his characters, each of them having the same distinct voices that we’ve come to know, with the interplay between personalities feeling natural and life-like.  The best of these was Hundred’s short conversation with Bradbury, which added well-placed humor to the book.  Vaughan has the two friends discuss some truly heavy subjects (Hundred even accuses Bradbury of murder), but all of it is done in such an affable manner.

Tony Harris meanwhile puts out some very strong work this issue.  In particular, he gets a little more creative this month with his panel layouts, which was a welcome surprise.  One dialogue scene at a firing range is especially well-done, with Harris pulling off some really slick layouts that manage to be both abstract and cinematic, the entire scene feeling very fluid.  I also love when artists use the spaces between panels to convey additional information.  I also loved Harris’ work on Padilla’s new look.  When disguising her new scars, she looks like a mysterious femme fatale straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel.  However, once exposed, she looks very alien, monstrous even.  The transition from 20s noir to the menace of modern science fiction is seamless and impressive on both ends.

What’s Not So Good: There’s a longish scene early on in the book where Wylie brings up the abortion issue, essentially trying to push Hundred into making a stand on the issue of unwanted pregnancies.  It’s too early to tell where this’ll go right now, but within this single issue, this subplot really felt out in the cold and detached from the rest of the book.  In fact, were it not for the date, I’d have believed the entire scene to be another flashback.  Ex Machina has always done a great job of combining its kookier superhero/sci-fi themes with more mundane hot-button political issues, but I’m starting to worry that as we head into this final arc, the crazy stuff has gotten a little too crazy to support this juggling act.  As a result, this political aspect of the issue felt a touch out of place and a little too low-key, and all the more surprisingly placed given that the entire series is ending.

Conclusion: Another issue of Ex Machina doing what it does best.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans