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 #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

Ex Machina #42 – Review

by Brian K. Vaughan (writer), Tony Harris (pencils), Jim Clark (inks), JD Mettler (colors), and Jared K Fletcher (letters)

The Story: The mystery of the white box deepens as preparations are made for the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The Good: This issue is “slow-burn” at its finest. Vaughan knows how to thicken the plot without frustrating the reader by writing a comic that is incredibly engaging. My curiosity regarding the “white box”– what it is, and the history behind it,  is reaching a fever pitch. Vaughan, through the suspense he delivers in this issue, really caused me to become invested in the mysteries surrounding this arc. I need next month’s issue and I need it now! From the veiled dialogue to the hints of how incredibly high the stakes are, this is build-up at its finest and an ideal example of how to get one’s readers sucked into a story arc.

Speaking of that “veiled dialogue,” the conversations and dialogue in general in this issue are incredibly well done. As always with Ex Machina, every character has his or her own unique voice. That said, what makes the dialogue so strong here is the mystery, weight, and/or foreshadowing that Vaughan makes every exchange carry. Every conversation elicits a strong sense of foreboding, either hinting at horrific things to come or at dark deeds of the past. Of course, this is only further aided by Ex Machina’s continual delivery of some of the smartest writing in comics today; especially when it comes to things conspiratorial or political.

Art-wise, I’m happy to say that Harris and friends have gotten it back together after a rushed misstep last month. The static and “posed” feel of Harris’s pencils are gone, as are the strangely bright colours. This issue returns to the Ex Machina we know and love. Also, it needs to be said that I really do like Harris’s Bioshock-esque design of Pherson version 2.0. Well, that is if that ominous figure at the end of the issue really is Pherson.

The Not-so-Good: This issue does a fantastic job of doing what Vaughan wanted it to do in crafting a clinic in foreshadowing and heightening suspense. However, that does by definition mean that not a lot of plot progression takes place. While it does ensure that what will come will be all the more impactful, if you’re the sort of reader who demands brisk action and development in every $3.00 purchase, you won’t be gratified by Ex Machina this month.

Conclusion: Ex Machina readers will enjoy this very solid build-up issue. If you weren’t interested in this story last month, you definitely will be now.  The biggest crime of this issue is it’s making you rabid for answers as it sucks you into its manifold mysteries.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans