Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Artist: Tony Harris
Published by DC/Wildstorm
Flashback to October of 2000: the Great Machine saves the life of a firefighter, then takes a moment to rejoice with his team, Kremlin and Bradbury. Two years later, Mayor Hundred must solve a wave of murders targeting New York snowplow drivers in the heart of winter. While intern-turned-diplomat Journal Moore tries to coax a piquant artist out of a major controversy, the retired hero forms a disturbing theory about how far a friend might go to resurrect the Great Machine.
The chronology presents an intriguing dimension to the series. Most of this issue takes place in 2002 (and the rest happens earlier), giving Vaughn an extra two years of “fill-in-the-blank” space when he chooses to jump to present day. Meaning, the reader won’t know all of the events in Mayor Hundred’s life between the end of this story and one taking place in 2004. When done well, this device produces a very satisfying “ah hah” for the reader when the puzzle comes together, and in the past Vaughn has done this very well. Readers with the foresight to pick up this series from the first issue will remember that Ex Machina begins in medius res, in the middle of the action: four issues in, the beginning, the end, and even the present have not come fully to light. This makes for an engaging, enriching read that rewards a second glance.
Brian K. Vaughn has dethroned himself, as Ex Machina now surpasses Y: The Last Man as the all-around best comic out there. In both books, the heroes get themselves into stupid situations, ignore the obvious solutions, and still save the day with style and heart. These are intensely likeable characters. The dialogue is smart, the art expressive, and the stories fantastic but literate. Most impressive is Vaughn’s skill at misdirection, or possibly mis-misdirection, which is the beauty of it: until the next issue hits the stands, you don’t know where the story is going–but your head works overtime trying out the possibilities.
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