"Dirty Tricks" (part 1)

For quite a while now, I've found myself losing interest a little in Ex Machina. A couple of below par arcs have been followed by two one-shot issues that felt more like a return to the high quality storytelling of the book's first twenty-five or so chapters, but which seemed less concerned with furthering the ongoing story than they were with exploring some smaller elements of the Ex Machina mythos. However, this issue feels like a real return to form for the title, combining a political primary plot thread with a couple of secondary subplots that are more connected with Mayor Mitch Hundred's superhero alter-ego, all of which is served by a script that feels sharper than the book has been in a long time.

There's a lot of story packed into this issue. Opening with the traditional flashback to one of the Great Machine's past misadventures, the book quickly introduces a more serious political issue for Hundred to deal with in the present day: namely, that President Bush wants Mitch to make the keynote speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Ever since the book started, I've enjoyed the political aspects more than any other element of Vaughan's writing, and I'm please to see him turn his hand to areas of increasing significance as the title has progressed. For the second time, this issue foreshadows a possible presidential career for Mitch (we also had hints that Mitch would one day become president at the end of the book's previous arc), and the idea that the book's central character could soon be operating with a far higher profile and on a national level is a rather exciting one.

The issue also provides other hints to future developments in the story, from Kremlin's mysterious communication with another party who would be interested in sabotaging Mitch's career (could he be colluding with the Great Machine's arch-enemy, Pherson?) to the portentous comments from the guards stationed on the top of the World Trade Centre's single remaining tower about the likelihood of another terrorist attack on the building. We also see the introduction of a new character who looks as though she'll be a real thorn in Mitch's side, mixing flamboyant motorcycle theatrics with a strong line in blunt political protest that leads the book into an unpredictable cliffhanger of the type that Vaughan executes so well. There's also a welcome vein of wit and humor running through the issue, sometimes deriving laughs from Vaughan's sharp characterization (such as the surly tour guide of the opening pages) and sometimes simply throwing out the odd well-timed one-liner (such as Mitch's comment about respecting the creative process).

Tony Harris' artwork is as impressive as ever, mixing his familiar strong take on the book's characters with some winning touches of detail (I loved the frustrated doodles on Mitch's notepad as he tries - and fails - to write an important speech). Harris also succeeds in making the interior appearance of the issue's cover star feel fresh and surprising, even though readers have already seen her in all her glory before they even opened the first page. The artist creates a moment of real impact via some dynamic staging and a natty costume design, and it gives the character an air of excitement and a visual appeal that makes me keen to see her again. The ink wash technique that Harris introduced to his process some time ago now appears to have been refined to the point where it's virtually invisible, and gels perfectly with the colouring of JD Mettler, giving the visuals a real sense of depth and definition. His grasp of form is also reinforced by the usual bold, thick linework of his inker, which works to define the book's characters from their backgrounds, making the visuals really jump off the page.

I don't normally try to second-guess the circumstances behind a book's creation, but I wouldn't be surprised if this issue of Ex Machina was the first to benefit from a renewed focus on the part of Vaughan, as a result of many of his other major comics commitments (such as Y: The Last Man) coming to an end. It feels as though the book has been re-energized, and for the first time in a long time, I'm finding myself looking forward to the next issue in the same way that I used to when the book first appeared on the scene.

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