Ryan Day
Jul 22, 2004, 02:00 am
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0704/ExMachinaCVR2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0704/ExMachinaCVR2t.jpg" align=left alt="Ex Machina #2"></a>Reviewer: Ryan Day Dreamhunter00@hotmail.com
Quick Rating: Great
Story Title: State of Emergency
Suggested for Mature Readers
The new mayor of New York finds his nemesis... at the Brooklyn Museum of Art
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciller: Tony Harris
Inker: Tom Feister
Lettering: Jared K. Fletcher
Colorist: JD Mettler
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Edited by: Ben Abernathy
Well. That’s an interesting twist.
The first issue of Ex Machina was something of a highlights reel of the life of Mitchell Hundred, former superhero and current mayor of New York. We saw his childhood, how he gained his amazing control of machines, his debut as the crime-fighting Great Machine, and his retirement from superheroics and entry into municipal politics. It ended with an unforgettable image of the event that changed the lives of Mitchell and hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people.
But with the second issue, Brian K. Vaughan zooms in more closely on the present, offering only a brief flashback to Mitchell’s days as the Great Machine. Far from the epic scope of the final page of the first issue, the story concerns itself with a crisis faced by many politicians. It’s somewhat disappointing if you’re expecting the story of the Great Machine’s encounter with an airplane, but taken on its own this is yet another intelligent and original issue.
The deputy mayor gets treated to a preview of a new exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, but not all is to his liking. There’s a particular piece that catches his eye, and he calls Mitchell down to share his concern. Mitchell is similarly appalled, but even more so when he finds out the exhibit is largely funded by the city. What’s a liberal, open-minded mayor to do when caught between free speech and potential voter outrage?
Vaughan has made an interesting decision here to focus on the everyday activities of the mayor or a major city. This is not, he seems to be telling us, a book about a super-mayor who’s going to go out and stop bank robberies in his spare time while negotiating with terrorists threatening to blow up the Brooklyn bridge. Vaughan has purposefully set up a challenge that can’t be solved by a guy with superpowers. Mitchell can’t win this one by punching the painting, though he’d surely love to give it a shot.
It’s a bold tactic, and it doesn’t quite work. This is partly due to the relatively pedestrian nature of the scenario, but also because the artwork itself really isn’t all that out of the ordinary. It’s certainly bound to be controversial, but it really doesn’t stand up to some of the real artistic controversies of our time, like a sculpture of the Virgin Mary made out of dung or a dress made from meat. It's a troubling piece, but probably not "Get the mayor down here right now!" kind of troubling.
That said, the reaction to the artwork is well done, displaying Vaughan’s great sense of humour and knack for dialogue. The question about the artist herself is played brilliantly, and the whole episode demonstrates that Mitchell is still something of a political fish out of water. This is a guy who made it into the mayor’s office not through years of politicking and wrangling with the media, but by capitalizing on his fame as a vigilante and a hero to millions of New Yorkers
The highlight of the issue is a flashback to Mitchell’s vigilante days and his unofficial meeting with the police commissioner. Commissioner Angotti seems like a strong and intelligent character, and she definitely gets the best of the Great Machine in their first meeting, both physically and philosophically. She’s clearly not a fan, and has reasons beyond the usual “I’ll get that darned vigilante!” mantra repeated by cops and newspaper publishers.
Tony Harris turns in more solid work here, making a flawless transition between superheroics and office politics. His faces and facial expressions can be a little exaggerated at times, but on the whole he gives the book a very distinctive and realistic feel. He gives the Great Machine just the right mixture of cool and ridiculous; if you ever actually saw a guy flying around with a jetpack wearing a fighter helmet, this is probably what it would look like. And at times, he knocks the ball totally out of the park: The closing sequence - which shall go undescribed here save for the fact it occurs in a blizzard - looks fantastic.
Too many writers set out to write superhero stories that use "realistic" and "grim" as synonyms. Mostly, this is thanks to the dozens, if not hundreds, of writers who read Watchmen and thought it was really cool without actually understanding what it was about. Apparently the only thing most people learned from Alan Moore is that superheroes will inevitably go insane or turn into violent and power-mad fascist thugs. Yes, Rorschach went around the bend, and Ozymandias killed half the population of New York. But Nite Owl simply hung up his costume, while Dr. Manhattan simply evolved beyond humanity. Vaughan understands that Watchmen wasn’t about the corruption of power, but the need for human beings to change. Beating up bank robbers may stop a bank robbery, but it doesn’t do much for the bigger picture. All Mitchell wants is to help people and do good; he decided being the Great Machine wasn't good enough, and has chosen a different path.
Far from “Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Ex Machina is faithful to Stan Lee’s dictum of “With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s the story not of a superhero, or of a mayor, but of a man trying to do good. This issue is an important part of that: As much as he may not like it, this is exactly the sort of thing Mitchell has to deal with if he wants to be mayor. He may have won the election thanks to an incredible act of heroism, but negotiating the nebulous political arena will require more than bravery and good intentions.
This is a book that demands attention and patience, but it’s also a book that rewards it. Intelligent dialogue, great characters, some gorgeous art, and a concept that may be truly unique among comics today. And Vaughan is just warming up.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
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OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
Buy Ex Machina at X-World! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1311&cat=EX+MACHINA)
Quick Rating: Great
Story Title: State of Emergency
Suggested for Mature Readers
The new mayor of New York finds his nemesis... at the Brooklyn Museum of Art
Writer: Brian K. Vaughan
Penciller: Tony Harris
Inker: Tom Feister
Lettering: Jared K. Fletcher
Colorist: JD Mettler
Assistant Editor: Kristy Quinn
Edited by: Ben Abernathy
Well. That’s an interesting twist.
The first issue of Ex Machina was something of a highlights reel of the life of Mitchell Hundred, former superhero and current mayor of New York. We saw his childhood, how he gained his amazing control of machines, his debut as the crime-fighting Great Machine, and his retirement from superheroics and entry into municipal politics. It ended with an unforgettable image of the event that changed the lives of Mitchell and hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people.
But with the second issue, Brian K. Vaughan zooms in more closely on the present, offering only a brief flashback to Mitchell’s days as the Great Machine. Far from the epic scope of the final page of the first issue, the story concerns itself with a crisis faced by many politicians. It’s somewhat disappointing if you’re expecting the story of the Great Machine’s encounter with an airplane, but taken on its own this is yet another intelligent and original issue.
The deputy mayor gets treated to a preview of a new exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, but not all is to his liking. There’s a particular piece that catches his eye, and he calls Mitchell down to share his concern. Mitchell is similarly appalled, but even more so when he finds out the exhibit is largely funded by the city. What’s a liberal, open-minded mayor to do when caught between free speech and potential voter outrage?
Vaughan has made an interesting decision here to focus on the everyday activities of the mayor or a major city. This is not, he seems to be telling us, a book about a super-mayor who’s going to go out and stop bank robberies in his spare time while negotiating with terrorists threatening to blow up the Brooklyn bridge. Vaughan has purposefully set up a challenge that can’t be solved by a guy with superpowers. Mitchell can’t win this one by punching the painting, though he’d surely love to give it a shot.
It’s a bold tactic, and it doesn’t quite work. This is partly due to the relatively pedestrian nature of the scenario, but also because the artwork itself really isn’t all that out of the ordinary. It’s certainly bound to be controversial, but it really doesn’t stand up to some of the real artistic controversies of our time, like a sculpture of the Virgin Mary made out of dung or a dress made from meat. It's a troubling piece, but probably not "Get the mayor down here right now!" kind of troubling.
That said, the reaction to the artwork is well done, displaying Vaughan’s great sense of humour and knack for dialogue. The question about the artist herself is played brilliantly, and the whole episode demonstrates that Mitchell is still something of a political fish out of water. This is a guy who made it into the mayor’s office not through years of politicking and wrangling with the media, but by capitalizing on his fame as a vigilante and a hero to millions of New Yorkers
The highlight of the issue is a flashback to Mitchell’s vigilante days and his unofficial meeting with the police commissioner. Commissioner Angotti seems like a strong and intelligent character, and she definitely gets the best of the Great Machine in their first meeting, both physically and philosophically. She’s clearly not a fan, and has reasons beyond the usual “I’ll get that darned vigilante!” mantra repeated by cops and newspaper publishers.
Tony Harris turns in more solid work here, making a flawless transition between superheroics and office politics. His faces and facial expressions can be a little exaggerated at times, but on the whole he gives the book a very distinctive and realistic feel. He gives the Great Machine just the right mixture of cool and ridiculous; if you ever actually saw a guy flying around with a jetpack wearing a fighter helmet, this is probably what it would look like. And at times, he knocks the ball totally out of the park: The closing sequence - which shall go undescribed here save for the fact it occurs in a blizzard - looks fantastic.
Too many writers set out to write superhero stories that use "realistic" and "grim" as synonyms. Mostly, this is thanks to the dozens, if not hundreds, of writers who read Watchmen and thought it was really cool without actually understanding what it was about. Apparently the only thing most people learned from Alan Moore is that superheroes will inevitably go insane or turn into violent and power-mad fascist thugs. Yes, Rorschach went around the bend, and Ozymandias killed half the population of New York. But Nite Owl simply hung up his costume, while Dr. Manhattan simply evolved beyond humanity. Vaughan understands that Watchmen wasn’t about the corruption of power, but the need for human beings to change. Beating up bank robbers may stop a bank robbery, but it doesn’t do much for the bigger picture. All Mitchell wants is to help people and do good; he decided being the Great Machine wasn't good enough, and has chosen a different path.
Far from “Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Ex Machina is faithful to Stan Lee’s dictum of “With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s the story not of a superhero, or of a mayor, but of a man trying to do good. This issue is an important part of that: As much as he may not like it, this is exactly the sort of thing Mitchell has to deal with if he wants to be mayor. He may have won the election thanks to an incredible act of heroism, but negotiating the nebulous political arena will require more than bravery and good intentions.
This is a book that demands attention and patience, but it’s also a book that rewards it. Intelligent dialogue, great characters, some gorgeous art, and a concept that may be truly unique among comics today. And Vaughan is just warming up.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/wsnone.jpg
Buy Ex Machina at X-World! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1311&cat=EX+MACHINA)