Friday 15 April 2011

Books: Ex Machina

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Ex Machina
Vol 1: The First Hundred Days
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2005



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 2: Tag
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2005



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 3: Fact V. Fiction
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2006



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 4: March to War
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2006



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 5: Smoke Smoke
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2007



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 6: Power Down
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2007



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 7: Ex Cathedra
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2008



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 8: Dirty Tricks
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2009



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/.

Ex Machina
Vol 9: Ring Out the Old
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2010



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/

Ex Machina
Vol 10: Term Limits
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris

2011



Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/


There's something glowing beneath the Brooklyn Bridge and there's a new Nirvana song coming through the radio... Bestowed by unknown forces with the ability to speak to machines civil engineer Mitchell Hundred (who's a big comic book fan) decides to use his powers to become a (it must be said - slightly inept) superhero and then - when that doesn't work out the way that he hoped - Major of New York. This is Ex Machina: an exciting, ingenious, explosive cocktail mixing up the adventures and thrills of super heroics with the messy and compromised business of day-to-day city politics. With an inciting non-chronological structure that will keep you coming back for more - and a larger all-encompassing plot tying it all together this is a comic that has arch-villains, car chases and action movie quips (""Bullets are for assholes.") along with issue-of-the-week stuff like: art censorship, gay marriage. school vouchers, drug laws, stop and search, terrorism etc. So basically: it's half West Wing / half Smallville. With writing that's intelligently structured even if it's a little clunky ("There's no justice. There's just us.") and everyone always spouting factiods (did you know New York city hall was built over a jail? etc) it might take a little getting used to - but once you're in - the subtle mysteries and big cliffhangers (and the cool small details - like how much a jetpack would burn your bum) will keep you reading all the way until the end. Ok - the artwork is a little pose-y and Tony Harris seems to have quite a predilection for drawing women with ample chests and men with sturdy chins: but it's elegant and the panel construction is nearly always really nicely designed. Not quite like anything else out there - this is a really nice example of a modern comic that refuses to retread the same old paths.

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Links: Newsarama Review, Sean T Collins Review of Vol 1 - Vol 9 / Vol 10The M0vie Blog Review of Deluxe Edition Vol 1 / The M0vie Blog Review of Deluxe Edition Vol 2 / The M0vie Blog Review of Deluxe Edition Vol 3 / The M0vie Blog Review of Deluxe Edition Vol 4 / The M0vie Blog Review of Deluxe Edition Vol 5.

Further reading: Y: The Last ManSagaDMZ, Black SummerThe OneScalped, The Walking Dead.

All comments welcome.

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