Vaughan's mix of politics and a real world approach to the super-hero genre remains one of the strongest and most original mainstream comic books today. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to why more people are talking about this book as opposed to chatting about the implications of super-hero deaths in Identity Crisis or Avengers. This book is far more stimulating and challenging, and it presents issues and ideas through strongly grounded characters with genuine voices. Furthermore, the brilliance and detail of Tony Harris's art should be reason enough to get people buying this book.
Mayor Hundred is awakened in the middle of the night by his friend and head of security, Bradbury, who informs him another snowplow driver has been murdered. As if an apparent serial killer weren't enough to contend with, now the mayor faces the unenviable prospect of panicked snowplow drivers in the middle of a huge snowstorm. Meanwhile, the mayor's young new protege, Journal Moore, approaches the artist who created the controversial, racially charged painting of Abraham Lincoln and gets to the bottom of her motives.
I'll be honest... the dark atmosphere and deco design sense that we saw in Starman makes that title my favorite Tony Harris work, but Ex Machina runs a close second. This is some powerful, grounded artwork. The design for the Great Machine always impressed with its believable take on a super-hero costume, and there's a strong sense of realism throughout the book. My one qualm with the art in this issue is the depiction of artist Trista Braving. She seems to be all about the nipples, midriff and visible thong. It's gratuitous and adds nothing to the character. This shouldn't be a title that relies on sex appeal to expand its audience.
The scene between Journal and Trista is a powerful one. Journal casts off any notion that she's just an ambitious bimbo and demonstrates just how sharp that brain of hers really is. The dialogue here reminds me of the sort of thing one expects to hear on The West Wing. What's more is that Vaughan transforms Trista's politically charged statement into something that's far more personal.
What really sets this issue apart for me is the surprising nature of the ending and the mayor's theory for the motive behind the snowplow driver attacks. I don't think Vaughan is headed in the direction Hundred is, but by creating this conflict among the protagonists, he really brings a fascinating new dynamic into play. The emotional impact of a perceived betrayal, as represented on the closing splash page, is truly powerful. The ultimate message here seems to be about how power changes people, making them lose sight of what's important in their own lives.
