It's funny, because the first issue of Ex Machina was possibly the best first issue I've read all year, I kind of forgot that Vaughan is still setting things up in Ex Machina. While the stories are starting to develop, it's clear that Vaughan is still putting his supporting cast in place, and very much still revealing things about all the characters, especially our lead. The mystery of Mayor Hundred, from his sporadically-revealed childhood to his career as the Great Machine and the guilt that clearly hides in his psyche, has me well and truly hooked, at least as much as the surprisingly engaging notion of political battles and a nutjob going around killing people who may or may not be connected to Hundred's past. With Tony Harris, Tom Feister and JD Mettler continuing to blow me away on art, this remains one of my favorite new books of 2004, and certainly one of the best books on the stands.
Though Ex Machina is categorically not West Wing, I think that Vaughan would be first to admit that he owes a debt to Aaron Sorkin, creator of that TV show. Not just for making politics palatable subject matter for an ongoing series, but for the dialogue-driven style of the narrative and the use of multiple storylines and flashbacks that make up the structure of Ex Machina. The emphasis on talk means that we get to know the characters in a very natural, and often humorous, way, and the switching from different locations and to different times allows Vaughan to tell a far-ranging story with relatively little space.
Honestly, I'm drawn in enough by the interaction of Hundred, his deputy mayor and the police commissioner alone that I don't really need a ton of plot to keep my interest. The meeting between Hundred, Candy and Dave provides several very fun moments, as does the conversation with Commissioner Angotti, or the moments with Journal down in the basement. However, Ex Machina definitely has some strong suspense/mystery plot elements beyond the political concerns of what to do about a controversial painting. The flashback sequence this issue raises any number of questions, and leads me to wonder what exactly happened to Mitchell's mother, and if it had anything to do with the Great Machine and "Jack Pherson."
Tony Harris, Tom Feister and JD Mettler continue to shine on the artwork for this book. When the story revolves so heavily around personal interaction, you need someone who can draw believable and expressive people, and this art team does a fantastic job there. The curious annoyance of Mitchell when he's interrupted in his meditation, the suggestive grin from Journal when she gets what she thinks is a proposition, everything about Kremlin, who is defined by his craggy features as much as his distinctive personality, this is all down to the art team and their storytelling ability. Mettler deserves special praise for the flashback sequence in this episode, which has an eerie, haunting quality to it thanks to the greenish glow he gives the pages.
It's one thing to deliver a great first issue, and quite another to maintain that quality throughout the series. This is a series with creators who have an impressive track record behind them, what with Vaughan coming off Y: The Last Man and Runaways and Tony Harris coming from the beloved Starman, but Ex Machina can sit comfortably alongside those well-regarded titles. This might be my favorite comic running right now... it's certainly the one that makes its way to the top of my reading stack every week that it comes in.
