Ex Machina Volume 5

Ex Machina Volume 5
(Smoke Smoke)
Written By: Brian K Vaughan
Hardcover: 120 pages
Publisher: Wildstorm
Language: English
March 2007, $12.99
Genre: Comic/Graphic Novel

The acclaimed series that Entertainment Weekly calls "...compelling entertainment..." heats up as Mayor Hundred faces impossible decisions regarding New York City's controversial drug laws, when a string of brazen home invasions and a shocking suicide threaten to derail the debate. Plus, take a revealing trip into the past with Bradbury, super-hero sidekick turned chief of security to one of the most powerful politicians live.

The bestselling and Eisner Award-winning team of writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Pride Of Baghdad) and Tony Harris (Starman) continues their epic political thriller in this fifth collection.

+++++++++++++

I like Ex Machina, that much should be obvious of late with the amount of volumes I am going through. *grin* When I read Volume Four I knew that there were going to be repercussions from the events that took place. I was glad I wasn’t wrong though at the same time this wasn’t an extremely strong volume. It had its moments of course. The home invasion storyline ends disappointingly and does nothing to further the series.

However, I really enjoyed the storyline that involved Hundred’s early days as the Machine. He had nabbed this kid for selling pot only to discover that is stabbed and killed in prison while attempting to break up a fight. His grief stricken mother sets herself ablaze on the steps of City Hall, but what is Hundred supposed to do? What is interesting is the stress causes Hundred to black out, gives him a nosebleed and causes a transformer to explode. Now that could be interesting. I also like how candid Hundred was, admitting that he himself had dabbled in pot smoking. He characterizes it as being honest, something politicians rarely are and of course the media loves it.

While not strictly political, I do heart the politics that are thrown into things. I like the duality of Hundred, how his past and present do make things a bit interesting at times. As much as Hundred wants to be the hero without being the superhero, he has tough decisions to make every day. And Vaughan manages to do it in a fairly realistic way. It’s a great series and while this isn’t the best of the volumes, it is a series I honestly think you should give a try.

2.75 out of 4 happy bibliosnark bookmarks

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