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Eddie P speaks on Comics
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Ex Machina

Brian K. Vaughan

This is an interesting take on the superhero concept written by acclaimed author Brian K. Vaughan. (Y: The Last Man, Runaways, Lost Seasons 3-4) The story is about a man who gets superpowers from an accident with a shard of alien machinery that allows him to “speak” to machines. This is an interesting ability that has been touched before with characters in X-Men and even on TV’s Heroes, but Vaughan has mastered the depth of what is really possible with such a power. Actually the story isn’t about the man and his powers, but rather what the man does after he’s given up adventuring and hung up the cape. Mitchell Hundred used hide his identity behind a mystical helmet and wear a winged jet pack he created while asleep. He called himself The Great Machine and would fly around New York City attempting to protect it’s helpless citizens below. This often led to many blunders and failed attempts of heroism. This is, in my opinion, an awesome take on the superhero tale. Many stories flourish in their character’s ability to “save the day”, you hardly read about the guy who fucks up. These moments as The Great Machine are shown in a series of flashbacks. In present time, Mitchell is the Mayor of New York City. Mitchell is neither democrat nor republican. His views span all across left and right boundaries and many of the characters within his office debate both sides of serious issues. A major concept that Vaughan illustrates is the tendency of citizens to rely on their government to save them. Much like how the citizen’s of Gotham or Metropolis rely on their costumed guardians, New York’s citizens look to their Mayor to save the day. This is eerily similar to how US citizens look towards President Elect Obama in this current crisis to save the day. In essence Ex Machina is primarily about Politics, Superheroes and New York City. This is a brainy, wordy story with enough action to keep it fun. I recommend it to people who are politically open-minded and are looking for a superhero story that is less about the cape and cowl heroics and more about the human ones.

E.P.