A good comic gets better

books:

	• Ex Machina, Vol. 2: Tag Brian K. Vaughan Wildstorm, 2005 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Awesome

The second volume of Ex Machina was really exciting. What was really refreshing was that it wasn't very predictable. The story itself was quite good, intertwining between a murder mystery, mysterious signs showing up in the subway relating to Mayor Hundred, and politics. The artwork also was very good. Just a really good follow up to the first volume, which was quite good itself.

A good comic gets better

Mitchell Hundred continues his third career: engineer, unwilling superhero, and now willing but inept mayor of NYC. Well, if you want something done strangely, count on an engineer. They're generally so honest that there's no way to guess what they'll do next - something logical, usually, and that always takes everyone by surprise.

This fictional world moves through the year or so after the 9/11 attacks on NYC and DC. In that world, though, Hundred managed to save one of the towers. And now, as mayor, he has the privelege presiding over the wedding of one of those heroic first responders, Todd Wylie, and his boyfriend. While that ruckus gets up to full volume, something quieter and more deadly is taking shape under the city ...

Vaughn and crew give a lot to like. The story is current and topical, but distant enough for escapist fiction. Vaughn's artwork carries the book - it's skilled and expressive, it has some of Chaykin's monumental quality, but with livelier and more natural poses. Continuing that "more natural" theme. Vaughn isn't afraid of ladies with shoulders, hips, and curves, or of the occasional goofy look on someone's face. The lines are gentler and the palette more subdued than Chaykin, too - but there's nothing imitative in the visual style.

I alrady have the next collection of Ex Machina on my to-read heap, and I expect more to follow it. It got that Eisner award for a reason - if you've read this far and haven't tried this title yet, you probably should.

-- wiredwierd

for more information click here

Graphic SF Reader

Mitchell, now Mayor Hundred, still has the superhuman abilities gained from a strange accident. He no longer operates as The Great Machine, but something from he past may have triggered a serial killer that is now operating.

Taking some unpopular political stances, a good looking writer goes out with him, and will offer some advice and perhaps more.

Consistent Quality

What I like about Brian K. Vaughan's writing is that each of his series are so different. He's got Runaways over at Marvel, which is a super-hero story with a tone comparable to Harry Potter. At the same time, he's also got Y: The Last Man Book which is a continuous sci-fi/adventure story spread over the course of ten volumes. Now with Ex Machina, he's created a political drama with a super-powered main character. As of now, each trade paperback seems to stand alone, telling a self-contained story, which is new for Brian K. Vaughan. The first volume was a great start and I liked this, the second book, even more.

The story of this maintains the same formula as the last one. There are two things going on in Mayor Hundred's life at once, a political conflict and something to do with his superpowers. The political conflict is more interesting than last time, and shows Hundred step up as a champion for gay rights, all the while trying to convince the public that he, himself, is not homosexual. It's funny, touching, and has a really poignant end, but the real punch of this book is the plot that has to do with Hundred's powers. Someone from Hundred's past seems to be tracking him down and killing people in the process, using the symbol that was on the artifact that originally gave Hundred his powers. Flashbacks to past events really make this story a tragic one, and Vaughan's fans know that if there's one thing he writes well, it's tragedy... and comedy. Heck, he pretty much nails everything.

8/10

for more information click here

Another fine entry.

Brian K. Vaughan, Ex Machina: Tag (Wildstorm, 2005)

Vaughan continues on with Ex Machina, with Hundred stirring the pot with some scary little sticks, much to the combined dismay and delight of his staff. There's a second mystery subplot involving the disappearance of Hundred's former NSA handler, but as in the first book, it's almost window dressing. (There is, however, some indication that these little plots are going to add up to something in the future.) The really gripping part of the story, somewhat surprisingly, is the political end-- how will the Mayor of America's largest city handle, say, gay marriage? (And how will the public react?) It's great stuff, though I was ready to find Vaughan and throw him (instead of the book) through the nearest window when I hit the last page and the painful cliffhanger ending. If only I'd thought to put the first three books on hold at the library instead of the first two... ****

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

This second volume of Eisner Award-winner(Best Writer, Best New Series) Brian K. Vaughan's Ex Machina collects the TAG story arch. Plus, learn how much the National Security Agency had on the career of the Great Machine. What forced Mayor Hundred to make one of the most controversial decisions in the history of New Yrok politics. This volume features an introduction by the Wachowski brothers and an all new cover by Eisner Award-winning artist Tony Harris

hot

not?

What's your opinion?

Write a review and share your thoughts!

recommendations

What I've read this past fall 07 and spring 08 semester (ongoing list)
Brian K. Vaughn Gets Around - Read His Graphic Novel Collections
2007 Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Nominees) (Part 2)
Selections from 2005's Comic Bloggers' Poll
Graphic Novels I want to Share

tag

Ex Machina, Vol. 2: Tag
1,000 Bags, Tags, & Labels: Distinctive Designs for Every Industry ...
FabJob Guide to Become an Interior Decorator (FabJob Guides)
Its All About Cards And Tags (Leisure Arts #3623)
Search Engine Optimization: An Hour a Day

search for books
ex machina, vol, machina, tag

Impressum / about us