Daryl Tay.net

The Great Machine

A couple of weekends ago I sat down and read my backlog on Ex Machina graphic novels: Smoke, Smoke (vol.5), Power Down (vol.6) and Ex Cathedra (vol.7). Some background: Mitchell Hundred was caught in an explosion and got the “superpower” to speak to machines and went by the name The Great Machine. After he used his powers to land one of the planes on 9/11 (only one of the towers fell), he went on to be elected the next mayor of New York City, and the comic series describes his journey dealing with both city issues and “superpowered” issues.

In Smoke, Smoke, Mayor Hundred has to deal with a murderer posing as a fireman killing people, in Power Down, he deals with a blackout in New York City, as well as a time-traveler claiming to know how and why he got his powers, and in Ex Cathedra he is invited to visit the pope, and of course, an assassination attempt is going on at the same time.

It’s not a political book, but it does put forward the issues that someone in politics would have to deal with everyday. A strong supporting cast with the police commissioner, deputy mayor and people from his past during the time as The Great Machine really help give the book a unique tone unseen anywhere else.

vol.6 - Power Down

Brian K. Vaughn got added to the Lost writing team awhile ago, and I can see why. He builds an amazing mythology in Ex Machina where events in his past as The Great Machine are linked to his present as the mayor of New York City, and his arch-nemesis Pherson (who mimicked his abilities and can talk to animals) seems to be linked in a larger question of where their powers came from and why.

While each story comes to a close within each volume, underlying threads about the greater mythology are slowly developing, and I have no doubt when the series is done and we re-read it in it’s entirety, the threads were being plotted out all along.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Tony Harris’s gorgeous artwork on this series. Whether it’s shots of The Great Machine flying around or Mayor Hundred giving an interview on a radio talk show, each scene is perfectly captured and depicted. I loved the extra material in the collected editions that showcased the work flow behind his art: from when he takes a photograph with a model to gauge how it should look, to penciling, inking and finally the colouring.

If you still think comic books and graphic novels are for children, give Ex Machina a try. The plot twists will keep you guessing and the “what the hell?!” moments will impress you.