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| Ex Machina, Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days | 
 enlarge | Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Creator: Tony Harris
Publisher: Wildstorm
Category: Book
List Price: $9.99
Buy New: $5.00
You Save: $4.99 (50%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $1.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  (27 reviews)
Sales Rank: 103812
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 136
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.4
ISBN: 1401206123
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9781401206123
ASIN: 1401206123
Publication Date: February 1, 2005
Release Date: February 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The first volume of the Eisner Award-winning series featuring Eisner Award-winners author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Tony Harris. Set in our modern-day world, EX MACHINA tells the story of civil engineer Mitchell Hundred, who becomes America's first living, breathing super-hero after a strange accident gives him amazing powers. Eventually Mitchell tires of risking his life merely to maintain the status quo, retires from masked crimefighting and runs for mayor of New York City, winning by a landslide. But Mayor Hundred has to worry about more than just budget problems and an antagonistic governor, especially when a mysterious hooded figure begins assassinating plow drivers during the worst snowstorm in the city's history!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
Just the Beginning June 22, 2008
I've been waiting to read Brian K. Vaughan's "Ex Machina" for a long time. So, after finally reading the last volume of his "Y: The Last Man" series, I figured now would be the perfect time to start. Close the door on "Y," open it on "Ex." At this point, I can't make any comparison between the two series, because I spent the better part of this year with my nose in a "Y: The Last Man" book, but what I can say is that "Ex Machina" is pure BKV and will not only please his fans, but its also a great start to what looks like its going to be a strong, strange, and dark series.
This first volume, "The First Hundred Days," introduces us to Mitchell Hundred, a former super hero and the current mayor of New York City. This isn't your basic super hero story, and reads more like a supernatural version of The West Wing than Superman. The political plot line is easy to follow and though BKV does use some political jargon here and there, the witty dialogue will constantly remind you whose work you're reading. While the bulk of the story deals with Mayor Hundred's first few months in the office, the book is heavily laden with flashbacks and jumps in time, starting with an introduction by Hundred (post 2005), showing him as a child the next page, introducing the major plot in the next (2002), and going back and forth from 2000, to 2001, to 2002 for the rest of the book. It's easy to follow for the most part, but will take come flipping back to see where the dates line up. The most poignant revelation of the book, especially for New Yorkers reading this, will be the ending of the first issue, which shows how differently September 11th would have went down with Mitchell Hundred acting as his super hero self; The Great Machine.
It's as different from Y: The Last Man is from Runaways, but like both series, "Ex Machina" is pure Brian K. Vaughan. It's tightly plotted, has well thought out dialogue with nods to pop culture and hints at the deep past that these characters share that (at this point) we've only cracked the surface of, and deals with a tragically flawed cast of protagonists doing what they think is best. Highly recommended.
8/10
Series starts with a bang. April 29, 2008
Brian K. Vaughan, Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days (Wildstorm, 2005)
With Y: The Last Man winding down, I figured it was time to start Vaughan's more recent series, Ex Machina. I have to say that initially, when I read the premise, I was unimpressed; this odd (and usually moronic) "post-9/11" subgenre of media has produced more brain-dead landfill-fodder than I care to think about most of the time. So, yeah, I started out quite biased against the whole idea. I should have known better, however; as always, Vaughan won me over within the first few pages.
After an encounter with something possibly extreterrestrial in 1999, civil engineer Mitchell Hundred gains a superpower-- he is able to communicate with machines. Thus, since he does have a superpower, he does what anyone would do-- becomes a superhero, "The Great Machine". However, Hundred proves to be singularly inept as a superhero, and it doesn't help that the cops and the feds aren't fond of his hijinks, either. So he decides to try and help people in a different way-- by exposing his identity and running for office. Helped by his actions on September 11th (in Vaughan's universe, Hundred managed to stop the second tower from falling), he's elected in a landslide, and thus begins the singularly weird tale that is Ex Machina.
When a writer writes well, he can write anything. Vaughan seamlessly integrates superheroes, politics, and an almost superfluous mystery subplot into an amusing and highly readable tale. Can't wait to see where he's going with this. ****
 Have to keep reading March 31, 2008
It is impossible to judge series by the first arc. But it is clear that you have to read more - if Spiderman and others feel "cartoonish" this one is more mature, movie-like. This TPB contains an origin story and shows some tasks the lead character has to tackle - those not typical to your average superhero.
A brilliant beginning February 10, 2008
While everything Brian Vaughan writes is genius, Ex Machina is something really special: the first actual "reinvention" of the superheroic fictional archetype since Moore and Gibbons's Watchmen set the industry abuzz with notions like, well, revinventing the superheroic archetype! If you're at all interested in the nature of heroism and moden politics, Ex Machina is for you.
Interesting December 27, 2007
It was a little bit hard to follow at times, but Ex Machina was still really cool. It was a really creative premise, and I thought it was executed very well. The artwork was quite good. I'm definately going to have to read the rest of the series.
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