Ex Machina, Vol. 5: Smoke, Smoke [Paperback]

Brian K. Vaughan (Author), Tony Harris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the fifth Ex Machina arc, New York mayor Mitchell Hundred, who turned to politics after a brief stint as a superhero who could control machines, contends with a string of home invasions by a robber masquerading as a firefighter and ponders whether to spend political capital to overturn the city's draconian drug laws. It's a testament to Vaughan's way of humanizing the superhero genre that the political wonkery is more diverting than the times that Hundred uses his superpowers. Tony Harris' stylish comics realism conjures an ideal context for Vaughan's character-based stories. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: WildStorm (March 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401213227
• ISBN-13: 978-1401213220
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Latest in a BRILLIANT series..., September 6, 2007

By 

William E. Clegg - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ex Machina, Vol. 5: Smoke, Smoke (Paperback)

As any lover of Brian K Vaughan could tell you, this guy is a genius. Whether it's a group of misfit, teen-age, evil-villian-parent-murdering crimestoppers; a family of bomb-dodging lions that escape a half-demolished zoo in Baghdad; a man named Yoric who survives a "plague" that wipes out every male on earth (except him and his pet capuchin Ampersand); or, in the case of Ex Machina, a hero-turned-polictician who just happens to be able to communicate with machinery, Vaughan delivers, every time. NOBODY who calls themselves comic book geek can live without reading this series. END OF REVIEW :):)

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome-ly awesome, October 9, 2011

By 

introndepot - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ex Machina, Vol. 5: Smoke, Smoke (Paperback)

I love good art.
I love a good story.
this has neither.
it has GREAT ART and a GREAT STORY!!!!!
the characters are believable, flawed with good intentions.
the dynamics of the art and the story are just shy of utter perfection!
every issue was amazing and wish brian vaughn had more resources to continue making creations like this

5.0 out of 5 stars Smokin' Hot Story, Cool Artwork, September 1, 2009

By 

Paige Turner "Paige" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ex Machina, Vol. 5: Smoke, Smoke (Paperback)

The Ex Machina series is Brian Vaughn's well-written story of Mitchell Hundred, former superhero and now New York City Mayor. The award-winning writer has followed up his "Y-The Last Man" with this fast-paced series of stories. Fans will notice the same sharp, edgy dialogue, literary allusions, and jumpy use of time. The series is one of the finest in the "superhero" genre today. Vaughn is heavily influenced by Watchmen writer Alan Moore. Like most good Sci-Fi, he approaches real issues - would a superhero make a good mayor? How would a superhero mayor deal with everyday issues like getting the garbage picked up? How would he handle his personal demons and his uncertain past?

The drawing and inking are unparalleled in this series. The use of color is fantastic and the book is printed on good quality paper that showcases it well. The artists achieve the level of painstaking detail they create through enacting certain scenes out physically before drawing. The book is hyper realistic, and thought provoking.

Volume 5 has one larger story arc and one small one. The main story, comprising the first four chapters, is Vaughan at his best. He puts Mayor Hundred through the wringer: this time he's not dealing with the gay marriage issue, it's the legalization of pot. This 4-issue story arc blew me away. This story is a molotov cocktail blend of interesting characters, action, and hot-button social issues. Chapter 5 of this book was not as good as the main story and felt a bit like filler.

Of course, in typical Vaughan fashion, there are always loose ends that he never ties up. These "plot cul-de-sacs" are a bit disorienting. Vaughan doesn't believe in the Hollywood movie rule of "economy of character" because he insists on bringing in interesting minor characters that don't always move the story along and disappear later.

If you have not picked up a comic book for a few years since you were a kid, start here. Brian Vaughn is one of the medium's great talents and this series displays them all.