Great Machine | the m0vie blog

Y: The Last Man – The Deluxe Edition, Book V (Review)

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Darren

In an effort to prove that comic books aren’t just about men in spandex hitting each other really hard, this month I’m reviewing all of Brian K. Vaughan’s superb Y: The Last Man. In April, I took a look at all the writer’s Ex Machina.

You know, I think I’m not entirely sure what to make of the conclusion to Brian K. Vaughan’s superb Y: The Last Man, which wraps up here after sixty issues. It’s strange, as if the saga wraps up almost more than I expected, while still remaining the wonderfully intimate adventure that roped me in from the start.

Colour me sad that it's coming to an end...

Note: As we’re reaching the end, expect spoilers. Lots of them. And big ones too. If you want a recommendation… well, go read one of the earlier reviews, or just pick up the first collection and give it a shot.

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: alan moore, brian k. vaughan, comic book review, comic books, Comics, dc comics, Exmachina, Great Machine, new york, New York City, review, swamp thing, vertigo, y chromosone, y: the last man, Yorick, Yorick Brown | 2 Comments »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume IV (Review)

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Darren

In an effort to prove that comic books aren’t just about men in spandex hitting each other really hard, this month I’m reviewing all of Brian K. Vaughan’s superb Ex Machina. And in June, I’ll be reviewing his Y: The Last Man.

What’s weird about the fourth ane penultimate volume of Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris’ superb superhero political science fiction mish-mash comic book is simple how much fun it is. I’m not suggesting for a moment that the first three volumes were anything less than superb, but there’s a sense of playfulness in this volume which just makes it seem like the creators are have the time of their lives. I was worried after the last volume that the underlying “conspiracy” story would overwhelm the saga as it reached completion, but it’s still just as fascinating and unpredictable as it was back when it began.

Justice for all?

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: alan moore, arts, Barack Obama, brian k. vaughan, comic book, Comics, ex cathedra, ex machina, Exmachina, grant morrison, graphic novel, Great Machine, mayor hundred, review, ruthless, tony harris, trouble, wildstorm, world's finest, y: the last man | Leave a comment »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume II (Review)

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Darren

It’s interesting how times change. Ex Machina was originally published in August 2004, written by a New Yorker as something of a response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. It’s an exploration of a time when the country needed heroes and figureheads more than it needed politicians and diplomats. Is a superhero in Gracie Mansion any more insane than a cowboy in the White House? However, reading it now it’s interesting to see the similarities between Vaughan’s protagonist, the Honorable Mayor Mitchell Hundred, and Barack Obama. It’s the sign of a good storyteller that the tale remains relevant years after initial publication. It’s the sign of a great storyteller that the tale becomes even more relevant in the years that follow.

He's got the whole world, in his hands...

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Filed under: Comics | Tagged: Barack Obama, comic books, Comics, ex machina, Exmachina, fact v. fiction, fact vs. fiction, Gracie Mansion, graphic novels, Great Machine, life & death, life and death, march to war, Maurizio Bevilacqua, Mayor, Mayor of New York City, New York City, off the grid, tony harris, Vaughan | Leave a comment »

Ex Machina: The Deluxe Edition – Volume I (Review)

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Darren

I don’t think that any creator has had quite the success of Brian K. Vaughan when it comes to original comic book series over the past decade (okay, maybe Robert Kirkman). Both of his famous original books recently came to a close after runs of over fifty issues each, and are both being collected in superb deluxe editions. Ex Machina doesn’t quite have the same dramatic hook or clarity of focus as Y: The Last Man does, but that’s not to say that it isn’t a stunning example of pulp fiction – wonderfully well-written social fantasy which is cleverly observed and even more smartly constructed.