Living Up To Expectations

Ex Machina # 41

Writer –Brian K. Vaughan

Penciller - Tony Harris



Surprise… surprise another great issue from this amazing team. What can I really say about these guys that would really do them any justice? We all know BKV can spin a damned good yarn and Tony, well he is Tony or Jack or Kremlin or something. In short, both of these guys have a long list of material out there that is just waiting to penetrate, titillate, and stimulate your noggins. Now doesn’t that sound like something worth looking into?

Issue # 41 showed us Hundred’s plan for his next year in office. I have to say that watching this man’s growth over the past few years has been amazing. He seems to be the imaginary perfect politician. Sure he has his problems but he is only human… well except for the whole powers thing. Does he always have the answers? Does he always make the right decisions? Can he fix everything that needs fixing? Absolutely not but he is the kind of guy that will look you right in the face and tell you, we are fucked and if we don’t all work together we will find ourselves even more fucked. That my friends, is truth and that is what makes Hundred an imaginary perfect politician. But something tells me that the well being of New Yorkers is not the only issue Mayor Hundred will be dealing with this next year. Hey, at least, "Enemies stab you in the front."

Obviously, everybody should be checking Ex Machina out. It even has man eating rats.
-Rob

Words & Stuff: Why The Last Man? Part 1

I am dead. If you are male... you are dead too unless your name is Yorick Brown and own a pet monkey named Ampersand (&) and I'm going to guess thats not a lot of you. Brian K. Vaughn (Ex-Machina, The Escapists) joins forces with Pia Guerra to form this post-apocalyptic tale with a very female agenda. Y: The Last Man is the story of Yorick Brown, a young escape artist who in some way or another survives a mysterious plague, which kills all mammals with a Y-Chromosome. So the gender-ratio skyrockets to 3.3 billion to 1.... lucky bastard. Or is he? Yorick Brown and his sidekick Ampersand meet opposition at every turn and often find their lives at stake. The last issue of this epic was released on January 30th, 2008. Upon seeing this final issue, I challenged myself to read the whole series. I finished 6 trade paperbacks in 3 days. This story is easily a Vertigo classic and resides among the other epics such as Preacher, Transmetropolitan, and Fables. I am in the middle of my journey through Y and encourage you to join me. I won't spoil anything yet but lets just say monkey shit will never be the same. And as LeVar Burton would say don't take my word for it. Y: The Last Man received comic of the year (2003) from Wizard Magazine and The Washington Post described it as, "Funny and scary... an utterly believable critique of society. A+." With such glowing reviews one can not resist to read this man's journey through the sea of estergin. This comic brings it all, action, romance, comedy, and drama and keeps you on the edge of your seat at the turn of every page.