Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days

[xadrian]

I kept hearing from all the fine folks here that Ex Machina is one of the books you have to pick up if you are any kind of comic book fan. Far be it from me to listen. I don't buy anything noteworthy when it comes to current titles. No Y The Last Man, no 100 Bullets, no Fables. I get Powers now, but I think it's after it was considered good. I get Planetary but it's not a frequent enough title to be considered a heavy hitter. Yea, I am forever mired in the nostalgia of things 80's and things X.

So I tried to break out, I really did. I buy as many GNs as I can, I take chances on new titles, but for the most part it's a let down. It's not that they are bad, but it's that they don't excite.

Such as the case with Ex Machina. As good a book as it is, it didn't really make me want to add it to my hold list.

We'll touch on the art last.

I think the idea is decent. A NY stiff working patrol is exposed to something alien in the river beneath the Brooklyn Bridge and is forever changed. He now as the ability to communicate with machines. Not just machines, but nearly anything that has moving parts.

Pretty cool.

They lost me when in a future story line he is Mayor of New York City.

I can buy Police Cheif or Lieutenant, but Mayor? That's a bit of a stretch.

Ok, ok. So he's mayor. I suppose I can get by that. What got to me about this particular trade (and thus the individual issues) was how jumbled it all came together. I was about half way through before I was really sure what was going on. The constant flashbacks were not necessarily a hinderance to the story, but made it very hard to follow.

And the names. Hundred, Journal, Kremlin. I'm all for crazy noun names, but pick one and stick with it. Don't litter your book with goofy names, it makes it less believable.

One thing I did admire about the book was how they addressed a man with a rocket pack burning off his own ass. Kudos.

So the story was decent, held water, could have been ordered differently, but ok.

The art was really quite good. Very good expression, very good attention to human detail and gestures and hairstyles and clothing and features. That is, until I saw the last few pages of the trade.

I actually handed it to my wife and said only, "Huh, check that out." She says, "Well, that's kind of cheating isn't it?"

Isn't it?

I understand a reference for a few buildings or a gun or a car, but full page re-enactments? Shoot, if I'd know that was in the game I'd have cast my book years ago and lightboxed the whole thing. Does this stick in anyone else's craw? What's the point of art school? What's the point of studying? What's the point of telling every noob that comes in here asking where to start to start with drawing from life? Apparently, all you need is a digital camera, a $35 lightbox, some inker/colorist friends to snaz it up and you've got a book.

Now don't get me wrong, I still think the the art was good, above average even. Going into it without seeing the last pages first, I was impressed. But those complete page photo references really colored the entire book for me. I don't think I could respect myself by buying this book again.


Written by Brian K. Vaughan; Art by Tony Harris & Tom Feister; Cover by Harris

Wildstorm Signature Series | 136pg. | Color | Softcover | $9.95 US | Mature Readers

[Vargas Prime]

They lost me when in a future story line he is Mayor of New York City.

I can buy Police Cheif or Lieutenant, but Mayor? That's a bit of a stretch.

Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota. Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California. These guys are celebrities. In the NYC of "Ex Machina",
***SPOILERS***
Mitchell Hundred is a superhero who is responsible for saving one of the Twin Towers from the terrorist attack on 9/11.
***SPOILERS***
If that wouldn't get a guy some decent voter turnout in a Mayoral election, I don't know what would...

And the names. Hundred, Journal, Kremlin. I'm all for crazy noun names, but pick one and stick with it. Don't litter your book with goofy names, it makes it less believable.

This I will completely agree on. It seems like Vaughan goes far out of his way to come up with really distinct names for his characters, but they usually wind up being TOO distinct, to the point of sounding cheesy.

The art was really quite good... That is, until I saw the last few pages of the trade.

Again, I'll agree. I enjoy the art on the book, and I enjoy the art of others who do the same sort of thing (like Tim Bradstreet), but photo-referencing every panel is less impressive than just being able to draw that well. But hey, it looks good in the end, and it's not going to make me stop buying the book, so whatever.

Anyway, "Ex Machina" isn't one of those books you just HAVE to get everyone you know to try... at least not to me. It's good, and it has its flaws, but it's worth a read if you're looking for something a little different in the "real-world superhero" genre.

[Knigge]

Xad, I pretty much dissagree with you on nearly everything.

He talks to machines, not just anything with moving parts.
Machine:
1 a)A device consisting of fixed and moving parts that modifies mechanical energy and transmits it in a more useful form.
b)A simple device, such as a lever, a pulley, or an inclined plane, that alters the magnitude or direction, or both, of an applied force; a simple machine.
2. A system or device, such as a computer, that performs or assists in the performance of a human task.
A machine doesn't have to be a computer and doesn't have to have manufactured energy (like gas/electricity) to be considered a machine. It could be something as simple as a bicycle. I'm not bitching at you. Just letting you know for technical knowledge.

I hope that if I singlehandedly saved thousands upon thousands of lives, that I would be up for nomination as Mayor of some metropolis. Or better yet, President of the US. And have a great chance at winning.

I think that if the story was linear it would lose a lot of attention for the readers. The non-linear story, as is, isn't complex or confusing. Plus, I think when there is a flashback or when Hundred is having a memory, that it pertains to what is actually occuring in the present. That it has relevance and parallels the things going on. That it gives a basis for what must be done and the consequences that will follow.

Lastly, There's no such thing as cheating when it comes to making original art. Without getting into art history, everyone has a process. Would you consider someone that took photos and placed them in comic form to be cheating? Or for the end result to be less than art or less than a comic? If any noob could come along and create the quality of linework, shadow, clarity, and composition that is in this book, then we wouldn't be having this discussion. The only person that needs to be worried about the process is the artist. If he doesn't like how he works, then he should change. The end product is all that matters. And no one should be embaressed about it solely based on process. That's kinda bullshit. I could go on for hours about this, but I'll stop here.

Anyways, the book keeps getting better and better for me. Its slightly dipping into the horror genre right now, which is pretty cool.

[DJ Kenobi]

Well, I have to agree with Knigge in disagreeing with nearly everything Xadrian said. First off, (warning: I tried to find a way to say this without sounding like an ass, but couldn’t find a way, sorry Xadrian, no personal offense intended) they lost you when he became mayor? That’s what the whole book is about, a mayor who used to be a superhero, not a superhero who becomes a mayor. It’s a political oriented book. It’s almost like saying I was digging X-Men until they got to the “mutants in a world that fears and hates them” part and then saying they lost you.

Also, the story is not very hard to follow. It’s not the absolute most simplistic storytelling format ever, but the flashbacks are usually used to open each individual issue; not only fleshing out the main characters’ pasts, but also often foreshadowing plot and/or introducing another aspect of the reality in which the story presides. It’s a fairly traditional storytelling technique and I think the book benefits from its use greatly.

As for the art, it’s excellent. I barely know where to begin in countering that it’s “cheating.” I guess I’ll start with the finished product. As long as it looks great at the end, who cares about how it got there. But I can see that one being argued, so I’ll move onto the fact that a digital camera, a lightbox, and some buddies do not automatically produce work of Tony Harris’ caliber. If that were true, everyone here would be producing gorgeous art. I sure as hell can’t, and I have access to all of those things. On top of that, his drawing people straight from photos doesn’t account for or have anything to do with his impeccable (IMHO) storytelling ability or his design sense, which is equally good. Do I sound a bit biased? Yeah, probably. But this is a great book and I think Tony Harris is an excellent artist. There, bias out in the open.

[xadrian]

I re-read it last night and it makes more sense now. Originally I read it in a few settings so the flashbacks were more pronounced I'm sure.

I knew this review would raise some hackles and I'm glad it did. There was a Comic Book Idol over at CBR where one of the contestants used photo reference for backgrounds and caught complete hell for it. That's just backgrounds. I still can't understand how complete panel referencing is ok, but this poor guy catches flack for backgrounds. I know it's a tool and I don't think it's cheating (wife's words, not mine) but it's a shortcut I'm not comfortable with. I had the same reaction about wacom tablets way back too, now I want one. I'll grow up, I'm sure.

Anyways, I stand by my report. I might pick up the next trade as the story flowed a little better the second time (I'm admittedly a slow reader.) And I did say the art was good. There's no way I could accomplish what they've done, like what DJ said, and I have all that equipment. But, going through the whole book and saying to myself, "Damn, all these figures are really relaxed and realistic and full of expression" is a testament to what? Not the line weights and story telling or panel layout...or is it?

Still open for discussion I'm sure.

As for the mayor thing, I still think it's hokey. I'm thinking of realistic NYers. Would they elect a guy with green things on the side of his head? Superhero or not, would they? I just don't know. But, my opinion, feel free to disagree.

What I left out originally was that I think the idea of the story is very unique. It's much like the Ultimates in that you have this wonderful example of human ability (albeit granted by some unknown source) and the most important thing to them is an art gallery display or the mystery of who's killing the plow workers. The writing is excellent, the dialogue is natural and believeable. I shouldn't have given this book so much crap, but that photo ref thing...I don't know.

Out of 10 stars I'd give it 7. Still a lot better than about 95% of what's out there.

[MC Fumunda]

As for the mayor thing, I still think it's hokey. I'm thinking of realistic NYers. Would they elect a guy with green things on the side of his head? Superhero or not, would they? I just don't know. But, my opinion, feel free to disagree.

I think anything can happen with a mayor. A ****ing horse got elected mayor somewhere and Marion Barry got re-elected after he smoked crack on camera with a prostitute.

[F!]

There's no way I could accomplish what they've done, like what DJ said, and I have all that equipment. But, going through the whole book and saying to myself, "Damn, all these figures are really relaxed and realistic and full of expression" is a testament to what? Not the line weights and story telling or panel layout...or is it?

I think something you're ignoring is that Harris isn't just photographing folks going around their everyday lives. He's choosing the angles, the lighting, directing his models to pose and specifying their expressions. That's still storytelling. OK, it's maybe more akin to theatre or film and not what you expect from the way the term is usually used in reference to comics; however, that's all still application of creative judgement in service of a story.

[DJ Kenobi]

He's choosing the angles, the lighting, directing his models to pose and specifying their expressions. That's still storytelling. OK, it's maybe more akin to theatre or film and not what you expect from the way the term is usually used in reference to comics; however, that's all still application of creative judgement in service of a story.

I completely agree. 100%.

[Vargas Prime]

I think something you're ignoring is that Harris isn't just photographing folks going around their everyday lives. He's choosing the angles, the lighting, directing his models to pose and specifying their expressions. That's still storytelling. OK, it's maybe more akin to theatre or film and not what you expect from the way the term is usually used in reference to comics; however, that's all still application of creative judgement in service of a story.

He's got a great eye for storytelling, true. But the fact that the pencils themselves are lightboxed from photographic mock-ups makes them less impressive. There's nothing wrong with the art as a whole, and it's definitely effective. There's just something about the process that smacks of "cheating" a little bit, even if it's just one aspect of the whole thing.

[F!]

I do understand the stigma that comes with this technique; however, I think he has proved adequately in his past work that he is in no way dependent on it. If he never went near Photoshop or a lightbox again, Tony Harris would still be a working comic artist.

I tend to see it more as a way of bringing an amount of realism to the story that is integral to its telling. And that's mostly in the poses and expressions. If you look again, you'll see thre's a lot that he brings to the art himself. There's scenery, costumes and props that aren't in the photos.

Something else you have to consider is the artist's frankness about his process. Unlike, say, Greg Land or Alex Maleev, he's made sure the readers know how he works and where exactly he can begin to take credit.