Reviews
Ex Machina, Vol. 5: Smoke, Smoke by Tom Feister, J.D. Mettler, Tony Harris, Brian K. Vaughan
joshgauthier's review
3.0
Still lacking in subtlty, still a tad chauvinistic, still a fragmented set of parallel storylines. Vol. 5 manages to hold onto enough of the positive aspects of previous volumes, and even improve on some of them. A lot of the same issues are here as well, but this volume also does more to set up a larger forthcoming conflict, and it's that larger storyline that keeps me coming back more than anything else.
razishiri's review
2.0
More of the same. Which isn't a bad thing, nessesarily... it's just I get the feeling lately that I'm being stultified. They're terribly addicting. I don't know, maybe I'm just being pretentious, but that's why it only earned 2 stars.
rouver's review
3.0
I'm still enjoying this series, but the stories have gotten a little more graphic. Or rather, explicit. It's definitely an adult book & I had to read it when the girls were in the room & there wasn't a chance they might look over my shoulder. Mayor Hundred now gets to tackle the issue of legalizing marijuana along with a man dressed in a New York Fire Dept uniform who is using it to force entry into homes in order to rob them.
sbernad08's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
theartolater's review
5.0
I’ll say it again - Brian K. Vaughan is probably my favorite comic writer, and I think if I had found Ex-Machina years ago, I would have gotten into comics a lot sooner. The Smoke Smoke arc was a bit off for me, but that’s still better than, I dunno, the latest Ultimates arc to this point?
jakekilroy's review
4.0
This one had a theme, and it felt like filler, but it read well. I enjoyed it, naturally, and the politics stuff is still ruling.
cjordahl's review
4.0
I continue to like this title much more than I originally expected to. For a book with super-powered characters, it's very real, down-to-earth. The characters react believably to generally plausible situations. Smart dialog. The realistic art fits very well and is quite well done.
(Now that I think of it, I could say the same for Saga, BKV's current ongoing series. Although it's full-on Sci-Fi with all the crazy characters and settings that you could imagine, emotionally it's deeply real.)
(Now that I think of it, I could say the same for Saga, BKV's current ongoing series. Although it's full-on Sci-Fi with all the crazy characters and settings that you could imagine, emotionally it's deeply real.)
just_fighting_censorship's review
3.0
Nothing too exciting here. The story revolves around decriminalization of weed and a serial B&E faux firefighter.
Journal is replaced with a more annoying version, her sister, January.
An average volume that is busy setting the scene for things to come.
Journal is replaced with a more annoying version, her sister, January.
An average volume that is busy setting the scene for things to come.
mikaiya's review
3.0
I know this is world building going on. But this series has taken a nose dive. The other critics seem to agree- I read it with an open mind, but was sorely disappointed.
Get back on top, Ex Machina... I know you can do it. The first two volumes were stellar! And this... this is shoddy. Bleh.
Get back on top, Ex Machina... I know you can do it. The first two volumes were stellar! And this... this is shoddy. Bleh.