jammasterjamie's review against another edition
4.0
I knew nothing about Ex Machina going into this other than it was written by Brian K Vaughan and that he has never once disappointed me yet, so I bought this blind and am so glad that I did. I'm fully intrigued, have completely bought into the story and this world, and I wish I wasn't at work right now so that I could get to Volume 2 immediately. Vaughan is a masterful story-teller in his pacing, humour, foreshadowing, and pitch-perfect dialogue. And of course, the best review you can give to the first volume of a series, I can't wait to see what happens next!
futurepres13's review against another edition
1.0
I neither understood why this was a good story, nor how there was any story here.
jfictitional's review against another edition
4.0
While I can't say I've always enjoyed Brian K. Vaughan's work, I admire its diversity, in both genre and theme. What rarely changes, though, is his dedication to inclusivity and tackling the political topics of the day.
So it only makes sense that he'd one day write a comic about real-world politics, but still find an interesting spin by wedding it to the superhero genre, making for a heady political procedural that never seems to stop moving. Being nearly ten years old, it's fascinating how some of the talking points manage to feel both dated and still timely (gay marriage, the education system), while others are an argument we'll seemingly never stop having (race relations). It occasionally gets bogged down in speechifying, as is Vaughan's tendency (along with his penchant for utterly bizarre character names - what kind of sadist names their kid Journal?). But possibly the biggest sin this commits is being so hard to get hold of nowadays.
Content warning: graphic violence, racially-charged language, dead animals, self-harm, implied child murder, suicide
So it only makes sense that he'd one day write a comic about real-world politics, but still find an interesting spin by wedding it to the superhero genre, making for a heady political procedural that never seems to stop moving. Being nearly ten years old, it's fascinating how some of the talking points manage to feel both dated and still timely (gay marriage, the education system), while others are an argument we'll seemingly never stop having (race relations). It occasionally gets bogged down in speechifying, as is Vaughan's tendency (along with his penchant for utterly bizarre character names - what kind of sadist names their kid Journal?). But possibly the biggest sin this commits is being so hard to get hold of nowadays.
Content warning: graphic violence, racially-charged language, dead animals, self-harm, implied child murder, suicide
jm_donellan's review against another edition
5.0
Simply incredible. Vaughn is a fantastically gifted writer. This series is a wonderful blend of West Wing style politics and real worldish style superhero storylines. Can't wait to read the rest of this series, it's great to see the nuances and frustrations of politics covered in this medium.
sci_fi's review against another edition
me: is hundred, you know... like tyler the creator
bkv: ?
me: gay and homophobic
bkv: ?
me: gay and homophobic
aitanae's review against another edition
4.0
It's good to read finally a graphic novel in which I'm not utterly lost in the plot. Easy to grasp and greatly enjoyable, I loved this. Political drama mixed with super hero drama.
Admit it, it already sounds amazing
Admit it, it already sounds amazing
gyreandgimble's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
yoyology's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise and good art, but spends 11 issues on setup and resolves very little.