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nnebeluk's review
3.0
Series loses a little steam here as it goes from the tight political thriller it was to a much more superheroish back story.
bowienerd_82's review
3.0
The storyline was fascinating, but I can't say I was a fan of Journal getting fridged.
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 series continues to fascinate me. The "real-world superhero" has been done so many times, but this one calmly and articulately involves 9/11, and the topics that are discussed, dissected, and debated in the political realm are on-point. It's so subtle, even though it's the main text, and I agree with it all. It points out the fallacies in America's thinking process, and it really hits the nail on the head in just the main character's monologues. I love it. Also, the whole nemesis thing reads well. I was kind of skeptical about that, but it's legit.
just_fighting_censorship's review
4.0
This volume takes on the politics of terrorism, going to war with Iraq, privacy vs protection, and the death penalty.
The highlight of the plot was meeting Hundred's archenemy, a man with powers that aren't opposite but rather the other side of the same coin.
This comic excels when it looks at the common superhero tropes and examines the ethics and politics surrounding them. Most superheroes are strictly non-lethal, what does that say about our ethics and is it realistic? Think of all the people that would have been saved if Batman just killed the Joker once and for all...
The highlight of the plot was meeting Hundred's archenemy, a man with powers that aren't opposite but rather the other side of the same coin.
This comic excels when it looks at the common superhero tropes and examines the ethics and politics surrounding them. Most superheroes are strictly non-lethal, what does that say about our ethics and is it realistic? Think of all the people that would have been saved if Batman just killed the Joker once and for all...
stevenk's review
3.0
In this volume we learn more about Hundred's parents, and his childhood friends and a little of his superhero past. Also the Mayor gets called for jury duty.
adrianwelsh's review
3.0
The politics in this volume is certainly interesting. Though, I did not enjoy it as much as the other ones. It seems like they briefly and unexpectantly explored the idea of a true archnemesis (needed or not) but then squished it right away. Whether or not it could be interesting (or unnecessary) remains to be seen…
francomega's review
4.0
Best volume so far, collecting 2 story arcs. First, a ricin attack on NYC during an anti-war protest. This really brings home what Vaughan is trying to accomplish with this series. How does a mayor with super abilities respond when he's up against a non-super crisis? What happens when he has to react rather than act in the face of an emergency?
The second arc (after a major character dies in the first one) tells the story of Mayor Hundred's arch nemesis during his days as the high-flying Great Machine.
The second arc (after a major character dies in the first one) tells the story of Mayor Hundred's arch nemesis during his days as the high-flying Great Machine.
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