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Frank L. Sisko
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:24 pm |
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Emissary to the Prophets
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Joined: | 25 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 28198 |
Location: | On the DEFIANT |
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Monk and Steve Horton more or less shoved the first trade (THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS) of this series into my hands at Wizard World six days ago. It cost me $6.50.
Best frickin six-fitty I've spent in a very long time. On my run to the LCS on Wednesday I bought the second trade (TAG) and burned through that in one sitting, just as I had the first. TAG was the only other trade the store had in stock, but I asked the guys working there to get the other two (or three; they weren't sure) trades into my pull box by next week -- courtesy of the store's numerous sister locations -- and I snapped up the most recent back issues of the series, which likely have not yet been collected. I'll read those after I've read all existing trades.
I love love LOVE this series. The premise is fascinating. I hate to sound like one of those scumbag movie executives from THE PLAYER, but this series takes the political "What if?" fun of THE WEST WING and mixes it with the "flashback/flash-forward/flash-wherever-the-hell-we-want-to, because we'll be giving you backstory in drips and drabs to keep you guessing and drooling for more" structure of LOST, and gives the reader just enough super-hero action to remind us that we're still playing around with that genre.
I only knew Brian K. Vaughn from his ULTIMATE X-MEN run, and those issues didn't exactly blow me away, so EX MACHINA comes as an extremely pleasant surprise. As a STARMAN fanatic, I was of course already quite the fan of Tony Harris' gorgeous art...although I was a tad disappointed to learn -- thanks to "extras" in the first trade -- that Harris now works off of photos of models, much like Alex Ross. Maybe I'm being a snob, but that kind of makes me less impressed with an artist. In that arrangement, it's the photographer who's handling panel design and "camera angle" (assuming that said photographer is not also the penciller), and one could accuse an artist who works from photos of being a "tracer," much like the oft-maligned Banky Edwards from CHASING AMY.
The photo stuff aside, I am very much looking forward to picking up the remaining trades next Wednesday...and, once I catch up, I now have a kick-ass new (to me, anyway) monthly title to anticipate every month.
Many thanks to the Monk and the Hort. Good call, boys!
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Monk
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:29 pm |
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Joined: | 19 Jun 2006 |
Posts: | 35552 |
Location: | Between the thumb and the wrist. |
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Glad you liked it, Frank. I only read it in trades, so you'll soon be caught up to me. As for Harris, I don't know how much he used photo-ref in STARMAN, but I know that he's a dead ringer for Jack Knight, so he probably used some. That said, it took me awhile to warm up to his art in EX MACHINA.
ULTIMATE X-MEN is my least favorite Vaughn comic. I'd put Y: THE LAST MAN even with EX MACHINA, and RUNAWAYS very close behind those two.
And since you're reading NEW AVENGERS, you might want to check out THE HOOD. It's a MAX miniseries that Vaughn did with Kyle Hotz that introduced the character.
_________________ Daily art blog Very Short Drawings
Pay a visit to The Writers' Block, where writers, uh...write stuff!
Read my comic strip A Boy Called Monk
Read my comic book Town of Shadows
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Li'l Jay
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:30 pm |
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It scorched
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Joined: | 28 May 2006 |
Posts: | 68693 |
Bannings: | One too few . . . |
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I may have to check it out. How close is it to being as good as Booster Gold?
_________________ Rom's kiss turned Rogue a hero.
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Monk
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:31 pm |
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Joined: | 19 Jun 2006 |
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Location: | Between the thumb and the wrist. |
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Frank L. Sisko
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:32 pm |
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Emissary to the Prophets
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Joined: | 25 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 28198 |
Location: | On the DEFIANT |
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Since I think Booster Gold is a douche bag of a character, I'd have to say that EX MACHINA is better than the new BOOSTER GOLD series, even though I haven't read any of the latter.
=)
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Monk
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:38 pm |
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Joined: | 19 Jun 2006 |
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Location: | Between the thumb and the wrist. |
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Hank
IMWAN Mod |
Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:38 pm |
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Good Stuff, Maynard!
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Joined: | 01 Dec 2004 |
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Location: | N47°52.274' / W121°57.700' |
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Monk wrote: And since you're reading NEW AVENGERS, you might want to check out THE HOOD. It's a MAX miniseries that Vaughn did with Kyle Hotz that introduced the character. I forgot all about that mini! It was really, really good.
_________________ I'm the WAN, natural WAN, make it easy...
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Frank L. Sisko
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:51 pm |
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Emissary to the Prophets
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Joined: | 25 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 28198 |
Location: | On the DEFIANT |
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Since I'm not impressed, of late, with either NEW AVENGERS or this Hood character, I'll probably wait on that mini.
Is this Leinil Yu guy leaving the book anytime soon, or do I need to write a letter to someone? Butt-ass ugly art.
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MILFbait
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:17 pm |
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The Kilted Wonder.
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Joined: | 02 Dec 2004 |
Posts: | 30668 |
Location: | Out of his mind... |
Bannings: | I wouldn't count on it... |
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Frank L. Sisko wrote: Since I'm not impressed, of late, with either NEW AVENGERS or this Hood character, I'll probably wait on that mini.
Is this Leinil Yu guy leaving the book anytime soon, or do I need to write a letter to someone? Butt-ass ugly art.
I don't know what happened to his art, back when he was on the first Wolverine series and then X-men it was good, it may be the lack of inks(it looks like they're shooting from the pencils from what I've seen).
_________________ "Don't look back, you're not going that way."
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John Webb
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:30 pm |
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Joined: | 30 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 1715 |
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Frank L. Sisko wrote: Since I'm not impressed, of late, with either NEW AVENGERS or this Hood character, I'll probably wait on that mini.
Is this Leinil Yu guy leaving the book anytime soon, or do I need to write a letter to someone? Butt-ass ugly art.
Agreed. His art has destroyed what was a borderline book for me anyway. I shall be a Mighty Avengers man only for the time being methinks.
As for BKV I love all his stuff apart from Ultimate X-Men that book is just not working for me at the moment.
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Bill Johnson
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:48 pm |
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Joined: | 14 Aug 2004 |
Posts: | 1776 |
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EX MACHINA is a great book! Always good to hear more people are picking it up. Kudos to Monk and Steve for getting Sisko into the book. Everyone else not reading please follow Frank 
_________________ CLAM
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Frank L. Sisko
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:45 am |
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Emissary to the Prophets
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Joined: | 25 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 28198 |
Location: | On the DEFIANT |
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Seriously. EX MACHINA is nothing short of brilliant. It's totally worth your money.
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Bill Johnson
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:19 am |
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Joined: | 14 Aug 2004 |
Posts: | 1776 |
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Absolutely! 
_________________ CLAM
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Steve
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:37 am |
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What do you call a camel with three humps?
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Joined: | 21 Oct 2004 |
Posts: | 58174 |
Location: | Indiana |
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Glad you like it! Don't kill me, but I never read past the first trade - not that I didn't want to, just never got around to it. I knew it was good enough to recommend, though, and I'll be picking up the rest now to refresh my memory.
You mention you haven't read other BKV, which means you haven't read Y: The Last Man yet. I've read over 50 issues of that one, so it gets an even more educated recommendation. If you're not a Y addict by the last page of the first book, then I never knew you.
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Paulie Walnuts
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 3:05 am |
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Behold
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Joined: | 31 Jul 2007 |
Posts: | 9531 |
Location: | Arizona |
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Ex Machina is great and I was EXTREMELY happy to see that Brian K. Vaughn is now a writer on "Lost." One of my favorite comics writers now on one of my favorite shows. TV shouldn't be that good.
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Li'l Jay
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:51 am |
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It scorched
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Joined: | 28 May 2006 |
Posts: | 68693 |
Bannings: | One too few . . . |
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Steve wrote: Glad you like it! Don't kill me, but I never read past the first trade - not that I didn't want to, just never got around to it. I knew it was good enough to recommend, though, and I'll be picking up the rest now to refresh my memory. You've never read it, but you will be reading it to "refresh your memory?" Are you from the future? Does Ex Machina become the basis of our society in the future?
_________________ Rom's kiss turned Rogue a hero.
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Li'l Jay
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:55 am |
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It scorched
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Joined: | 28 May 2006 |
Posts: | 68693 |
Bannings: | One too few . . . |
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Can someone comment on the raciness, i.e. the "adult factor?" I usually read my comics with three wee ones bouncing all over me, asking "what's that?"
(p.s. Steve -- Strongarm did not survive this test)
I try to flip trough a book and see if it will be okay. For example, Criminal is adult work, but it's generally dark and obscure, and they don't even ask about it. (Thought the most recent issue had boobies that my daughter kind of saw, got to be more careful -- for that reason, Criminal is on probation in my book).
What do you think?
_________________ Rom's kiss turned Rogue a hero.
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Pope Krysak
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:07 am |
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Pontifex of the Ridiculous
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Joined: | 11 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 27856 |
Location: | In the IMWANican |
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I tried the first few issues last year but it wasn't grabbing me. Maybe I'll try it again.
_________________ I put the "mental" in "sacramental."
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Monk
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:04 am |
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Joined: | 19 Jun 2006 |
Posts: | 35552 |
Location: | Between the thumb and the wrist. |
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Li'l Jay wrote: Can someone comment on the raciness, i.e. the "adult factor?" I usually read my comics with three wee ones bouncing all over me, asking "what's that?"
(p.s. Steve -- Strongarm did not survive this test)
I try to flip trough a book and see if it will be okay. For example, Criminal is adult work, but it's generally dark and obscure, and they don't even ask about it. (Thought the most recent issue had boobies that my daughter kind of saw, got to be more careful -- for that reason, Criminal is on probation in my book).
What do you think? EX MACHINA is definitely adult. I don't remember any boobies, but one storyline involves use of the N-Word, and some of the violence is a bit graphic at times.
_________________ Daily art blog Very Short Drawings
Pay a visit to The Writers' Block, where writers, uh...write stuff!
Read my comic strip A Boy Called Monk
Read my comic book Town of Shadows
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Rafael
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:09 am |
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Traveler
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Joined: | 03 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 33377 |
Location: | 2015 |
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Li'l Jay wrote: I may have to check it out. How close is it to being as good as Booster Gold? Dude, that's like saying "how close is this actor to being as good as Samuel L. Jackson" Some thing are just beyond normal human comprehension. One in a million events. Like Sam Jackson. And Booster Gold. Still, Ex-Machina is an excellent read. Definitely adult, though. But pretty good.
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Frank L. Sisko
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:36 am |
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Emissary to the Prophets
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Joined: | 25 Dec 2006 |
Posts: | 28198 |
Location: | On the DEFIANT |
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Monk wrote: EX MACHINA is definitely adult. I don't remember any boobies, but one storyline involves use of the N-Word, and some of the violence is a bit graphic at times. The "F word" is also quite prevalent in almost every issue.
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Rawburn
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Post subject: My New Best Friend: EX MACHINA Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:29 pm |
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Joined: | 24 Sep 2004 |
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Bannings: | Too ignored to be banned. |
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Frank L. Sisko wrote: I only knew Brian K. Vaughn from his ULTIMATE X-MEN run,
GAH!!!!!
BKV is goodness. 
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