Brian K. Vaughan is known for stellar first issues. The first issues of Y: The Last Man, Runaways, and Logan all have high-concept hooks. Each one presented a world that readers could relate to and featured a major subversion to that world before the issue’s final page. But none of them ended their first issue with an image that literally caused some readers to catch their breath. Ex Machina #1 did that.
Tony Harris and Brian K. Vaughan presented readers with Mitchell Hundred, the world’s only superhero. Dubbed ‘The Great Machine,’ Hundred lived in New York City. The first issue jumped between his early career and his life after being elected New York City’s major. When readers turned the final page of that first issue, they saw what event propelled Hundred into his mayoral role: He’d stopped the second plane on 9/11, saving the World Trade Center’s South Tower. Seeing this final image, which only revealed itself with one last turn of the page, was extraordinary. It was comic booking at its very best.
From Ex Machina #1 (2004)
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Yeah. That was a powerful moment.
It indeed was. I read the 1st trade & stopped as I just wasn’t ready for that kind of series. I read Fables, Preacher, Scalped & Y The Last Man instead.
Matthew
I still get chills just looking at the page. BKV is just amazing.
I felt this page in my gut when I read it first. No other comic, or book, or TV show has made me cry as much as that page did. it is absolutely exceptional.
BKV is in a class above the best comic writers
Just a half step below Alan Moore.
Matthew
I read this right after Y the Last Man, and while I think I like Y more as a whole, this issue 1 “cliffhanger” definitely left a bigger impact/made me want to keep reading more so than any other comic I’ve read. Very powerful image.
What’s interesting about that final page is that, after you see it for the first time, it changed how you see the cover as well. On the cover there is a single long American Flag. After getting the context of the last page you realize the flag represents the surviving WTC tower.
That’s pretty cleaver design wise IMO.
A former student, and current friend, recently starting showing some interest in comics. I gave her the first Ex Machina hardcover. That page (and watching the recent BKV in an eye-patch interview on iFanboy) has her very interested in reading more. I gave her Umbrella Academy and the first two trades of The Walking Dead. She’s also read Mystery Society, Return of the Dapper Men, and Asterios Polyp very recently (and very quickly). I think we may have a new convert on our hands.
What the fuck happened to Ex Machina? It started so awesome and ended, well, like it did. So disappointing
This may be my all-time favorite first issue.
One of the best final-page-of-a-first-issue ever, and it’s still powerful.
Also, I think this is a great idea for an “article.” looking forward to more of these.