Atomic Comic Collection Connection

Ex Machina Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days
by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris.

Arnold Schwarzenegger runs California, Jesse Ventura ran Minnesota, why can't a former superhero run New York City? That's the idea here.

Mitchell Hundred gains the power to speak to machines, hear their thoughts, and, most importantly, tell them what to do. Some of his friends convince him to be a superhero, so he runs around fighting crime for a while, but then decides he could do more good in politics, hangs up the helmet and jetpack, and launches a long-shot campaign for Mayor of New York City. A catastrophe leads him to don the superhero getup one last time, and his headline-grabbing heroics propel him to victory in the election.

But that's just where the story starts. Hundred is an independent, narrowly elected, the press is skeptical, the city council doesn't much care for him, and running New York City causes a whole host of problems. And there are constant questions about his powers and his history as a vigilante.

The book mixes West Wing-style politics, random tidbits of New York history, and flashbacks to superhero action. The dialogue is fun, the political discussion is interesting, Harris' art is top notch, and the plot is often surprising.

And having previously mentioned Y: the Last Man, also a Brian K. Vaughan book, I obviously like this guy's work a lot. And he keeps a blog, which is worth a look, if you're also a fan.