“Wow.”
My exact words upon feasting my eyes on the final Ex Machina title page I’ll ever see. Strangely enough, the last time I felt like this after reading a comic -- requiring to take a moment of reflection -- was when Ex Machina writer Brian K. Vaughan’s other popular series, Y: The Last Man, came to an end.
As a standalone comic, Ex Machina #50 is unreadable. Obviously, if you haven’t read the entire 49 issues (plus one-shot specials) before it, the happenings in these pages will mean absolutely nothing to you. But let’s be honest, you’re probably not reading this review to judge if you want to jump into this series at this issue. Even if I sold you, too bad, it’s over, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you start Ex Machina any place but issue #1.
For those that have followed Mitchell’s exploits for the last six years, I won’t bullshit you. This is going to be an extremely painful issue for you to read. There will be no spoilers here, but just know that Ex Machina #50 is an intense, mind expanding, and heartbreaking conclusion to this series, and not in the ways you might be thinking. Vaughan has told us all along, through his characters especially, that Ex Machina is not a superhero comic, and here you’ll see why. There are so many layers that become clear with issue #50, and they’ve all been chipped away at since the beginning of the series. All of the self-referential humor, the sexual undertones, and the flaws -- that sometimes double as admirable qualities -- of Mitchell swell up into one big definitive finale.
The issue brings the series full circle as it opens on the exact same scene as the opening of issue #1. Mitchell continues his monologue, as we discover he’s either ambiguously addressing his busted old jet pack or talking to the reader directly. Almost immediately, it becomes clear that everything Vaughan wrote in the very first pages of the series set the pace for how the entire story would play out. This means that as soon as you crack open issue #50, your mind goes numb at the pure masterstroke that Vaughan has played.
All of the characters’ fates are realized, and all the storylines are wrapped up here. On a basic level, the issue is a series of vignettes showcasing a character and where they wound up after Hundred’s mayorship. With the gravitas that Vaughan has added to each of these relationships, these scenes become some of the most memorable in the series. Vaughan even goes so far to deliver a very trippy science-fiction heavy dream that in a strange way, gives the finale a small glimmer of hope (plus a Beatles reference).
Tony Harris’ work is as brilliant as its ever been on this series, delivering every panel with the punch that a final issue like this deserves. As he has done since issue #1, Harris tackles all of this issues moments with equal skill, be it the heart string pulling emotional dialog scenes or the psychedelic hallucinatory sequence with fire breathing monsters and Hundred’s head on a robotic spider.
Ex Machina #50 is going to have fans talking. It’s going to stir debate and cause controversy. But then, that’s what the series has done for its entire run, so why stop now? Ex Machina defies the expectation of a cookie cutter ending that wraps everything into the neat little bow we want. In the end, Vaughan and Harris have completed an epic masterpiece that tells two stories; the tale that is the bulk of the series -- Hundred dealing with hot topics in his role as the Mayor of NYC, the people around him, and learning about his powers -- and the epic character arc of how one man tried to do good for his country, but fell right into the very trap he was trying to disassemble.
Tonight, I’m drinking to you, Ex Machina.
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