Brian K. Vaughan
Ex Machina Vol.1: The First Hundred Days (2004)
Author: Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris (illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel (Super Hero/Political)
Plot Summary:
In this, the first installment of the Ex Machina series, Mitchell Hundred idolizes his comic book super heroes as a child. As an adult, he comes across an object while working as a civil engineer and is injured and immediately notices he is changed. He finds that machines and electronics can talk to him. Along with some helpful adversaries, Hundred uses his powers to fight crime and injustice in the city and becomes The Great Machine. His mother's activism has influenced him to make a difference and Hundred soon comes to the realization that being a super hero alone isn't really affecting change in the world. The story begins as Hundred is being inaugurated. As the new mayor of New York City, he is already having to deal with the political ramifications of the murders of two city workers and a controversial art installation funded by the government.
Geographical Setting: New York City
Time Period: Late 20th century to early 21st century
Series: 1st volume of 3
Appeal Characteristics:
The development of Hundred as a child and the influences he experiences are interesting to observe as he becomes an adult who is very ambitious. Enough of these aspects of the story are alluded to but much is left out leaving the reader curious enough to return to the story in upcoming books. The artwork is realistic and engaging as the story deals with the aftermath of September 11th. The story of that day is augmented as The Great Machine prevents some of the catastrophe that in reality did occur. This aspect of the story may appeal to readers who enjoy examination and representation of current events and politics. There is also a supernatural element to the story as to what exactly about the object that Hundred finds causes him to take on his powers. Ex Machina is the winner of the 2005 Eisner Award for best new series.
Read-alikes: Those who wish to read more of Vaughan's stories may like his series Y: The Last Man Series which deals with a man who realizes he is the only man left in the world run by women. The Super Hero genre is also turned on its head by Frank Miller in his retelling of the Batman story-Batman: Year One. Those who enjoy the mutant related aspects of Ex Machina the story might like the Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday. The bigotry toward mutants in these stories mirrors the issue of Hundred being treated differently because of the speculation of his powers; some question if Hundred is an "alien." Alan Moore's V for Vendetta might be enjoyable to those enjoy the political element of Ex Machina. The story takes place after a war in England in the mid-nineties and the protagonist, V, is a sort of anti-hero in this dystopic tale. Art Speigelman's non fiction book, In the Shadow of No Towers addresses the
9/11 tragedy from the cartoonist and his family's personal experience.
Red Flags: graphic violence, partial nudity
Pride of Baghdad (2006)
Author: Brian K. Vaughn; Niko Henrichon (illustrator)
Genre: Graphic Novel (Historical Fantasy)
Plot Summary:
In a compelling modern fable, we follow the fates of four lions escaped from the Baghdad zoo during the American invasion. The four lions, anthropomorphized as in any fable, struggle to find their way in a vividly portrayed war-ravaged city. The lions, who had always dreamed of finding their freedom, are terrorized by bombs and tanks as they flee the zoo. They meet an old turtle in the river, a survivor of many years, who tells of the suffering of war. Later, in a hunt for food in the form of a herd of escaped white show horses, the lions stumble into what appears to be an abandoned palace of Saddam Hussein and confront evil in the form of a monstrous black bear. SPOILER: The escaped lions are ultimately killed by American troops, with the intriguing final line of dialogue reading, "They're free."
Geographical Setting: Baghdad, Iraq
Time Period: 2003, during the American invasion
Appeal Characteristics:
Told from the unusual perspective of animals, the four central characters are both intelligent and naïve as they struggle to understand the events that led to their freedom. Other animals are used to present different viewpoints and philosophies as well. There is the cynical sea turtle that remembers World War 1, the giraffe whose optimistic joy is short-lived, and a fifth, “pet” lion that lies starving to death in an abandoned palace. Since the story is told from the perspective of animals, Pride of Baghdad becomes a fresh take on what could be called a minor incident of war. The pace is fast, rarely slowing and then only briefly, as the lions are caught up in a series of events that happen quickly and abruptly. The ultimately tragic story works on multiple levels, both as a straightforward quest for survival and a commentary on what freedom means. Although the story and tone are tragic, there are touches of humor as well. Set against a variety of backdrops in Iraq, the lions travel from the zoo to the wilderness and into the heart of Baghdad itself. The inclusion of Baghdad icons like the Hands of Victory gives the story an authentic feel. The muted color palette hints at the dry dustiness of the region while the realistic quality of the artwork illustrates the story well. The story is told entirely with dialogue written in a natural, flowing style that also allows for allusions to larger issues.
Read-alikes: Readers that enjoyed Pride of Baghdad’s unique perspective will enjoy Willingham’s new take on classic stories. Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon’s The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation is the 9/11 Commission Report transformed into an artistic representation of the events of and relating to September 11th. This graphic novel obviously draws from recent actual events, even more so than Pride of Baghdad but also features realistic artwork and a political theme. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 is the first volume in a series about the last male living after a mysterious plague eradicates the entire male population. Also written by Brian K. Vaughan (with art by Pia Guerra), Y: the Last Man’s fast-paced story and creative premise with humorous moments should appeal to fans of Pride of Baghdad. Karl Zinmeister and Dan Jurgens’s Combat Zone: True Tales of GIs in Iraq follows the 82nd Airborne in Iraq through several missions and details their emotions in an observatory fashion. This collection should appeal to readers that enjoyed the authentic details and emotional quality of Pride of Baghdad. Lawrence Anthony describes his struggle to get into Iraq after the start of the war and save the abandoned animals there in the book Babylon’s Ark: the Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo. Readers interested in the story of Pride of Baghdad but wanting a factual account with more details should definitely investigate this book. The lively and quick-paced writing style, the wealth of details about Baghdad and the sympathetic tone should also interest readers of Pride of Baghdad. Another of Brian Vaughn's graphic novels, The Last Man series, tells the story of the only apparent survivor of a male-killing plague in similar action packed, brisk style. Art Spiegelman's, graphic novel classic Maus, another tale of human-like animals, in this case Jewish mice and Nazi cats, may appeal to readers interested in the serious themes of The Pride of Baghdad. Fans of Niko Henrichon's illustrations might enjoy his work in Barnum!: In Secret Service to the USA (2003) by David Tischman and Howard Chaykin. This action adventure has P.T. Barnum and his various circus performers working as agents to thwart an evil plot to destroy the United States in the late 19th century. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, written by Bill Willingham, is an Arabian Nights twist featuring Snow White telling tales about familiar fairy tale characters to the sultan. Fans of Niko Henrichson’s realistic artwork will enjoy this book for its classic, painted illustrations courtesy of a variety of artists. Lastly, Bill Willingham's Fables: Wolves, another part of his Fables series, is a fascinating fantasy chronicling the adventures of characters from fairy tales. Though the story is for mature readers, the artwork is captivating.
Red Flags: Violence, rape
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