Ex Machina v. 7: Ex Cathedra
Ex Machina, written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Tony Harris, is one of the comic books I stopped buying monthly. Instead, I read the graphic novel story collections. They are free of intrusive, obnoxious ads, and have a self-contained story that I’m better able to appreciate in one sitting then spread out over months.
In “Ex Cathedra“, New York mayor Mitchell Hundred is summoned to an audience with the pope. As usual for this series, the episodes of ongoing story are introduced with flashbacks to Hundred’s past as the crime fighter The Great Machine, or to the lives of the series’ supporting characters. The story with the pope has some interesting wrinkles, and it’s paralleled by a less successful subplot of nasty Russian criminals. At which I wondered, “Russians? Really?” just like the characters in Burn After Reading did.
In spite of the odd villain choice, “Ex Cathedra” is a strong, engaging entry in one of the best series on comic shelves today.