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Ex Machina or Y: The Last Man

post #1 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 
I am looking for a new title to start on and decided it was going to be either Ex Machina or Y: The Last Man.

Which would you reccommend? I'm gonna do both, I just want to know which you think I should read first and why?
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post #2 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:27pm
Could not get into Y, but Ex-machina is fantastic. Always look forward to the next trade on this series.
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post #3 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:30pm
Hmmm...that's a tough question. If you're more into superhero stuff, then I would definitely recommend Ex Machina (though it's not your typical superhero book). However, I personally think that Y is the better of the two (by a very slim margin), so I would probably recommend you go with that. To me, it feels a lot of the movie Children of Men in tone, but a bit more sprawling and with a touch more of the fantastic, just to give you an idea of what to expect.
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post #4 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:34pm
I love Y, I like Ex. Y is hilarious and is just a great adventure title. I've always liked end of the world secenarios. The humor, suspense and mystery make it a great read.

Ex I only have the first trade and just can't seem to get enthused to pick up more.
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post #5 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:36pm
I haven't read "Y" (yet) but can strongly recommend "Ex Machina." The political storyline is often better than the heroics, and it does a great job of slowly teasing out its underlying arcs.
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post #6 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:37pm
Y: Tha Last Man, no contest.

Ex Machina is great, but I've read 5 trades so far, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Y not only presents an unthinkable situation, but also deals with it in such a smart way. Also, the next Y trade is the final one (I believe), so once it comes out the series will be complete.
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post #7 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:38pm
See, I love Vaughn's take on the world of politics in Ex-Machina. The premise of Y always felt very limited, maybe I should have read more.
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post #8 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:54pm
I have a big, floppy hardon for the Y series, so I'm going to say that one. Mind you, I've never read Ex Machina. :/
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post #9 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by harrybeanbag View Post
I have a big, floppy hardon
Wouldn't that be like.. a softon?
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post #10 of 30
1/24/08 at 7:57pm
Y made me like comics again. Ex is also very good, but Y is like an addiction.
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post #11 of 30
1/24/08 at 8:01pm
Y, and it's not close. Ex machina is great through 3...maybe 4...volumes. The last two volumes have left me cold. It seems like the story has taken a severe turn away from what made it (and Mitchell Hundred) great in the first place.

By contrast, Y has never let me down. And I cannot wait for Vol. 10.
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post #12 of 30
1/24/08 at 8:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quarant View Post
Y: Tha Last Man, no contest.

Ex Machina is great, but I've read 5 trades so far, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Y not only presents an unthinkable situation, but also deals with it in such a smart way. Also, the next Y trade is the final one (I believe), so once it comes out the series will be complete.
I like Ex Machina. I like it a lot. But I don't ever think about it unless the trade is actually in my hands.

For me, Y is like the Buffy of comics - I'll never love another series more, because this one hit me with exactly the right combination of characters, themes, and jokes that stay in my brain long after.
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post #13 of 30
1/24/08 at 8:23pm
Both great. I'd say start with Y if only because the series ends on Jan. 30th and that means it will soon be entirely available through trade paperbacks.
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post #14 of 30
1/24/08 at 8:24pm
I like them both, but Ex Machina a small bit more. It doesn't have the overall far-reaching storyline that Y has (though I hear that Y has slipped a bit in the past year) but I like how political problems are balanced with the life of a former super hero in the series.

And the issue dedicated to Bradbury in the Smoke Smoke trade was just marvelous.
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post #15 of 30
1/24/08 at 8:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Kimbell View Post
For me, Y is like the Buffy of comics - I'll never love another series more, because this one hit me with exactly the right combination of characters, themes, and jokes that stay in my brain long after.
Exactly the same. I think part of why I love this comic so much is that I feel like I identify way too much with Yorick. Sounds sort of stupid, yeah, but he's easily one of the most likable characters I've ever read.
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post #16 of 30
1/24/08 at 9:17pm
Either, but Goldberg's advice is sound.
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post #17 of 30
1/24/08 at 9:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Subotai View Post
Either, but Goldberg's advice is sound.
yeah. If Y is coming to an end, I will start with it. I'ts good to hear that both are good enough to have the love for them split evenly.
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post #18 of 30
1/24/08 at 9:32pm
I've read both. I love both. But if I had to choose, I guess I enjoy reading about Y more. Plus it has lots of lesbians!
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post #19 of 30
1/24/08 at 9:39pm
They're both fantastic. If I had to chose one over the other, I'd probably give Y a slightly higher recommendation. I started reading both series at the same time and was more impressed by Ex Machina initially, but Y really grew on me after a few issues. Great stuff all around, though.
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post #20 of 30
1/25/08 at 4:14pm
Ex-Machina got really frustrating to read on a monthly basis, so I dropped it after about 20, 25 issues. May play better in trades, but I don't think the story's interesting enough to compel me to find out.

So, Y.
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post #21 of 30
1/25/08 at 4:31pm
I'm not entirely caught up with Y, but it seems like it is losing steam recently.
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post #22 of 30
1/25/08 at 4:38pm
Brian K. Vaughan has his fingers in a lot of projects. Y, Ex Machina, Buffy season 8, Lost, plus all the one shots like Pride of Baghdad.

He gave up Runaways to Joss Whedon, but I hope he's not spreading himself too thin.
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post #23 of 30
1/25/08 at 7:57pm
I have to go with Ex Machina. Could not get into Y.
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post #24 of 30
1/26/08 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tieman View Post
plus all the one shots like Pride of Baghdad.
I was looking at that at the book store the other day. Is it worth picking up?
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post #25 of 30
1/26/08 at 7:04pm
Definitely. It's great.
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post #26 of 30
1/27/08 at 2:31am
I'm a HUGE fan of Ex Machina, I defend it to the death (ask The LD), and pretty much have only NOT enthusiastically enjoyed one of the vol.'s....and even saying that, Y is a better book by leaps and bounds in my opinion.

Also, I LOVE Pride of Baghdad, from both a story and art standpoint. It is definitely worth having.
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post #27 of 30
1/27/08 at 10:29pm
I've read a few issues here and there of ex and they've been solid, but I always seem to overlook it. I've followed Y from the beginning and it has always been great. The reveal of the plague was disappointing, but not in a peter parker was really the clone stop buying comics sort of way. As Vaughn has stated, it's not about what caused the plague, but how people have responded to it. The last issue goes on sale this week. Maybe now I'll start reading ex machina.
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post #28 of 30
1/28/08 at 1:00am
Ex Machina is going into very very interesting territory right now, and I'm dying to see how it all plays out. There are really small, subtle story moments that change the dynamic of who and what the central character is by leaps and bounds, and are very exciting for those into the series. By my rough recollection of what Vaughn's said, there are 20 some odd issues remaining, and the tension's building.

Y is done and over in a couple days. If you have the money, you can consume the entire series in a days worth of good reading, and while thats a disservice to how Vaughn likes to tell his stories, its still a book to fall in love with.

Read both, go for Y first.
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post #29 of 30
1/29/08 at 5:19am
I find Ex Machine quite intriguing, but ultimately Y is the better book.

I'll spoiler tag the rest even though I won't mention the details:

[Spoiler]
One thing to mention is that at a certain point Y addresses the big question...

"What the f*ck happened!?!?"

I'm happy with the answers given [as of TPB #9] but I know many others aren't. I get the feeling for many it ruined the whole series.
[End spoiler]
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post #30 of 30
1/30/08 at 2:29am
I just read the final issue of Y: The Last Man and it ended perfectly. It sort of got me a bit misty-eyed because it was saying goodbye to characters that I've spent the last five years following and being invested in. It's bittersweet and I wish it wasn't the end, but from issue #1 to #60 there wasn't a single moment that I wasn't entertained or involved. There will probably be people that won't enjoy this last issue, but I loved it.

Thanks to BKV and everyone involved with this series and congratulations on your epic achievement.
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