Ex Machina series discussion (spoilers)

So... issue # 25. This kinda shot my attempts at compiling an exact timeline all to hell, because it's the first issue not to have the dates stated.

So far I've made educated guesses and found reasonable places for everything but the first two flashbacks (Bradbury as a kid and the strip joint), so anyone have any idea around what time it might be that these two are happening? Anyone remember if there's ever been any reference to how old Bradbury is or the age difference between him and Hundred?

I've been doing the same (compiling a timeline for Ex Machina), but this doesn't bode well...it could be picked up in the next issue with a date, thereby cementing its date firmly. Did any dates appear in the issue at all?
 
Here's my version of the timeline. Basically the same as Vint's, except a bit more info on issue #25 (most of the dates are assumed, pretty safely however, by only including the year, not month or day). Also a tentative placement for this month's issue #26, which takes place on 8/14/2003 during the NY City blackout. Anyway, enjoy (and let me know if you see any mistakes).




December 15, 1969
Ex Machina #16, "Off the Grid, Chapter 2" (pg. 1-5)

November 2, 1976
Ex Machina #1, "The Pilot" (pg. 3-4)

July 26, 1977
Ex Machina #13, "Fact v. Fiction, Chapter 2" (pg. 1-3)

1978
Ex Machina #25, "Standalone" (pg. 4-5)

July 2, 1986
Ex Machina #14, "Fact v. Fiction, Conclusion" (pg. 22-24)

1988
Ex Machina #25, "Standalone" (pg. 6-7)

1991
Ex Machina #25, "Standalone" (pg. 8-10)

October 18, 1999
Ex Machina #1, "The Pilot" (pg. 10-13)

February 4, 2000
Ex Machina #1, "The Pilot" (pg. 16-17)

May 1, 2000
Ex Machina #12, "Fact v. Fiction, Chapter 1" (pg. 1-6)

April 10, 2000
Ex Machina #1, "The Pilot" (pg. 18-21)

July 25, 2000
Ex Machina #15, "Off the Grid, Chapter 1" (pg. 1-4)

October 13, 2000
Ex Machina #4, "State of Emergency, Chapter 3" (pg. 1-7)

March 4, 2001
Ex Machina Special #1, "Life and Death, Part 1" (pg. 4-9)

March 11, 2001
Ex Machina Special #1, "Life and Death, Part 1" (pg. 10-21)

April 2, 2001
Ex Machina #21, "Smoke Smoke, Chapter 1" (pg. 1-8 )
Ex Machina #22, "Smoke Smoke, Chapter 2" (pg. 1-6)
Ex Machina #23, "Smoke Smoke, Chapter 3" (pg. 1-6)
Ex Machina #24, "Smoke Smoke, Conclusion" (pg. 1-4)

May 8, 2001
Ex Machina Special #2, "Life and Death, Part 2" (pg. 1-10)
Ex Machina #5, "State of Emergency, Conclusion" (pg. 20-22)
Ex Machina Special #2, "Life and Death, Part 2" (pg. 11-17)
Ex Machina #25, "Standalone" (pg. 13-16)

June 15, 2001
Ex Machina #2, "State of Emergency, Chapter 1" (pg. 1-6)

June 28, 2001
Ex Machina #25, "Standalone" (pg. 17-19)

June 30, 2001
Ex Machina #1, "The Pilot" (pg. 26-28 )

July 24, 2001
Ex Machina #6, "Tag, Chapter 1" (pg. 1-8 )

August 11, 2001
Ex Machina #7, "Tag, Chapter 2" (pg. 1-8 )

August 24, 2001
Ex Machina #8, "Tag, Chapter 3" (pg. 1-5)

September 11, 2001
Ex Machina #11, "Fortune Favors" (pg. 1-2)
Ex Machina #9, "Tag, Chapter 4" (pg. 1-4)

January 9, 2002
Ex Machina #1, "The Pilot" (pg. 5-9, 14-15, 22-25, 29-30)

January 21, 2002
Ex Machina #2, "State of Emergency, Chapter 1" (pg. 7-22)

January 22, 2002
Ex Machina #3, "State of Emergency, Chapter 2"

January 23, 2002
Ex Machina #4, "State of Emergency, Chapter 3" (pg. 8-22)
Ex Machina #5, "State of Emergency, Conclusion" (pg. 1-19)

March 23, 2002
Ex Machina #10, "Tag, Conclusion" (pg. 1-5)

March 24, 2002
Ex Machina #6, "Tag, Chapter 1" (pg. 9-14)

March 25, 2002
Ex Machina #6, "Tag, Chapter 1" (pg. 15-22)

March 26, 2002
Ex Machina #7, "Tag, Chapter 2" (pg. 9-22)

March 27, 2002
Ex Machina #8, "Tag, Chapter 3" (pg. 6-22)

March 28, 2002
Ex Machina #9, "Tag, Chapter 4" (pg. 5-22)
Ex Machina #10, "Tag, Conclusion" (pg. 6-15)

March 30, 2002
Ex Machina #10, "Tag, Conclusion" (pg. 16-22)

July 30, 2002
Ex Machina #11, "Fortune Favors" (pg. 3-22)

October 9, 2002
Ex Machina #12, "Fact v. Fiction, Chapter 1" (pg. 7-22)

October 10, 2002
Ex Machina #13, "Fact v. Fiction, Chapter 2" (pg. 4-22)
Ex Machina #14, "Fact v. Fiction, Conclusion" (pg. 1-21)

November 7, 2002
Ex Machina #15, "Off the Grid, Chapter 1" (pg. 5-22)
Ex Machina #16, "Off the Grid, Conclusion" (pg. 6-21)

February 14, 2003
Ex Machina #17, "March to War, Chapter 1" (pg. 1-18 )

February 15, 2003
Ex Machina #17, "March to War, Chapter 1" (pg. 19-21)
Ex Machina #18, "March to War, Chapter 2"

February 17, 2003
Ex Machina #19, "March to War, Chapter 3"

February 18, 2003
Ex Machina #20, "March to War, Conclusion"

March 4, 2003
Ex Machina Special #1, "Life and Death, Part 1" (pg. 1-3)
Ex Machina Special #2, "Life and Death, Part 2" (pg. 18-22)

July 15, 2003
Ex Machina #21, "Smoke Smoke, Chapter 1" (pg. 9-22)
Ex Machina #22, "Smoke Smoke, Chapter 2" (pg. 7-21)
Ex Machina #23, "Smoke Smoke, Chapter 3" (pg. 7-22)
Ex Machina #24, "Smoke Smoke, Conclusion" (pg. 5-22)

July 30, 2003
Ex Machina #25, "Standalone" (pg. 1-3, 20-22)

August 14, 2003
Ex Machina #26, "Power Down, Chapter 1" **

2006
Ex Machina #1, "The Pilot" (pg. 1-2)
 
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#26 was awesome. I love that they're finally going to explain (hopefully) his "origin."
 
#28 has one of the best spreads I've ever seen in comics. Tony Harris rocks. And this new character who I think is from the future connecting to Wikipedia is the ****.
 
Am I the only one who didn't get what the **** just happened in this last arc?

I seriously don't get it.



But the final flashback along with the final 2 page spread was amazing!
 
Am I the only one who didn't get what the **** just happened in this last arc?

I seriously don't get it.



But the final flashback along with the final 2 page spread was amazing!

The arc's not over yet, all is to be revealed.
 
#28, right? It says Part Three.
 
Am I the only one who didn't get what the **** just happened in this last arc?

I seriously don't get it.



But the final flashback along with the final 2 page spread was amazing!
As it seemed to me (I don't have the issues with me at the moment), the guy in the suit seemed to imply that he was from an alternate universe. Which may or may not have to do with Mitchell's powers.
 
I'm pretty sure #30 is supposed to be out yet, but no one's talking about it and I don't think it actually has come out. But #31 comes out soon... what's happened to #30? This arc was awesome and I need the conclusion!

I'm also looking forward to Ex Cathedra. Mitchell Hundred and the Pope? That's going to be interesting.

Did anyone read the Masquerade Special? It was alright. Nothing special.
 
I love the idea that Hundred is the Anti-Christ. It makes so much sense!
 
Can somebody give me a detailed summary (with full spoilers) for the "Ex Cathedra" arc, and the one-shot issue about the Commissioner?

I haven't read anything related to the series after "Power Down" ended, and I need to know how urgently I should catch up.

The series was beginning to feel a little too self-contained, with the arcs being interesting, in and of themselves, but not really contributing to the larger picture (Hundred's overall status as Mayor, OR the larger implications of his power, and their mysterious origins). It felt like there had been a million teases about potential storylines, but nothing that showed any promise of being explored, in a larger context.

So all these intriguing references (for example, the pit in Iraq that granted the courthouse hostage-taker his powers) are never fleshed out and explored in a way that contributes to the furthering of the larger plotline.

I really want to believe that BKV definitely plans to go somewhere with this, but I can't wait forever for him to get there.

So what exactly have I been missing?
 
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This is quite a hard comic to read monthly (well, not really monthly, whenever it decides to come out) so I'm not surprised to see much discussion about it. But #40 looks pretty good. It's about Mitchell Hundred looking for creators to do a graphic novel autobiography about him. BKV and Tony Harris are on the cover. Neat. :)
 

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