Ex Machina #42 & #43

Ring Out The Old: Parts 2 and 3 continue to push this series toward an all too quickly approaching denouement as pressure begins to build for technopath superhero turned New York City Mayor Mitchell Hundred.

* The corrupt governor who has spent three years avoiding him now wants to be by his side on New Years Eve in Times Square.

* Reporter Suzanne Padilla has joined forces with The Great Machine's ex-sidekick "Kremlin" to force Hundred out of office and is following bodyguard Bradbury to a mysterious "White Box" that has been kept secret from the public in case of some possible future emergency.

* Random people on the streets of New York are being attacked by rats in broad daylight, suggesting the return of The Great Machine's archenemy - the Dr. Dolittle of Darkness - Jack Phereson.

Honestly, I can't really talk much about this comic without rehashing about 40 issues worth of backstory to fully communicate just how awesome the book in general and the current storyline in particular is. Of course, this is a book with Brian K. Vaughn writing and Tony Harris artwork - if you don't know how awesome that is by itself, there's not much I think I can do to convince you of that fact.

Check out the free preview of Issue #43 here. It depicts a nightmare scene in which Mitchell is confronted by a zombie Phereson. If that doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what else might.

Regardless, this is one of the best books to grace the shelves in a good long while. If you like what you see, go pick up the first trade, Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days and start catching up. I think you'll be glad you did.