Ex Machina #17

Ex Machina #17 opens the "March to War" arc with a striking Tony Harris cover that places the Great Machine front and center — armored, goggled, and arms raised defiantly against a backdrop of swirling flames, peace symbols, stars, and the American flag. The visual tension between those peace symbols and the fiery, militaristic atmosphere hints at the ideological conflict brewing within. Brian K. Vaughan's politically charged series was firing on all cylinders in 2006, and this issue — which also includes an exclusive sneak preview of The American Way — is a great jumping-on point for the arc.