Wow. I didn't see that coming. 
 Brian K. Vaughan wrote a powerful ending to his comic series Y: The Last Man, and he came up with an ending that was just as devastating in it's own way for Ex Machina. 
 Vaughan fused superhero comics and politics with a hardcore sci-fi plot for this series. Mitchell Hundred was a New York civil engineer who was injured by the explosion of a mysterious device that left him with the ability to talk to machines. After a brief and mostly unsuccessful attempt to be the world's only superhero , Hundred became a celebrity for saving many lives on 9/11, and he then used that publicity to become mayor of New York. 
 As mayor, Hundred struggled with impossible political problems while his past as a crime fighter and the mysterious origin of his powers kept coming back to haunt him. In 2005, Hundred is near the end of his first term, but he has his sights set on a higher office and won't run for re-election as mayor. However, he's dealing with a dangerous new foe as well as a potential scandal that could ruin his political career, and it's looking like the biggest threat of all may be tied to the source of his powers. Even if Hundred can survive these crises, can he keep his principles intact as he gets deeper into politics or will he turn into just another ambitious elected official? 
 Much like Y: The Last Man, this was an incredibly good storyline filled with vivid characters and a story arc that was packed with drama, humor and tragedy. While I still give slight edge to Y as the better series, this one is right up there with the best of comics to me. Whatever Vaughan decides to write next, I'll be reading it.