# Is "Ex Machina #1" by Brian K. Vaughan & Tony Harris a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ex Machina #1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Tony Harris (DC Comics, 2004) is identified by: Single issue #1, cover-dated August 2004, WildStorm, cover the printed price. The true first is the single issue #1 (2004).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Single issue #1, cover-dated August 2004, WildStorm, cover the printed price
- First appearance and origin of the Great Machine
- A first printing carries no printing notation in the indicia; later printings are noted there
- Correct publisher/imprint: DC Comics

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brian K. Vaughan & Tony Harris |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Single issue #1, cover-dated August 2004, WildStorm, cover the printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Single issue #1, cover-dated August 2004, WildStorm, cover the printed price. First appearance and origin of the Great Machine. A first printing carries no printing notation in the indicia; later printings are noted there.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the single issue #1 (2004). Collected trades and deluxe editions are first-thus only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are marked in the indicia; a first shows none.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ex Machina #1* by Brian K. Vaughan & Tony Harris a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ex-machina-1
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.