Politics unusual: The Pulse chats with writer Brian K. Vaughan about Ex Machina, his new WildStorm series that debuts June 16:

"I've always wanted to do a superhero book that wasn't necessarily ABOUT superheroes. There are enough postmodern, self-reflexive, deconstructionist comics out there already. I'd rather use superheroes as a parable to explore OUR world, especially contemporary local politics, which is way more sexy, fast-paced and dangerous than the boring crap that goes on in Washington."