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Comic and Graphic Books. Fiction. HTML: Y: THE LAST MAN, winner of three Eisner Awards and one of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling comic books series of the last decade, is that rare example of a page-turner that is at once humorous, socially relevant and endlessly surprising. Written by Brian K. Vaughan (LOST, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD, EX MACHINA) and with art by Pia Guerra, this is the saga of Yorick Brown-the only human survivor of a planet-wide plague that instantly kills every mammal possessing a Y chromosome. Accompanied by a mysterious government agent, a brilliant young geneticist and his pet monkey, Ampersand, Yorick travels the world in search of his lost love and the answer to why he's the last man on earth. Collects issues #1-5..… (more)
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English
Media reviews
The ethics of cutting-edge science are at the forefront of the story as well, as will be, I imagine, a conflict between the emotional and ecological sides of sexuality.
User reviews
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: The premise of Y: The Last Man is simple... what would happen in a world without men? In this case, every man (and every Y-chromosome-bearing male mammal) on the planet was simultaneously and instantly killed by a mysterious plague. Every man, that is, except one: Yorrick Brown. (And his
Review: Y: The Last Man is I think one of the modern classics of the graphic novel format. It's probably the first graphic novel series I remember hearing about in the days before I started reading them for myself, and now that I'm finally getting around to it, I'm pleased to report that at least the first volume totally lives up to the hype.
I do love me a well-thought-out post-apocalyptic world, and the world of Y: The Last Man is incredibly intriguing. I love thinking through the ramifications of the premise - what *would* happen if all of the men died tomorrow? - and I especially love when the writers come up with angles that never would have occurred to me (i.e. the majority of the remaining U.S. politicians would be Democrats.) There's also a fair amount of science behind this science fiction, and since sex determination is an area of particular interest to me, I've also been having fun trying to think through the virology/epidemiology/endocrinology/genetics of the plague. (Why only mammalian males? What about fish or frogs with an X chromosome? What about XY-but-androgen-insensitive women? What would the world look like if, within a generation, all of the mammals really did die out for lack of males?)
It's still a little bit of the early stages to have formed much of an opinion on the characters yet, but the plot is interesting enough, and going in enough different directions that I've been thoroughly sucked in. Neither the artwork or the panelling is particularly unique or phenomenally noteworthy, although the style *is* right up my alley - slightly simplified, with strong, un-sketchy lines. (The style is actually visually pretty similar to Fables.) Squeamish readers, though, be warned: there is a fair bit of extremely graphic violence and some strong and sexually-charged language. Not enough to put me off, but definitely more than I was expecting. There are also a few characters I can't always tell apart yet, but again: early days. I'm definitely going to keep reading, since I'm dying to see where the story goes from here. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Fans of apocalyptic or dystopian sci-fi should definitely read this, if they haven't already. Also good for biology nerds, readers of Anne Rice's The Queen of the Damned who think Akasha should have just gotten her way, and anyone who's ever uttered (or heard) the phrase "Not if you were the last man on Earth."
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pet capuchin monkey Ampersand.) After the disaster, all he wants to do is travel to Australia to find his girlfriend, but instead he must travel from Washington D.C. to Boston, avoiding gangs of violent women eager to destroy any trace of the patriarchy, and attempt to find a doctor who might hold the key to why Yorrick is the only male to have survived the plague.Review: Y: The Last Man is I think one of the modern classics of the graphic novel format. It's probably the first graphic novel series I remember hearing about in the days before I started reading them for myself, and now that I'm finally getting around to it, I'm pleased to report that at least the first volume totally lives up to the hype.
I do love me a well-thought-out post-apocalyptic world, and the world of Y: The Last Man is incredibly intriguing. I love thinking through the ramifications of the premise - what *would* happen if all of the men died tomorrow? - and I especially love when the writers come up with angles that never would have occurred to me (i.e. the majority of the remaining U.S. politicians would be Democrats.) There's also a fair amount of science behind this science fiction, and since sex determination is an area of particular interest to me, I've also been having fun trying to think through the virology/epidemiology/endocrinology/genetics of the plague. (Why only mammalian males? What about fish or frogs with an X chromosome? What about XY-but-androgen-insensitive women? What would the world look like if, within a generation, all of the mammals really did die out for lack of males?)
It's still a little bit of the early stages to have formed much of an opinion on the characters yet, but the plot is interesting enough, and going in enough different directions that I've been thoroughly sucked in. Neither the artwork or the panelling is particularly unique or phenomenally noteworthy, although the style *is* right up my alley - slightly simplified, with strong, un-sketchy lines. (The style is actually visually pretty similar to Fables.) Squeamish readers, though, be warned: there is a fair bit of extremely graphic violence and some strong and sexually-charged language. Not enough to put me off, but definitely more than I was expecting. There are also a few characters I can't always tell apart yet, but again: early days. I'm definitely going to keep reading, since I'm dying to see where the story goes from here. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Fans of apocalyptic or dystopian sci-fi should definitely read this, if they haven't already. Also good for biology nerds, readers of Anne Rice's The Queen of the Damned who think Akasha should have just gotten her way, and anyone who's ever uttered (or heard) the phrase "Not if you were the last man on Earth."
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LibraryThing member sturlington
Yorick is presumably the last remaining man on Earth after a mysterious plague wipes out every mammal with a Y chromosome.
I don't read a lot of comic books, but I picked this up as a bargain book from Amazon due to my interest in apocalyptic fiction. This was an entertaining, quick read, but
I don't read a lot of comic books, but I picked this up as a bargain book from Amazon due to my interest in apocalyptic fiction. This was an entertaining, quick read, but
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ultimately not a very compelling one. It's difficult for me, as a woman, to read about a world populated solely by women as written by a man. Many things about it don't ring true. I'm not sure I believe in the Amazons, a cult of man-haters who go around destroying everything that's male-related. You'd think, in the apocalypse, and with no men left, they'd find better things to do. I was unconvinced about the overzealous Zionists, as well. I did enjoy the political aspects, the questions about succession and how to carry on with government after such a monumental upheaval, and I wish there had been more. But there was also a lot of bumbling around with poor Yorick and his monkey on the road looking for his girlfriend, who I'm sure was about to break up with him when all of this went down. All in all, this read like a comic book, which it was. I would probably only continue with the series if I could get it at a bargain price, as it was a zippy, entertaining read, but I probably won't be seeking out the next few issues. Show Less
LibraryThing member stacey2112
Maybe 3.5? Had some problems (like gratuitous boobies) but was definitely a page turner as well, have to admit I'm eager to p/up the next one. Some of the dialogue felt really natural to me & at other times very artificial - like Dr. Hamad's harangue (complete with statistics, always a pet peeve of
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mine!) about violence against Jordanian women...thanks for the lecture! :/ Some pretty funny bits. All in all worth a read, definitely aimed at a male audience. I even like boobies, but all the boobies were just too much, on ridiculously perfect bodies...that is SO damaging to the psyche of young girls i had trouble getting past it, yes that's a personal hang up of mine, I know. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kurt.Rocourt
It's good but the word, "pretentious" comes to mind when I think about it. People say its great, I say pretentious, or overrated should be a better description for it.
LibraryThing member andreablythe
In a matter of minutes, a strange plague sweeps across the globe eliminating any creature with a Y chromozone. All the males in the world are gone, all except for Yorick Brown and his pet monkey. Yorick's only thought is to try to reach his girlfriend in Australia, though that plan is quickly
In the aftermath of the death of the men, the women are left to pick up the pieces of society. Some spend their time in mourning for those they've lost. Some try to keep order by returning to the systems of government already in place. Some find new ways to earn a living in the world (including gathering the bodies of the men for collection and burning). And some women, who call themselves Amazons, choose a more radical path, claiming that the death of men is a sign and a blessing and seek to destroy any potential for returning men to the world.
It's an interesting look at what would happen if the world were to suddenly be devoid of men. I appreciate the multiple and varied reactions of the women in how they handle this. Yorick, as the last man, is a main character, but not the only one. There are a handful of women in the book who are given equal weight; their journey being of equal importance to the story. Even the cultish Amazons, crazy as they seem, have legitimate and logical reasoning behind what they do. While they are not likable, per se, you can almost sympathize with them.
The storyline, which is interesting in and of itself, is supported by some great artwork and a clever structure, with the plot occasionally jumping back and forth through time. The structure manages to both increase tension and allow the reader to connect more deeply with the characters as they experience the events.
This is a well crafted graphic novel on all fronts, and I'm greatly looking forward to plowing through the rest of the volumes in the series.
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derailed by a litany of bigger problems, not the least of which is to keep his survival a secret. In the aftermath of the death of the men, the women are left to pick up the pieces of society. Some spend their time in mourning for those they've lost. Some try to keep order by returning to the systems of government already in place. Some find new ways to earn a living in the world (including gathering the bodies of the men for collection and burning). And some women, who call themselves Amazons, choose a more radical path, claiming that the death of men is a sign and a blessing and seek to destroy any potential for returning men to the world.
It's an interesting look at what would happen if the world were to suddenly be devoid of men. I appreciate the multiple and varied reactions of the women in how they handle this. Yorick, as the last man, is a main character, but not the only one. There are a handful of women in the book who are given equal weight; their journey being of equal importance to the story. Even the cultish Amazons, crazy as they seem, have legitimate and logical reasoning behind what they do. While they are not likable, per se, you can almost sympathize with them.
The storyline, which is interesting in and of itself, is supported by some great artwork and a clever structure, with the plot occasionally jumping back and forth through time. The structure manages to both increase tension and allow the reader to connect more deeply with the characters as they experience the events.
This is a well crafted graphic novel on all fronts, and I'm greatly looking forward to plowing through the rest of the volumes in the series.
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LibraryThing member publiusdb
Truth of the matter is that I want to give this book four stars, but a couple things kept me from giving it the full measure.
First, why I like it. The concept is intriguing and generally, I like the execution, too: every man and male animal on Earth dies in a single moment, all that is but one, the
Where I struggle is with how the author writes nearly every woman in the story (and, but for Yorick, they're ALL women) to carry a hatred for every man that they ever knew, despite them all being dead and gone.
Despite the heavy handed feminism and occasional political message, it's an interesting concept, and I look forward to reading the sequels.
First, why I like it. The concept is intriguing and generally, I like the execution, too: every man and male animal on Earth dies in a single moment, all that is but one, the
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strangely named Yorick, and his male Capuchin monkey. What follows is the female dystopia as women inherit the Earth and Yorick goes underground to stay alive and find a way to save the species. Where I struggle is with how the author writes nearly every woman in the story (and, but for Yorick, they're ALL women) to carry a hatred for every man that they ever knew, despite them all being dead and gone.
Despite the heavy handed feminism and occasional political message, it's an interesting concept, and I look forward to reading the sequels.
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LibraryThing member norabelle414
Y: The Last Man sounds like it would be exactly my thing - all of the men in the world spontaneously die except one (and a male monkey). The women need to rebuild the country, while figuring out what happened to all the males of the world. The general story is interesting and the art is
However, the execution is terrible. This is a story in which all the men are dead except one, and it does not pass the Bechdel test. All of the women are obsessed with talking about the men who have died, or with the one remaining man, and very very few of them are at all concerned with the fact that all life on the planet is fucking doomed. The villains of this volume are the Feminists (why?) who go around destroying the legacy of and monuments to men (why?) until they learn that one man survived and then they try to find him so they can kill him (why?). While it's nice to see hundreds of women in a comic book, none of them are fully-developed characters, and the whole thing reads like some dude's fantasy about living in a world filled with only women who have to worship him.
The world-building is very inconsistent as well. If half the population of the world dropped dead it would definitely be crippling, but I don't know if I believe that there would be no electricity and travelers would have to WALK from DC to Boston and sleep on the streets instead of in a hotel.
For a story that is fundamentally about gender, it really misses the mark.
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fine.However, the execution is terrible. This is a story in which all the men are dead except one, and it does not pass the Bechdel test. All of the women are obsessed with talking about the men who have died, or with the one remaining man, and very very few of them are at all concerned with the fact that all life on the planet is fucking doomed. The villains of this volume are the Feminists (why?) who go around destroying the legacy of and monuments to men (why?) until they learn that one man survived and then they try to find him so they can kill him (why?). While it's nice to see hundreds of women in a comic book, none of them are fully-developed characters, and the whole thing reads like some dude's fantasy about living in a world filled with only women who have to worship him.
The world-building is very inconsistent as well. If half the population of the world dropped dead it would definitely be crippling, but I don't know if I believe that there would be no electricity and travelers would have to WALK from DC to Boston and sleep on the streets instead of in a hotel.
For a story that is fundamentally about gender, it really misses the mark.
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LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
What’s good about this: This is a neat version of post-apocalypse, really. A strange plague wipes out all male mammals on the planet in a jiffy, leaving a global civilization that is *half* collapsed. Or, well, all male mammals except Yorrick the bigmouthed escape artist and his pet monkey. Also,
It’s also a fast-paced and pretty well-told short cuts type of story, quickly cutting between people in different parts of the world. And the artwork, while not spectacular, is crisp and effective.
What’s not so good about this: An annoying main character, who can’t ever keep his mouth shut or refrain from challenging people doing Bad Things in a loud and juvenile way. A secret agent who says stuff like “My name is classified. You can call me 355.” A certain amount of America-centrism and even a tad bit of flag waving going on. And most of all, it steps into a lot of clichés about what an all-female world might be like. Does it come as a surprise to anyone that the bad guys are extremist feminists who’ve read Solanas SCUM manifesto literally, call themselves Amazones and are on a holy mission (from Mother Earth of course) to hunt down and kill the last specimen of the slavers? While some other women prefer to sit and ponder dead rock stars. I just feel a lot more complexity could easily have been achieved here.
So, a mixed bag of sweets this one. But in the end, I guess the pace of the story and the basic premise is good enough to make this a read above average, despite its flaws.
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the action starts right at the time all the men spew blood and just die, so you get into the action at a pretty unusual stage of things. No warlords in desert forts with homemade armour made out of traffic signs, but rather the dilemma of who is going to be president now, what do we do about congress when most of them are dead, and how do we get rid of all those cars full of dead guys blocking the highways? It’s a world on a slope, but not even close to rock bottom yet. Interesting. It’s also a fast-paced and pretty well-told short cuts type of story, quickly cutting between people in different parts of the world. And the artwork, while not spectacular, is crisp and effective.
What’s not so good about this: An annoying main character, who can’t ever keep his mouth shut or refrain from challenging people doing Bad Things in a loud and juvenile way. A secret agent who says stuff like “My name is classified. You can call me 355.” A certain amount of America-centrism and even a tad bit of flag waving going on. And most of all, it steps into a lot of clichés about what an all-female world might be like. Does it come as a surprise to anyone that the bad guys are extremist feminists who’ve read Solanas SCUM manifesto literally, call themselves Amazones and are on a holy mission (from Mother Earth of course) to hunt down and kill the last specimen of the slavers? While some other women prefer to sit and ponder dead rock stars. I just feel a lot more complexity could easily have been achieved here.
So, a mixed bag of sweets this one. But in the end, I guess the pace of the story and the basic premise is good enough to make this a read above average, despite its flaws.
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LibraryThing member kencf0618
With its magnificient, well-thought-out premise of gendercide, this series would make for a fabulously twisted birthday gift for that certain someone. Highly recommended, yummy science fiction of extreme wit & savvy, and a fine graphic novel with a strong narrative line.
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
What would it be like to be the last man on Earth? While not a particularly unique premise, it is this question that is addressed by the comic series Y: The Last Man. A mysterious plague instantaneously strikes dead every mammal with a Y chromosome. Except for Yorick Brown and his capuchin monkey
Unmanned collects the first five issues of the series. In it, the disaster hits and nearly half the population of the planet dies. Understandably, things are rather chaotic and society more or less collapses. While the women start rebuilding civilization, Yorick wants nothing more than to be reunited with his girlfriend Beth who is on the other side of the world in Australia. Of course, there's the entire fate of humanity to take into consideration, as well.
I very much enjoyed this first installment. The artwork is well done, although quite a few of the women end up looking a little too similar. Also, some of the plot details are inconsistent. Whether or not this is intentional, I don't know. Guess I'll just have to go out and get the next volume.
Experiments in Reading
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Ampersand, that is.Unmanned collects the first five issues of the series. In it, the disaster hits and nearly half the population of the planet dies. Understandably, things are rather chaotic and society more or less collapses. While the women start rebuilding civilization, Yorick wants nothing more than to be reunited with his girlfriend Beth who is on the other side of the world in Australia. Of course, there's the entire fate of humanity to take into consideration, as well.
I very much enjoyed this first installment. The artwork is well done, although quite a few of the women end up looking a little too similar. Also, some of the plot details are inconsistent. Whether or not this is intentional, I don't know. Guess I'll just have to go out and get the next volume.
Experiments in Reading
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LibraryThing member theboylatham
A mysterious plague kills all the men in the world - except one.
LibraryThing member ALEXSMIGO
This begins a highly unusual and intriguing graphic novel series in which twenty-something Yorick Brown, unemployed English Lit major, amateur magician and escape artist, son of a congresswoman, is hanging upside down practicing strait jacket escapes and proposing to his girlfriend Beth by phone,
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who is across the world in the Australian outback, at the exact moment every male member of the human race (and all mamallian species) suddenly dies of some unknown scourge. For some reason Yorick and his capuchin monkey Ampersand are immune. Yorick makes his way to Washington D.C. to rejoin his mother, who is helping defend the White House from something worse than terrorists: Republicans. From there, Yorick and Agent 355 and biogeneticist Dr. Mann (all females, of course, except for Yorick and Ampersand) make their way to Dr. Mann's lab in California to begin her research into what caused the gendercidal plague, how Yorick and Ampersand survived, and if the human race can be saved from extinction. A very nicely done series with good, hip-to-pop-culture writing and decent artwork, with liberal seasoning of humor and irony. Nice to know that the world wouldn't suddenly become an earthly paradise if all the men suddenly disappeared. Show Less
LibraryThing member esswedl
Maybe a little rushed--some plot points and post-apocalyptic scenarios are just given as standard, when they could have been fleshed out as narrative. The time-jumping narrative is greatly effective, though. Not blown away by the art, but I especially like a few of the quiet moments.
LibraryThing member cheesechick
Enjoyable but not very impressive. The main character is likable enough but so far nobody else is. The premise is certainly interesting.
For a series with a premise that will obviously have a wealth of feminist and gender commentary, I'm not sure why the author felt the need to open with male
The political commentary borders on ridiculous. The first appearance of the Republicans almost made me put down the book and leave it there.
For a series with a premise that will obviously have a wealth of feminist and gender commentary, I'm not sure why the author felt the need to open with male
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characters acting sexist and condescending towards the women. The messages in this first volume are overt to say the least.The political commentary borders on ridiculous. The first appearance of the Republicans almost made me put down the book and leave it there.
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LibraryThing member kayceel
Though I'm not a regular reader of comics, I do so love apocalyptic fiction, and this series opener does not disappoint! It's mysterious, violent (definitely for "mature audiences"), creepy and full of intriguing characters. Yorick, the last man is likable, but has flaws, which I find much more
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fascinating than those out-and-out, "can do no wrong" types. I look forward to the next in the series! Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
A phenomenon causes all men on the planet to die, except one. Yorick Brown, son of an English professor and a congresswoman, and his monkey Ampersand are apparently the last males living of any species. Nobody knows why. But maybe they can keep the human race from dying out - as long as none of the
I thought this set up a great "what if," and had a convincing way of exploring what could happen if most males died. Yorick is an interesting guy - escape artist, English major, and surprisingly well-adjusted for being named after a skull in a play. For you other Lost fans out there, this is the comic that Hurley brings on Flight 316. Recommended for fans of science fiction; I would rate it R, primarily for language and violence.
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crazy gangs kill Yorick first.I thought this set up a great "what if," and had a convincing way of exploring what could happen if most males died. Yorick is an interesting guy - escape artist, English major, and surprisingly well-adjusted for being named after a skull in a play. For you other Lost fans out there, this is the comic that Hurley brings on Flight 316. Recommended for fans of science fiction; I would rate it R, primarily for language and violence.
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LibraryThing member kd9
I'm not a big fan of graphic novels. I liked the Sandman series, but that was written by an excellent novelist. My husband, who likes graphic novels more than I do, didn't like this one. But Volume Ten is nominated for a Hugo award for 2008, so I wanted to read all of the Hugo nominated Graphic
The tale is of a plague that destroys all mammals with a Y chromosome, except for one young man and his male monkey. We don't find out why he was spared, but we do find out some of the problems he would face being the only man left on Earth. He is not particularly smart or strong, but he does have some awesome allies, including his Congressperson mother. The story is told in flash backs that catch you up with the cover picture and move forward. The drawings are very descriptive and the dialogue is witty. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
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Novels and wanted to start with the first in the series. I liked this so much that I am ordering Volumes 2 - 9 to read the entire story.The tale is of a plague that destroys all mammals with a Y chromosome, except for one young man and his male monkey. We don't find out why he was spared, but we do find out some of the problems he would face being the only man left on Earth. He is not particularly smart or strong, but he does have some awesome allies, including his Congressperson mother. The story is told in flash backs that catch you up with the cover picture and move forward. The drawings are very descriptive and the dialogue is witty. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
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LibraryThing member dr_zirk
I have to admit that I was not initially disposed to think highly of Y: The Last Man, since at a cursory examination, the amateurish artwork by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan is such an immediate visual turn-off. Nonetheless, I decided to give the first volume a chance, since it has been talked-up
And I can't say that I regret it - beyond the makeweight illustrations, Brian Vaughn has crafted a thought-provoking tale. His dialogue is often quite silly and his reliance on cinematic pacing doesn't always work well, but it's undeniable that this story is packed with ideas, some of them quite intriguing. Now if I can just bring myself to ignore the completely ridiculous plot device that has eliminated the majority of male mammals from the planet, I just might be able to make it to the second volume in the series.
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pretty far and wide. And I can't say that I regret it - beyond the makeweight illustrations, Brian Vaughn has crafted a thought-provoking tale. His dialogue is often quite silly and his reliance on cinematic pacing doesn't always work well, but it's undeniable that this story is packed with ideas, some of them quite intriguing. Now if I can just bring myself to ignore the completely ridiculous plot device that has eliminated the majority of male mammals from the planet, I just might be able to make it to the second volume in the series.
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LibraryThing member knielsen83
Great start to a series that has great graphics and an even better plot. I like the variety of reactions shown to the virus and the situations that arise.
LibraryThing member regularguy5mb
A plague destroys the entire male population of Earth, except for a wise-assed, out of work practicing magician named Yorick Brown and his in-training helper monkey Ampersand. And if that doesn't make you immediately want to pick up this book, then I can't really help you.
Fun, funny, and
Fun, funny, and
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fast-paced. Really a fun read. I've been a fan of Vaughan for a while, so this was a natural grab for me. Can't wait to keep reading this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kskye
One July summer the supposedly impossible happens: every mammal, fetus and sperm...anything with a Y chromosome dies. Yorick Brown, an unemployed English Major of New York seems to be the anomaly along with his pet monkey Ampersand. On finding out he is the only male survivor all he wants to do is
Luckily he just happens to double as an amateur escape artist, which comes in handy when women either want to help him repopulate the world against his wishes, study him like a lab rat or just keep him from finding his girlfriend.So far everyone is trying to figure out what caused all the men on Earth to die. Is it about some ancient artifact hinted at being stolen or the fact that on that very same day a geneticist gave birth to a human clone? I love how its science fiction mixed with political intrigue, because Yorick's mother as a U.S. representative, is trying to help stabilize the government after some women are saying since men and all the founding fathers are dead their constitution doesn't apply anymore.
While writing this I realize a lot of what I'm saying is painting women in a negative view, but I don't think that's the aim of the graphic novel. This is like a feminist dream in that all the women so far are strong. I think if the situation was the other way around men would be desperate to fix things too. Perhaps they'd miss women a lot more though. I'm really curious about what's going to happen to Yorick. I really like him, and I like that he's not taking advantage of the situation and trying to sleep with everyone. At the same time he seems rather unconscious of his situation. He's not as careful as he should be considering he could be the last man on Earth and has a responsibility to the world now. As of the first five issues all he seems to care about is finding his girlfriend instead of helping prevent the extinction of the human race. So he's a super romantic stuck in probably the worst scenario ever. Can you imagine if it was the other way around? I'd hate to be the last woman on Earth. Somehow I thought it would be easier if it was a man, but Yorick has it pretty hard.
Y: The Last man has won a couple of Eisner awards including: Best Writer, Best Continuing Series, and Best Penciller/Inker Team and was nominated for the Hugo Award for best Graphic Novel in 2009. A film was in the works but is temporarily on hold.Personally I think a television series would be better. Shia LeBeouf and Zachary Levi were connected to the role and writer Brian K. Vaughan wanted Topher Grace as Yorick. This really messes things up in my head, because all I can think of is Eric Forman. If he was the last man on Earth...Earth would be doomed.
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go to Australia to find his girlfriend Beth. Of course not everything is as easy as it sounds, after two months a group of women known as the Amazons go around defacing memorials to men claiming Mother Nature killed all men on purpose so women could inherit the Earth. So of course when they find out about Yorick, they call him a deformed female poisoned by his own hormones and try to kill him.Luckily he just happens to double as an amateur escape artist, which comes in handy when women either want to help him repopulate the world against his wishes, study him like a lab rat or just keep him from finding his girlfriend.So far everyone is trying to figure out what caused all the men on Earth to die. Is it about some ancient artifact hinted at being stolen or the fact that on that very same day a geneticist gave birth to a human clone? I love how its science fiction mixed with political intrigue, because Yorick's mother as a U.S. representative, is trying to help stabilize the government after some women are saying since men and all the founding fathers are dead their constitution doesn't apply anymore.
While writing this I realize a lot of what I'm saying is painting women in a negative view, but I don't think that's the aim of the graphic novel. This is like a feminist dream in that all the women so far are strong. I think if the situation was the other way around men would be desperate to fix things too. Perhaps they'd miss women a lot more though. I'm really curious about what's going to happen to Yorick. I really like him, and I like that he's not taking advantage of the situation and trying to sleep with everyone. At the same time he seems rather unconscious of his situation. He's not as careful as he should be considering he could be the last man on Earth and has a responsibility to the world now. As of the first five issues all he seems to care about is finding his girlfriend instead of helping prevent the extinction of the human race. So he's a super romantic stuck in probably the worst scenario ever. Can you imagine if it was the other way around? I'd hate to be the last woman on Earth. Somehow I thought it would be easier if it was a man, but Yorick has it pretty hard.
Y: The Last man has won a couple of Eisner awards including: Best Writer, Best Continuing Series, and Best Penciller/Inker Team and was nominated for the Hugo Award for best Graphic Novel in 2009. A film was in the works but is temporarily on hold.Personally I think a television series would be better. Shia LeBeouf and Zachary Levi were connected to the role and writer Brian K. Vaughan wanted Topher Grace as Yorick. This really messes things up in my head, because all I can think of is Eric Forman. If he was the last man on Earth...Earth would be doomed.
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LibraryThing member mikemillertime
Comic book enthusiasts traditionally point to either Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns" or Alan Moore's "Watchmen" as the best the medium has ever offered. But after reading the 60-issue run of "Y: The Last Man," this complete saga certainly is not just a milestone for comics, but in all of
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narrative fiction. The best TV shows cannot match the episodic suspense, twists, arcs, character development and cliffhangers in which this title regularly flourished and excelled. And while this is a comic book, the book is decidedly adult with its frequent and frank exhibitions of profanity, nudity and violence, though always in a tasteful and purposeful manner. A post-apocalyptic road movie that perfectly mates the genres of comedy, action, drama and romance, this story even has frequent high-brow diversions into post-feminist philosophy and creative symbolism to satisfy even the toughest academic critics. This title is simply a masterpiece and a must-read for everyone, as I cannot fathom anyone who would not appreciate the myriad beauty and excitement this title offers. Show Less
LibraryThing member tapestry100
I'm not entirely sure how to take this book. Basically, the premise is ALL the males on the ENTIRE planet have died, regardless of species apparently, with the exception of slacker Yorick Brown and his Capuchin monkey, Ampersand. Why they are the only two males left on the planet is part of the
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mystery. The women try to take charge of the situation, running the governments of the world as best they can with the limited resources that are left (For instance, electricity is no longer available. Why? Were the only people capable of managing to run the electric plants men? This is one of the things that seemed rather unbelievable for me in this very unbelievable scenario.) and trying to keep a semblance of order in a world that seems to be falling apart at the seems. The women in general seem to miss their men, but there is also a growing group of "Amazons" who are glad that the "oppressive" men are gone, leaving the world for the women (never mind that in this scenario, the entire populace of the entire world is definitely running on a finite timeline, so I'd tend to think that even these extremists would see the need for having males around, if nothing more than sources of reproduction). Some scientists are looking into cloning as a means of keeping the human race alive. I kept thinking, "What happened to the sperm banks? What about the pregnancies and births that occurred after the initial 'plague' wiped out all the men?" Maybe these are all things that will be dealt with in subsequent volumes, but as of now, I'm left scratching my head at what seem like obvious problems with the storyline, even though the entire story was still entertaining. And of course, the big question is how does Yorick fit into all of this? Well, some of the women look at him as the means to jumpstart the human race again. Some of the women want to kill him, as he's the last "oppressor" on the planet. And what does Yorick want? To get to Australia to find his girlfriend who he proposed to over the phone at the exact moment everything went to hell, even though there really doesn't seem to be a way to get to her from Washington DC anymore. The art is good; it's not great, but it isn't bad. I can't tell if the story is supposed to be taken seriously or if it's supposed to be a dark comedy; maybe it's supposed to be read a little as each. I'm giving it 3 stars, but I'm interested enough in what's happening to read at least one more volume to see if some of my questions are answered. Show Less
LibraryThing member AlejandroAlarcn
As with many long series, this starts spectacularly and then bogs down a little, storywise. I specially had a problem trying to sympathize with the male character, right til just before the very end. .Good ending, though; and it's good to see women looking like REAL women. (This is about the whole
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series) Show Less
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Very cool book. Witty, fun writing. Great interpolation of events after a huge change to society. Cool mysterious hook. Beautifully painted covers. Did I mention the writing was awesome?
Just ordered the 2nd book from the library - Can't wait.
Just ordered the 2nd book from the library - Can't wait.