They had a copy of Y the last man volume 8 in the library for months before I ever got around to looking at it. I had heard the name dropped on various podcasts and read it mentioned with other great “must read” Graphic novels on the web, but something about the name put me off, despite the fact that I had no idea what the book was about. Never do that, that is just plain stupid. When I finally did check out the book I was immediately intrigued if somewhat lost). I went back and bought the first volume and have averaged about 1 a week since. It much like Walking dead is a book that I HAVE to read in one sitting. It is just too good to put down.
Y the last man is the story of Yorick Brown, and his pet monkey Ampersand, the only 2 Male mammals to survive the “Gendercide” a Mysterious plague that wiped out everything else with a Y chromosome. Now one might imagine being the only man in a world full of women would be heaven… clearly you’ve never been married. (rimshot) As seen time and time again, from the soviet union to Iraq, when an “oppressed people” is freed, the results more often than not are chaos and bloodshed.
Much like Walking dead, Y the Last man is a great study of the human condition, delivered with a strong sense of drama and a terrifically black sense of humor. The protagonist Yorick is basically a naive slacker with a set of skills that are uniquely helpful in his situation. He is easy to like, and doesn’t get in the way of the huge cast of really interesting women, both friend and foe.
Brian K. Vaughan’s writing is both snappy and believable. It’s a less somber book than walking dead but there are many amazing “punch in the gut” emotional moments too. The political commentary is for the most part very even handed. In the 5 volumes I’ve read Yorick has made some real growth as a character. I can’t wait to see where he is at at the end of the last 5.
The artwork is quite nice. Consistently good at conveying both action and intrigue. My only complaint in that regard is that the quality of the paper in the trades isn’t that great, but then again the book is cheaper than most trades at an MSRP of $12.95. (You can find it cheaper online but I try to support my local shop.)
I give Y the Last man Volumes 1-5 my highest possible reccomendation. I consider it a must read for those who like Science fiction.
ESSENTIAL
I am wishing to cross pollinate between comic and anime fandoms. In order to help further this goal, I intend to make recommendations of Western comics at the end of anime and manga reviews, and Anime DVDs at the end of comic reviews. These recommendations will be based on similar themes or presentation to the work being reviewed. Today I would like to recommend The theatrical movie: A wind named amnesia, and the OVA series Gall force
MICRO REVIEWS:
A wind named amnesia shares the theme of a mysterious apocalyptic event changing the world completely in an instant with Y the last man. It is a moody and beautiful film, but also one full of action. It is not going to completely rock your world the way Y the last man will, but it is very solid. Unfortunately with our own current economic apocalypse, this film is out of print. The DVD can be found for as little as $10 used on Amazon though.
Recommended
Gall force Is a series of Science fiction Original video animations made in the 80s and early 90s. Like Y the last man, the cast is made up almost entirely of women. This show has a great cast of characters, and a very enjoyable space opera story line. Gall force also has more than a dash of pseudo cold war intrigue which may also appeal to fans of Y the last man. Featuring Character designs by Kenichi Sonoda, Gallforce has long been a favorite of mine. These OVAs are unfortunately also out of print, however you can still get most them (they all stand on their own) from http://www.rightstuf.com
Highly Recommended
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