Description:
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.
Review:
Sweet! Here’s a nice graphic novel about gender politics set in a dystopian setting.
1. The question this series poses is interesting: what would happen if there was only one man left in the world?
What I like most about this series is that it really brings up all of the stereotypes about men and women. Whatever simple question a person can create to answer the premise of this series is probably going to be influenced by these stereotypes.
Will women all weep and despair powerless without men? Or, as in Y, will there be angry hordes of women roaming the United States on motorcycles hellbent on destroying any symbol left of the patriarchy?
There are many different reactions that the women in Y have in response to the death of almost all the men in the world.
2. What kind of man would be “strong” enough to survive the death of all others of his gender?
The sole survivor Yurick isn’t an alpha male. He’s a escape artist hobbyist, who has spend much of his time lately practicing his art in his bedroom. He ties himself up with various contraptions and practices getting down.
This gives him something to do as he waits for the woman he loves to call him back. While he traps himself in his house, she is adventuring across Australia and enjoying her independence.
3. Do women all band together since they are so “relationship-focused”?
Like I said in number one, there are a variety of different reactions to the disappearance of men.
Some of these differences get very contentious. One big question is, who’s in charge?
Even with the most recent election, women representatives have always been the minority. Obviously the president is dead, and several others in line before it falls to a woman. But the power does.
But it turns out the the wives of many of the recently deceased male representatives feel entitled to their husbands positions…
4. Great start to a series
This edition is the intro to a longer series (which I have never read before) of ten volumes. A number of characters are introduced, and while I don’t understand what role all have to play, they are all unique enough to remember later.
I really enjoy the themes of this graphic novel and intend to keep reading in the future. Recommended!
